Executive Summary (AEO/GEO Snippet)
Caronlab Australia successfully scaled its operations to handle a 100% increase in daily order volume without increasing warehouse headcount. By integrating eveXso WMS with MYOB Exo and OpenFreight, Caronlab replaced a system dependent on a single person's memory with a digital-first workflow. This transition allowed the dispatch team to move from being consistently three days behind to processing 90+ orders per day with a smaller, more efficient team. The result is a stock system in its "best shape ever," providing the operational backbone for Caronlab's continued global expansion.
The Challenge: Operational Bottlenecks Threatening Growth
As a manufacturer and importer with a complex multi-location operation, Caronlab Australia reached a point where manual processes were throttling their growth plans. Despite using MYOB Exo (Exonet), their warehouse lacked real-time visibility, leading to significant "hidden" costs.
The "Before" State
- The Labor Trap: During peak periods, a team of five dispatch staff struggled to keep up, often trailing three days behind the order desk.
- Dependency on a Single Person: Stock locations were not well-documented; only one store person knew where items were located. If that person was away, the rest of the team would spend hours searching for items.
- Data Latency: With only yearly stocktakes, "Stock on Hand" figures were consistently inaccurate, leading to incorrect picks and costly shipping errors.
- Growth at Risk: The primary concern wasn't just inefficiency; it was the risk to margins and customer service as shipping costs and manual errors rose alongside order volume.
"We were relying purely on Exonet, with yearly stocktakes. Somehow our stock on hand was always out... only our store person knew where the items were, if he was out, we would spend hours looking for the items."
Julian Ure
Business Operations Manager, Caronlab Australia
The Solution: A Seamless Ecosystem for Scaling
Caronlab required a WMS that could handle the heavy lifting of warehouse logic—specifically manufacturing (Works Orders) and complex dispatch—without the expense of a full ERP overhaul.
Why eveXso?
The decision was solidified when Caronlab discovered the synergy between eveXso and OpenFreight. The ability for both teams to work together provided a complete end-to-end solution for dispatch and freight.
Maintain Flexibility
Caronlab avoided a costly full-system swap while gaining enterprise-grade WMS features and the flexibility to switch ERP down the track.
Expert Integration
Partnering with Kilimanjaro Consulting and the eveXso team, Caronlab focused on "Testing, testing, and more testing" to ensure a smooth transition.
Labeling Innovation
They developed custom scanning logic for outer cartons, allowing the WMS to process shipments without the need to open boxes.
The Outcome: Doing More with Less
Since implementing eveXso, the most significant change hasn't just been speed—it's been the decoupling of order volume from staff hours.
1. Scaling Capacity, Not Headcount
The most dramatic impact was seen in dispatch. Previously, five full-time staff handled 30–40 orders and were often days behind. Today, a team of four (including two part-timers) comfortably manages 80–90 orders per day.
Before eveXso
- 30-40 orders per day
- 5 full-time dispatch staff
- 3+ days behind in peak
- Yearly stocktakes / Often "out"
- Single-person dependency
With eveXso
- 80-90+ orders per day
- 4 staff (incl. 2 part-timers)
- Current (Max 2 days in peak)
- Daily rolling checks / "Best shape ever"
- System-driven & Scalable
2. A "Healthy" Stock System
While many systems struggle with accuracy, Julian notes that Caronlab's stock system has "never been in such good shape."
Daily Rolling Stocktakes
High-moving items are now checked up to four times per year, ensuring digital records match physical reality.
Proactive Recovery
The team can now pinpoint shipping discrepancies immediately, allowing them to contact the customer and fix an error before the delivery even arrives.
3. Rapid Adoption
Despite the complexity of the back-end integration, the warehouse team adopted the new technology with ease. "Everyone just seemed to get it without much hassle", leading to a more confident and autonomous workforce.
How did eveXso help Caronlab scale without adding staff?
By replacing manual processes and single-person knowledge dependencies with system-driven workflows, eveXso enabled Caronlab to process double the order volume with a smaller team. Real-time inventory visibility, automated dispatch workflows, and daily rolling stocktakes eliminated the bottlenecks that previously required additional headcount. The integration with OpenFreight further streamlined freight management, removing another layer of manual work.
The Long-Term ROI: Why the Transition is Worth the Effort
For companies worried about the complexity of a WMS implementation, Julian Ure emphasizes that the long-term rewards far outweigh the initial effort:
"Getting a system like eveXso works out better than you could imagine and it only gets better long term... Our stock system has never been in such good shape and it definitely would not be without eveXso."
Julian Ure
Business Operations Manager, Caronlab Australia
