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Together, we've completed thirteen rocks so far this year.
Incredible work, team.
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Together, we've completed thirteen rocks so far this year.
Incredible work, team.
FINANCE
& HUMAN
RESOURCES
FINANCE
& HUMAN
RESOURCES
1
MORE SALES TAX
As some may already know, each state has their own rules & regulations regarding sales tax. Because we are doing so well as a company, we must be ever vigilant in keeping track of those rules & regulations. As such, in the 3rd quarter of this year, we added three new states to the list in which we report sales sax. Before Q3, we were registered in California, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, & Texas. We are now also registered in Georgia, Washington, and Wisconsin! The transition into these states was much smoother than last year with Texas, Pennsylvania, & Iowa. We now have a process down that will see us expand into even more states during 2022!
2
DEPARTMENT BUDGETS
What, who, how, when, what? As we continue our upward pace and start to see real change within each department, so to do we need to keep track of each department more efficiently. This ROCK is still very much a work in progress but the whole point was to lay down a system that managers and team members alike can utilize. This system enables us to keep track of where departments budget spend and where we are all headed as a company. Better record keeping and timely reviews have created the structure needed for budgets to exist here at SSI. More to come on this as each department sculpts its own needs and answers the call of the wild in their own way!
3
UPDATED EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
Yes! The moment you’ve all been waiting for has arrived and the final draft of the new Employee Handbook will soon be available for purchase (just kidding!). Using updated information as well as the very latest in the most popular State and local government regulations (looking at you COVID…), we now have a more comprehensive and breathable Employee Handbook. Answers to questions on time-off, in office/warehouse regulations, and anything else that might come up during your shift here at SSI, will be answerable using this handbook. Keep in mind though, Employee Handbooks are a never ending tale of adventure and guidance and thus will be updated at various times and for various reasons, as needed. Once passed out, read up and enjoy, and if there are any questions, your HR department will be back from their extended break at some point…
OPERATIONS
4
Indiana Fulfillment Warehouse Operational
As the OE RV business continues to grow we have decided to open up a fulfillment warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana. The company we have have selected is Transatlantic, and will partner with us in the midwest region. We have selected some of the top moving SumoSprings kits we sell to the RV manufacturers in that area for packaging and delivery from this new facility. This is as big step for us as a company and will help create space & time in the Carpinteria facility. Additionally, we will see some cost savings on shipping and quicker delivery times to certain areas of the county. This Rock is just the beginning of our domestic expansion and is going to be a big contributor to our future growth.
4
Indiana Fulfillment Warehouse Operational
As the OE RV business continues to grow we have decided to open up a fulfillment warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana. The company we have have selected is Transatlantic, and will partner with us in the midwest region. We have selected some of the top moving SumoSprings kits we sell to the RV manufacturers in that area for packaging and delivery from this new facility. This is as big step for us as a company and will help create space & time in the Carpinteria facility. Additionally, we will see some cost savings on shipping and quicker delivery times to certain areas of the county. This Rock is just the beginning of our domestic expansion and is going to be a big contributor to our future growth.
5
PLEIGER INCREASING SUMOSPRINGS PRODUCTION BY 30% IN Q2 2022.
In order to meet the sales demand for our SumoSprings, we need to increase the production output from Pleiger in Pennsylvania. The plan was to increase by 30% during Q1 of 2022 to meet our goal of producing 20,000 SumoSprings per month. To achieve this goal, Pleiger now has a second machine for pouring the products into the molds as well as a new oven. While there have been setbacks throughout the year, we have pushed through and are now producing an average of 14,000 SumoSprings every month. We're not at 20K, but we're well on our way.
5
PLEIGER INCREASING SUMOSPRINGS PRODUCTION BY 30% IN Q2 2022.
In order to meet the sales demand for our SumoSprings, we need to increase the production output from Pleiger in Pennsylvania. The plan was to increase by 30% during Q1 of 2022 to meet our goal of producing 20,000 SumoSprings per month. To achieve this goal, Pleiger now has a second machine for pouring the products into the molds as well as a new oven. While there have been setbacks throughout the year, we have pushed through and are now producing an average of 14,000 SumoSprings every month. We're not at 20K, but we're well on our way.
