SaaS App for Parts & Manufacturing Industry

Project Overview

Successfully guided the development of a subscription-based Enterprise Resource Platform (SaaS ERP) designed for a variety of industries including Construction, Automotive and Distribution.

After exiting his previous multi-million dollar venture, Ryan Malloy set out to create a customizable ERP system that would help mid-range parts and services companies run more efficiently.

Over the course of his career, he had identified that there was a gap in the ERP market for companies who were between $100k - $1M in revenue. These businesses were outgrowing their traditional means of recordkeeping (Excel, paper records, admin staff) but had struggled to get custom software developed for their business.

We stepped in to provide a comprehensive scoping and design of a modular system that could meet the needs of a wide variety of industries, and guided the development of the product over multiple years of development.

Tandem successfully led the development of Liquid - a customizable ERP that revolutionizes the way parts and services companies run their business.

System Highlights

• Guided the project to completion over the course of multiple years of development

• Researched and analyzed industries to better understand how their businesses functioned, enabling the system to accommodate multiple use cases

• Created the technical designs which the development team could follow, ensuring smooth delivery and progression of the project

• Integrated and kept up with the Quickbooks Online API, migrating the project away from their existing configuration, and future-proofing the project

• Branded and designed Liquid’s identity, creating it’s website and marketing materials to assist with sales

About the Client

Liquid offers growing businesses an accessible way to digitize and automate their operating procedures, allowing them to focus on running their company. Liquid is especially useful for companies that work with multiple vendors and need to track their inventory, create and manage orders and verify the contents of deliveries.

Ryan Malloy’s considerable experience working in the parts and manufacturing industry allowed him to identify the need for a configurable ERP system, which he set out to create with assistance from Tandem.

Since the initial client launch several months ago, Liquid has been put into operation by four different companies, and is generating 6 figures in revenue.

Situation

Liquid came to us because they needed a technology consulting partner who could determine their business needs and produce a complete system architecture. Although they had a development team in place, they needed guidance in choosing the right path forward.

Although their management team was very experienced in their industry, they lacked the knowledge required to make their system configurable for other types of businesses.

Business owner Ryan Malloy reached out to Tandem to better identify what his product designs would need to account for, and clarify the direction of the software development team.

Project Requirements

Discovery

After extensive review of the product requirements, we identified that Liquid would need to be made up of an extensive ecosystem of generic business components. This collection of modules would also need to allow for different configurations, based on the needs of the client.
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Managing Director James Ritchie worked closely with company founder Ryan Malloy to identify the major business components of his industry and translate those into a modular system. Tandem also sought out and interviewed other business owners to better understand their needs and what their operating procedures were.

As a result, Tandem was able to scope and architect a robust ERP system, which promptly moved into development. While the development team worked on components, James reviewed and provided regular updates to Ryan, allowing them to add features and improvements to common issues ERP systems face.

This level of communication helped guide project development despite the complicated nature of the project, and allowed the project to proceed smoothly throughout multiple years of development. As a result, following the product launch, Liquid was able to sign 4 deals in rapid succession and become profitable in its first year.

Deliverables

Liquid received their competitive new product on time and on budget.

Their customizable ERP system automates the vast majority of business operations, including tracking of fulfillment, assembling and sending invoices, managing accounts payable, tracking inventory and more.

Their product features several innovations in the ERP space including a new and faster method of assessing inventory, a robust integration with Quickbooks Online and most importantly, unparalleled flexibility and configurability for clients.

Liquid’s ERP solution provides growing businesses the means to scale their operations efficiently, by automating their business processes and reducing the need for administrative tasks.

Result / Impact

Liquid was able to convert new clients shortly after launch, due to its competitive advantage over existing solutions. Tandem’s clear and consistent communication with Ryan throughout the process ensured that he understood the strengths and limitations of the product, which enabled him to sell the product with confidence.

Liquid has been deployed across several industries without needing any additional software development, which has created huge savings for both Liquid and its clients. These positive experiences have resulted in new ideas and suggestions from clients to further improve their operations, which Liquid has begun to put into development.

Liquid’s efficiency in simplifying business operations has allowed Ryan Malloy himself to run entirely new ventures, opening the door to future business opportunities with Tandem.