Backyard Expressions

• Proven QuickBooks integrations enable fast and accurate order processing
• Affordable solutions address the unique needs of a growing business across sales channels
• Unified commerce platform offers a single-vendor solution for multiple platforms
• Automation cuts order processing time in half, while supporting increased order volumes
• Fully managed service model provides expert support in a timely fashion

Backyard Expressions is a home and outdoor living brand with more than 20 years of expertise in home furnishings and décor. With products ranging from gazebos, to clocks, to patio furniture, porch swings, and more, the brand is known for unique finds that elevate any home and yard. Backyard Expressions’ products can be found in major retail stores, on their eCommerce storefront, and through popular shopping websites like Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart, and Lowes.com. Until about five years ago, Backyard Expressions sold mainly via their own website and through physical retail stores. However, as eCommerce shopping became more and more popular, it became clear that drop shipping would be crucial to Backyard Expressions’ growth.

Until about five years ago, Backyard Expressions sold mainly via their own website and through physical retail stores. However, as eCommerce shopping became more and more popular, it became clear that drop shipping would be crucial to Backyard Expressions’ growth.

Tyler Engelken, the Director of Online Operations at Backyard Expressions, explained how getting into drop shipping necessitated new investments in technology. He recalled, “When we decided to start drop shipping, we needed a solution that could accommodate us. The EDI solution we had at the time just wasn’t enough.”

In fact, despite having an EDI solution, most Backyard Expressions orders were still coming through via email at the time. This meant that each order needed to be manually rekeyed into the business’s QuickBooks Enterprise accounting system. The process wasn’t just time consuming; it also resulted in numerous accounting errors across inventory, invoicing, and billing.

Mr. Engelken described the frustrations of trying to process orders manually, saying, “Before EDI, we had trouble managing a 20th of our current order volume. We couldn’t keep going that way. There were too many errors and morale was down because it was a lot of work for too few orders.”

Finding the Right Fit

Mr. Engelken found TrueCommerce via a Google search and reached out to learn more about our drop shipping solution and EDI integration for QuickBooks Enterprise. He was impressed by the speed with which TrueCommerce responded to his inquiry.

“As soon as I reached out to TrueCommerce, they got back to me quickly,” he said, “But the most important thing was that they listened to what our needs were and found a solution within our budget that worked with what we already had set up. We added a few pieces of the puzzle for an affordable cost, and we were up and running in just a few months.”

TrueCommerce’s proven QuickBooks integration was an important decision driver for Mr. Engelken. Backyard Expressions had been a QuickBooks customer since day one and wanted to ensure their chosen drop ship solution would work with their existing setup. He commented, “In the initial call, our sales rep told us TrueCommerce was the expert in QuickBooks, and that was exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Mr. Engelken described the TrueCommerce implementation period as “very hands on.” He explained, “We had a representative that was with me every step of the way. He helped me set up each partner, taught me how the program works, and set us up to succeed.”

The rest of the Backyard Expressions team was also excited to get started. Mr. Engelken recalled, “When we first started our drop ship program, for the first year, we were hand keying in every order into QuickBooks. Once I showed the team what we could do with our shipping solution and TrueCommerce, they were stoked.”

Backyard Expressions continues to be happy with the TrueCommerce QuickBooks integration. Mr. Engelken commented, “TrueCommerce integrates with QuickBooks extremely well. I’ve had very few issues, ever.”

A “One Stop Shop” for Integrations

Automating EDI was the first step towards growing Backyard Expressions, and an obvious one to Mr. Engelken. He clarified, “In the drop ship world, doing business is not possible without EDI. I like it because it makes everything easy, but you also don’t really have a choice in today’s world.”

The drop shipping solution quickly became a valuable part of Backyard Expressions’ fulfillment process. Mr. Engelken told us, “My favorite thing about TrueCommerce is how fast the drop ship solution is, and how it lets us keep up with volume. That’s what it’s for, and that’s what it does!”

But Backyard Expressions didn’t stop with one integration from TrueCommerce. They currently use TrueCommerce EDI for drop shipping, TrueCommerce’s Shopify integration for eCommerce, and TrueCommerce’s Amazon Seller Central integration.

When Mr. Engelken heard about our Shopify integration, he quickly reached out to his account manager for more information. He noted, “We needed something to automate Shopify and speed it up, and it turns out with TrueCommerce’s Shopify integration, we were able to do just that.”