6
ISO 9001 is 20% Completed before it is rolled out
ISO 9001 was introduced as much-needed quality assurance program for our company in 2021. With a big start, we have made good progress on the items needed. ISO will benefit our company by documenting, improving, and streamlining our processes & procedures across each department. Additionally, ISO 9001 is a stamp of approval for our company both domestically and internationally, and can be a door-opener for future sales. The plan is to be completed with our initial ISO onboarding in 2022.
6
ISO 9001 is 20% Completed before it is rolled out
ISO 9001 was introduced as much-needed quality assurance program for our company in 2021. With a big start, we have made good progress on the items needed. ISO will benefit our company by documenting, improving, and streamlining our processes & procedures across each department. Additionally, ISO 9001 is a stamp of approval for our company both domestically and internationally, and can be a door-opener for future sales. The plan is to be completed with our initial ISO onboarding in 2022.
DATA & TECH OPS
DATA & TECH OPS
7
Leverage Tableau Reporting to provide transparency to Ops Teams for Production Output & Pending Orders by Product
Historically, the operations teams have had no visibility into the quantity of kits they have built or the ability to quickly view pending orders by product. With this release, the main computer in the warehouse now has a Tableau report, set as the browser home page, that shows the SumoSprings and SuperSprings teams colorful charts with daily averages for the quantities of kits and other bills of materials they produce. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” We all know how hard operations has been cranking out orders the past year with our growth, so this is an awesome way for them to see the result of their hard work. They can also now quickly look at quantities on-hand, pending order quantities, and audit production entries for increased accuracy.
7
Leverage Tableau Reporting to provide transparency to Ops Teams for Production Output & Pending Orders by Product
Historically, the operations teams have had no visibility into the quantity of kits they have built or the ability to quickly view pending orders by product. With this release, the main computer in the warehouse now has a Tableau report, set as the browser home page, that shows the SumoSprings and SuperSprings teams colorful charts with daily averages for the quantities of kits and other bills of materials they produce. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” We all know how hard operations has been cranking out orders the past year with our growth, so this is an awesome way for them to see the result of their hard work. They can also now quickly look at quantities on-hand, pending order quantities, and audit production entries for increased accuracy.
8
Backorder Reporting Enhancements
In the past, we have looked at all pending orders against our current inventory disposition on the Daily Sales Dashboard. As we have grown, there has been an increased need to segment our orders into what is shipping this week vs. orders with future ship dates. With these enhancements, we are categorizing orders into “Past Due”, “Current Week” and “Future Ship Date”. Since this release, we have been able clear through our Backorder Log with increased efficiency and strategic planning for day-to-day production. Thanks to the operations team inputting “Promise Dates” on orders, this allows for this report to be meaningful.
8
Backorder Reporting Enhancements
In the past, we have looked at all pending orders against our current inventory disposition on the Daily Sales Dashboard. As we have grown, there has been an increased need to segment our orders into what is shipping this week vs. orders with future ship dates. With these enhancements, we are categorizing orders into “Past Due”, “Current Week” and “Future Ship Date”. Since this release, we have been able clear through our Backorder Log with increased efficiency and strategic planning for day-to-day production. Thanks to the operations team inputting “Promise Dates” on orders, this allows for this report to be meaningful.
9
Custom Programming Development for B2B website | Sage to Word Press automation
We have never had a good process in place for communicating expected timeframes for shipments to customers when something is on backorder. To achieve this ROCK, we had to create an SOP where expected fulfillment times are updated weekly and added to SAGE. For us to get that information to the website, a lot of automation & custom programming was developed that moved that data from a spreadsheet on the server into SAGE to a SQL database to a custom table in mySQL (website database) that feeds to the front-end of our website. All of those pieces are automated, meaning if the spreadsheet updates, all the other pieces do as well — touchless! The final output is a customer PO-Order Lookup, Item Status-Delivery Timeframe lookup, and an expected ship window for all items on our website!
