Challenge
The company’s bat warranty process was outdated and inefficient, requiring customers to initiate claims via email and communicate through multiple follow-ups before receiving a resolution. With bats costing $350-$500, customers expected quick replacements, but the slow process often left them waiting weeks for a resolution—a major issue during the playing season.
Internally, the process was manual and prone to errors, requiring employees to transfer information into the system by hand. The acquisition of Easton significantly increased the number of bats in circulation, leading to a surge in warranty claims. This created a higher risk of fraud, as customers attempted to replace non-warrantied bats. Additionally, the company was transitioning to JDE Enterprise One (JDE E1) as its new ERP system, requiring seamless integration to improve inventory tracking and claim validation.
To meet these challenges, the company needed a modern, automated warranty management system that would:
- Simplify the customer experience by enabling direct, online submissions.
- Automate workflows to eliminate manual data entry and reduce errors.
- Integrate with JDE E1 for real-time inventory tracking.
- Improve fraud prevention with receipt and image verification capabilities.
Solution
Technology Partners implemented a web-based warranty claim system that fully automated the submission, tracking, and resolution process.
Customers could now initiate a claim directly from the website, filling out a structured form that included fields for product details, damage descriptions, and purchase receipts. The system also allowed customers to upload images of the bat and damage, enabling faster validation and reducing fraudulent claims.
To improve internal processing efficiency, the new system seamlessly integrated with JDE E1, pulling inventory and bat details in real time—eliminating the need for manual updates and inventory reconciliation.
The platform featured workflow automation from start to finish, ensuring quicker claim approvals, streamlined case management, and improved coordination between customer service and fulfillment teams. With built-in fraud detection capabilities, the system flagged suspicious claims, reducing the risk of non-warrantied replacements.
With modern UI/UX design, the new system provided a user-friendly experience for both customers and internal teams, enhancing engagement and operational efficiency.
Results
The automated warranty claim system transformed customer service, operational efficiency, and fraud prevention for the company.
By eliminating the email-based claim process, customers now had a simpler, faster way to submit warranty requests, improving satisfaction and reducing frustrations. The integration with JDE E1 ensured real-time inventory tracking, preventing stock discrepancies and reducing delays in processing claims.
With workflow automation handling case assignments and approvals, warranty claims were processed significantly faster, reducing the company’s reliance on manual data entry and minimizing errors in tracking claims and inventory.
Additionally, the company gained a strategic advantage through predictive analytics, improving workforce forecasting and reducing staff turnover by 13%, as employees could now focus on higher-value tasks instead of manual claim processing.
Key Outcomes
- Fully automated warranty claim system, eliminating manual email-based processing.
- Faster claim resolutions, improving customer satisfaction and reducing wait times.
- Real-time integration with JDE E1, ensuring accurate inventory tracking.
- Improved fraud prevention, reducing non-warrantied bat replacements.
- Operational efficiency gains, saving countless hours annually through automation.