Choosing TrueCommerce’s Shopify integration has made a significant impact on Backyard Expressions’ online success. He emphasized, “The Shopify integration from TrueCommerce has been amazing for us. We run all our replacement parts through Shopify in addition to our products. TrueCommerce really streamlined order processing from Shopify. Once everything was set up, you wouldn’t notice the difference between Shopify and any other customer, because it’s all EDI and integrated.”

Soon after, Mr. Engelken found himself asking about a solution for Amazon. He recalled, “We’ve always been a first-party Amazon vendor, and then we started to sell a few things on the third-party Amazon Seller Central platform. A few of our products kicked off, and we tried to run it without automation for a while. Our team let me know we needed to do something about it.”

The TrueCommerce integrated Amazon solution was a perfect fit, and as Mr. Engelken pointed out, “It’s great to have a one-stop shop for all our integrations.”

He highlighted, “The beauty of the solutions is that TrueCommerce makes it so that every customer looks the same as soon as it enters the integration. That’s invaluable.”

Benefits in Every Direction

TrueCommerce’s integrated solutions have helped Backyard Expressions to expand their eCommerce business through faster order processing and shipping. Mr. Engelken stated, “Without having a solution like TrueCommerce in place that could keep up with our growth, we’d be spending all our time working to get orders out, instead of focusing on expanding.”

One key benefit has been the ability to bring data into QuickBooks Enterprise automatically, which has reduced inaccuracies in Backyard Expressions’ accounting. “We’ve absolutely seen an increase in our accuracy. Everything flows properly from TrueCommerce to QuickBooks, so there’s no room for human error,” explained Mr. Engelken.

He went on, “Balancing the books in QuickBooks has been much easier since starting with TrueCommerce. It goes back to human error—we’re not missing pieces of information and trying to dig them up and figure out how we lost them. Now inventories are right on, and we know what we’re supposed to be paid for each order. If there’s a discrepancy, it’s really easy to work it out.”

By automating these data flows, Backyard Expressions has also discovered significant time savings. According to Mr. Engelken, “We turned an 8-hour day into a 4-hour day. TrueCommerce literally cut our work time in half. As we continue to scale, we’re just saving more and more time.”

This translates to better trading partner relationships as well, thanks to fast turnarounds, higher customer service levels, and easier communications. “We never have a problem meeting trading partner requirements and metrics. I have one employee who fulfills all our orders, and she can process thousands in a day, before noon,” Mr. Engelken clarified.

Mr. Engelken emphasized the positive impact TrueCommerce has had across the business, stating, “We saw a positive ROI within the first year. TrueCommerce has given us the ability to grow. We’re able to be open to more sales because we’re not worried about getting product out the doors. Every part of our business is doing better since we don’t have to worry about the fulfillment and EDI side of things.”

More Connected, More Supported, and More Prepared for What’s Next

TrueCommerce’s integrated solutions were pivotal to Backyard Expressions during the supply chain disruptions of 2020. While in-person retail traffic died down, Mr. Engelken remarked that eCommerce sales surged, with drop ship orders doubling during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“From the drop ship side things improved for us, because people moved to buying things online. It was wonderful that we had TrueCommerce in place two years before this happened. Otherwise, we would have been rushing to catch up with the trends,” he explained.

In addition to innovative software solutions, TrueCommerce also offers a fully managed service model that provides customers like Backyard Expressions with expert support. To Mr. Engelken, TrueCommerce support has been crucial to his team’s ongoing success.

He noted, “Support is there for us if we have any questions. Typically, if we see a change in, say, a partner’s requirements, I can get on the phone and have the problem fixed by the end of the day. At worst, it takes two or three days, and we are back up and running.”

Recently, one of Backyard Expressions’ trading partners changed their processes and requirements for Purchase Orders and Advance Ship Notices (ASNs). When Mr. Engelken reached out to TrueCommerce, he said, “TrueCommerce support worked with us to get our drop shipping to meet their standards in a couple of days.”

He added, “TrueCommerce has wonderful people on its team. They’re knowledgeable, and fast, and friendly.”

Mr. Engelken also appreciated the respect TrueCommerce gave Backyard Expressions as a small but growing brand. He observed, “The best thing about TrueCommerce is they’re willing to work with you. We weren’t ready for a full ERP when we first found TrueCommerce. The TrueCommerce team understood what we needed and followed through on their promises.”

That partnership has laid the foundation for future growth, said Mr. Engelken, who stressed, “TrueCommerce has allowed us to grow to the point where we’re looking to upgrade our software. Because of the way the team has treated us, TrueCommerce will be the first one we go to make that upgrade.”