9
Custom Programming Development for B2B website | Sage to Word Press automation
We have never had a good process in place for communicating expected timeframes for shipments to customers when something is on backorder. To achieve this ROCK, we had to create an SOP where expected fulfillment times are updated weekly and added to SAGE. For us to get that information to the website, a lot of automation & custom programming was developed that moved that data from a spreadsheet on the server into SAGE to a SQL database to a custom table in mySQL (website database) that feeds to the front-end of our website. All of those pieces are automated, meaning if the spreadsheet updates, all the other pieces do as well — touchless! The final output is a customer PO-Order Lookup, Item Status-Delivery Timeframe lookup, and an expected ship window for all items on our website!
SALES & MARKETING
SALES & MARKETING
10
Optimize Intercom Response System
Intercom is the messaging platform integrated into our website that responds and provides solutions to visitors looking for assistance. This ROCK was completed to optimize the capabilities of Intercom and improve how our team responds to questions and concerns, provides insight on our various product lines, and produces an outstanding online experience.
To start, the automated scripts and responses were reviewed and eliminated. The language and demeanor given by the operator bot was superficial and cold. We have created a response system that replied and acted like one of us. Almost as if someone (a live person) is responding but better because of how fast the responses and solutions are provided. Phrases such as “Journey Better,” words like “Super,” and various emojis depending on the response given have been added to personalize the operator bot and give it more of a team member feel.
Previously, general questions were asked by the Intercom operator to gain a vague sense of what the visitor was looking for. Now with the old script out and over 65 new interactive responses that lead to more options, actions, and helpful resources, each conversation generated within business hours will include options and insight based on frequently asked questions and the coinciding answers to those questions. Our “bots” will start to talk and direct conversations to the perfect handoff point by gathering enough information to pass it over to a team member.
So, what kind of impact will this ROCK have? Product information, promotions, campaigns, written and video content will become more easily accessible to our website visitors. We can utilize Intercom to equip our potential customers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions before purchasing. The biggest initial impact though, is in the response time. First response times have already reduced from 20 minutes down to 5 minutes, a stat that is displayed to our visitors when a new conversation is started. This means we can support our sales and marketing team better by providing quick and easy solutions to our direct consumers.
To start, the automated scripts and responses were reviewed and eliminated. The language and demeanor given by the operator bot was superficial and cold. We have created a response system that replied and acted like one of us. Almost as if someone (a live person) is responding but better because of how fast the responses and solutions are provided. Phrases such as “Journey Better,” words like “Super,” and various emojis depending on the response given have been added to personalize the operator bot and give it more of a team member feel.
Previously, general questions were asked by the Intercom operator to gain a vague sense of what the visitor was looking for. Now with the old script out and over 65 new interactive responses that lead to more options, actions, and helpful resources, each conversation generated within business hours will include options and insight based on frequently asked questions and the coinciding answers to those questions. Our “bots” will start to talk and direct conversations to the perfect handoff point by gathering enough information to pass it over to a team member.
So, what kind of impact will this ROCK have? Product information, promotions, campaigns, written and video content will become more easily accessible to our website visitors. We can utilize Intercom to equip our potential customers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions before purchasing. The biggest initial impact though, is in the response time. First response times have already reduced from 20 minutes down to 5 minutes, a stat that is displayed to our visitors when a new conversation is started. This means we can support our sales and marketing team better by providing quick and easy solutions to our direct consumers.
10
Optimize Intercom Response System
Intercom is the messaging platform integrated into our website that responds and provides solutions to visitors looking for assistance. This ROCK was completed to optimize the capabilities of Intercom and improve how our team responds to questions and concerns, provides insight on our various product lines, and produces an outstanding online experience.
To start, the automated scripts and responses were reviewed and eliminated. The language and demeanor given by the operator bot was superficial and cold. We have created a response system that replied and acted like one of us. Almost as if someone (a live person) is responding but better because of how fast the responses and solutions are provided. Phrases such as “Journey Better,” words like “Super,” and various emojis depending on the response given have been added to personalize the operator bot and give it more of a team member feel.
Previously, general questions were asked by the Intercom operator to gain a vague sense of what the visitor was looking for. Now with the old script out and over 65 new interactive responses that lead to more options, actions, and helpful resources, each conversation generated within business hours will include options and insight based on frequently asked questions and the coinciding answers to those questions. Our “bots” will start to talk and direct conversations to the perfect handoff point by gathering enough information to pass it over to a team member.
So, what kind of impact will this ROCK have? Product information, promotions, campaigns, written and video content will become more easily accessible to our website visitors. We can utilize Intercom to equip our potential customers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions before purchasing. The biggest initial impact though, is in the response time. First response times have already reduced from 20 minutes down to 5 minutes, a stat that is displayed to our visitors when a new conversation is started. This means we can support our sales and marketing team better by providing quick and easy solutions to our direct consumers.
To start, the automated scripts and responses were reviewed and eliminated. The language and demeanor given by the operator bot was superficial and cold. We have created a response system that replied and acted like one of us. Almost as if someone (a live person) is responding but better because of how fast the responses and solutions are provided. Phrases such as “Journey Better,” words like “Super,” and various emojis depending on the response given have been added to personalize the operator bot and give it more of a team member feel.
Previously, general questions were asked by the Intercom operator to gain a vague sense of what the visitor was looking for. Now with the old script out and over 65 new interactive responses that lead to more options, actions, and helpful resources, each conversation generated within business hours will include options and insight based on frequently asked questions and the coinciding answers to those questions. Our “bots” will start to talk and direct conversations to the perfect handoff point by gathering enough information to pass it over to a team member.
So, what kind of impact will this ROCK have? Product information, promotions, campaigns, written and video content will become more easily accessible to our website visitors. We can utilize Intercom to equip our potential customers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions before purchasing. The biggest initial impact though, is in the response time. First response times have already reduced from 20 minutes down to 5 minutes, a stat that is displayed to our visitors when a new conversation is started. This means we can support our sales and marketing team better by providing quick and easy solutions to our direct consumers.
11
S.O.P. for Blog Content Publication
This ROCK was set and completed to standardize the way in which the sales & service team generates and publishes relative content for our website blog. Content written should be supportive to current marketing efforts, engineering projects, company announcements, etc. Blogs from the sales & service team will now include required components, a structured guideline and a premeditated vision laid out by a standard operating procedure.
The headline and conclusion are the start and finish, similar to the way buns hold a burger together right? Well, the meat of the blog posts will now include several required components: Images, keywords, quotes and at least one call to action are make up the ingredients. We chose these ingredients to fill the bulk of the content and help provide a base to the recipe. Not that we're chefs, but this is starting to sound appetizing (or maybe it’s just lunch time!) The structure laid out in the S.O.P. is given as a guideline to help team members create a unified and standardized voice. Although sections (Headline, Intro, Conclusion, etc.) should not be eliminated for any reason, the order of the structure can be altered when necessary. This is an important aspect to also promote personality and individuality within the group.
Lastly, the mindset required for each post is one we as a team want to embrace. Each one of our five values ought to be present in the motivation behind each new blog. A story that envelops a value should be told, or an example of one of our values on display by a team member or a partner. This is the biggest difference from previously written blogs, to how blogs will be written by our team in the future. The blog writing process can now help answer the who, what, why, where and how questions from our audiences.
The headline and conclusion are the start and finish, similar to the way buns hold a burger together right? Well, the meat of the blog posts will now include several required components: Images, keywords, quotes and at least one call to action are make up the ingredients. We chose these ingredients to fill the bulk of the content and help provide a base to the recipe. Not that we're chefs, but this is starting to sound appetizing (or maybe it’s just lunch time!) The structure laid out in the S.O.P. is given as a guideline to help team members create a unified and standardized voice. Although sections (Headline, Intro, Conclusion, etc.) should not be eliminated for any reason, the order of the structure can be altered when necessary. This is an important aspect to also promote personality and individuality within the group.
Lastly, the mindset required for each post is one we as a team want to embrace. Each one of our five values ought to be present in the motivation behind each new blog. A story that envelops a value should be told, or an example of one of our values on display by a team member or a partner. This is the biggest difference from previously written blogs, to how blogs will be written by our team in the future. The blog writing process can now help answer the who, what, why, where and how questions from our audiences.
11
S.O.P. for Blog Content Publication
This ROCK was set and completed to standardize the way in which the sales & service team generates and publishes relative content for our website blog. Content written should be supportive to current marketing efforts, engineering projects, company announcements, etc. Blogs from the sales & service team will now include required components, a structured guideline and a premeditated vision laid out by a standard operating procedure.
The headline and conclusion are the start and finish, similar to the way buns hold a burger together right? Well, the meat of the blog posts will now include several required components: Images, keywords, quotes and at least one call to action are make up the ingredients. We chose these ingredients to fill the bulk of the content and help provide a base to the recipe. Not that we're chefs, but this is starting to sound appetizing (or maybe it’s just lunch time!) The structure laid out in the S.O.P. is given as a guideline to help team members create a unified and standardized voice. Although sections (Headline, Intro, Conclusion, etc.) should not be eliminated for any reason, the order of the structure can be altered when necessary. This is an important aspect to also promote personality and individuality within the group.
Lastly, the mindset required for each post is one we as a team want to embrace. Each one of our five values ought to be present in the motivation behind each new blog. A story that envelops a value should be told, or an example of one of our values on display by a team member or a partner. This is the biggest difference from previously written blogs, to how blogs will be written by our team in the future. The blog writing process can now help answer the who, what, why, where and how questions from our audiences.
The headline and conclusion are the start and finish, similar to the way buns hold a burger together right? Well, the meat of the blog posts will now include several required components: Images, keywords, quotes and at least one call to action are make up the ingredients. We chose these ingredients to fill the bulk of the content and help provide a base to the recipe. Not that we're chefs, but this is starting to sound appetizing (or maybe it’s just lunch time!) The structure laid out in the S.O.P. is given as a guideline to help team members create a unified and standardized voice. Although sections (Headline, Intro, Conclusion, etc.) should not be eliminated for any reason, the order of the structure can be altered when necessary. This is an important aspect to also promote personality and individuality within the group.
Lastly, the mindset required for each post is one we as a team want to embrace. Each one of our five values ought to be present in the motivation behind each new blog. A story that envelops a value should be told, or an example of one of our values on display by a team member or a partner. This is the biggest difference from previously written blogs, to how blogs will be written by our team in the future. The blog writing process can now help answer the who, what, why, where and how questions from our audiences.
12
B2B WEBSITE | VERSION ONE
Marketing completed the first version of a new website experience for our business customers. From the conception of our company website, we have attempted to provide consumers and business alike with information and resources but have never developed a separate experience for our business partners with resources, information, and tools that apply specifically to them. After bringing on a dedicated web designer, we placed effort on producing version 1 of a separate online resource for business customers.
The new site includes:
• animated shipping map for estimating delivery times
• a basic order lookup tool for verifying the status of an order (received/backordered/shipped)
• backorder lookup tool that allows customers to see what the shipping window of each product would be
• our tradeshow schedule with our booth number if applicable
• easier ordering of our marketing materials and POPs
• the ability to book a training with the team
• easy access to data files and videos
This is version 1 of the site and we plan to iterate based on ongoing feedback from our users and increase the capability and detail of the order lookup and backorder tools.
The new site includes:
• animated shipping map for estimating delivery times
• a basic order lookup tool for verifying the status of an order (received/backordered/shipped)
• backorder lookup tool that allows customers to see what the shipping window of each product would be
• our tradeshow schedule with our booth number if applicable
• easier ordering of our marketing materials and POPs
• the ability to book a training with the team
• easy access to data files and videos
This is version 1 of the site and we plan to iterate based on ongoing feedback from our users and increase the capability and detail of the order lookup and backorder tools.
12
B2B WEBSITE | VERSION ONE
Marketing completed the first version of a new website experience for our business customers. From the conception of our company website, we have attempted to provide consumers and business alike with information and resources but have never developed a separate experience for our business partners with resources, information, and tools that apply specifically to them. After bringing on a dedicated web designer, we placed effort on producing version 1 of a separate online resource for business customers.
The new site includes:
• animated shipping map for estimating delivery times
• a basic order lookup tool for verifying the status of an order (received/backordered/shipped)
• backorder lookup tool that allows customers to see what the shipping window of each product would be
• our tradeshow schedule with our booth number if applicable
• easier ordering of our marketing materials and POPs
• the ability to book a training with the team
• easy access to data files and videos
This is version 1 of the site and we plan to iterate based on ongoing feedback from our users and increase the capability and detail of the order lookup and backorder tools.
The new site includes:
• animated shipping map for estimating delivery times
• a basic order lookup tool for verifying the status of an order (received/backordered/shipped)
• backorder lookup tool that allows customers to see what the shipping window of each product would be
• our tradeshow schedule with our booth number if applicable
• easier ordering of our marketing materials and POPs
• the ability to book a training with the team
• easy access to data files and videos
This is version 1 of the site and we plan to iterate based on ongoing feedback from our users and increase the capability and detail of the order lookup and backorder tools.
13
video learning series
Marketing also introduced a new Video Learning Series in Q3 2021. We know 2 things for sure – 1, video is the most powerful medium on the internet and 2, our target audience asks a lot of the same questions in relation to our products. The idea behind the new and ongoing series is to provide as much high quality, detailed, and “general rule” type information to customers in concise and elegant 3 minute video. The videos were scripted, approved by engineering, shot in our Dalton Gardens, ID office and utilize the wealth of content collected over the last 2 years. As always, the videos we produced entirely in house.
We produced 3 total videos with Adam in the initial launch of the new series:
- SumoSprings vs airbags vs rubber stops
- SuperSprings vs. SumoSprings
- The meaning of the colors
Our initial feedback has been very positive both from customers and the internal team. These have proven to be a critical resource and simple yet powerful way to provide important information quickly and accurately.
We produced 3 total videos with Adam in the initial launch of the new series:
- SumoSprings vs airbags vs rubber stops
- SuperSprings vs. SumoSprings
- The meaning of the colors
Our initial feedback has been very positive both from customers and the internal team. These have proven to be a critical resource and simple yet powerful way to provide important information quickly and accurately.
13
video learning series
Marketing also introduced a new Video Learning Series in Q3 2021. We know 2 things for sure – 1, video is the most powerful medium on the internet and 2, our target audience asks a lot of the same questions in relation to our products. The idea behind the new and ongoing series is to provide as much high quality, detailed, and “general rule” type information to customers in concise and elegant 3 minute video. The videos were scripted, approved by engineering, shot in our Dalton Gardens, ID office and utilize the wealth of content collected over the last 2 years. As always, the videos we produced entirely in house.
We produced 3 total videos with Adam in the initial launch of the new series:
- SumoSprings vs airbags vs rubber stops
- SuperSprings vs. SumoSprings
- The meaning of the colors
Our initial feedback has been very positive both from customers and the internal team. These have proven to be a critical resource and simple yet powerful way to provide important information quickly and accurately.
We produced 3 total videos with Adam in the initial launch of the new series:
- SumoSprings vs airbags vs rubber stops
- SuperSprings vs. SumoSprings
- The meaning of the colors
Our initial feedback has been very positive both from customers and the internal team. These have proven to be a critical resource and simple yet powerful way to provide important information quickly and accurately.
COMING SOON
Q4 2021 ROCKS IN PROGRESS
check back soon for more info
COMING SOON
Q4 2021 ROCKS IN PROGRESS
check back soon for more info
