EP 599: SnapFulfil Delivers a User-Friendly WMS
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And now, here's Kevin. Hey guys, it's Kevin. I am here at ProMat 2025 and I am in the SnapFulfill booth. And of course, I am joined by Brian Kirst, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at SnapFulfill. Good friend of the podcast, definitely. And we're going to learn a little bit about some of the latest updates with SnapFulfill, specifically around their user interface. We're going to talk a little bit about that today. And we're also going to hear kind of what they're hearing so far here at ProMat 2025.

and some of the information, maybe challenges, questions that have been coming to the booth. And we're also going to get a little bit on his take on the 3PL market too, as well, which I'm very interested to hear. So Brian, how are you? I'm doing well. Good to see you as always, Kevin. Good to see you too, definitely. So for people that aren't familiar, give us just a brief overview. Snap for film.

So, SnapFulfill is a cloud-based WMS. It's a tier one functionality, so we're highly configurable. Really, one of our differentiators is speed to value. So, we deploy very quickly because we use a business and workflow rules engine, allowing very quick and robust configuration of the software. All right. Very good. Very brief. Good overview. I'll say you nailed it. The elevator pitch. There we go.

So doing a lot of that this week, I'm sure. Yeah, absolutely. So tell us a little bit about, so far, I mean, we're on day one here as we're recording this at ProMat. Tell us a little bit about kind of what are you hearing so far, maybe even coming into the week? Like what are people talking about? What are some of the challenges, whether it's around WMS or other things that they're kind of looking for this week?

Yeah, so it's really nice being here at ProMat. It seems like we're filtering a lot of the noise that's happening outside of ProMat, and people are really focused on getting back to work, doing the things that are important to their operations. So that's actually been a really nice thing here on day one. One of the things we're picking up, we did a market report recently around maximizing warehouse efficiency, and some of the ideas in there and some of the feedback we got from the market was around data and the X.

accessibility to data. And it seems to be a common theme that we're hearing from some of the folks that we've talked to today, where they need more data, they need to make decisions based upon that data. Obviously, data is important in the AI world as well. So having all that data, and the impressive thing about SnapFulfill is that we do house a lot of data, and we give our customers the tools

to visualize that data with dashboards, customizable dashboards. We recently launched Reveal dashboards last year. Very successful. Our customers really like it. It's part of the product, so it's not an additional commercial commitment from the customers. We make it part of the offering, and it's self-configurable. So they control their own destiny. They can see what they want to see, what's important to their operation, without really having to rely on us to customize for them. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's great. And I think

I say data is king, definitely. Absolutely. Love data. When I was working in operations, always go to the data. Well, I had a boss that would tell me that all the time. That's why it stuck in my head. Show me the data. Numbers don't lie. I think this will be good. He's like, well, can I see the data? Right.

I'll be back. Yeah. But I think that's so great to hear. But I'm curious, what do you think is causing that spike in interest or awareness around, we need more data, we need to get better access, better visibility? Well, I think it's almost exactly what you're saying and that very smart boss you had. You make the best decisions when you have all of the data.

And if you're limited on the accessibility to that data or you're using systems that don't record enough data, it's going to be hard to make effective decisions, especially in a warehouse operation. You want to know velocity. You want to know how much time it's taking to do specific tasks. You want to know what your fast movers are, what you're

which suppliers are not performing well. Well, you can get all of that data out of the WMS if you have a robust enough data set behind it. So we're really excited about being able to offer that to our customers in a really meaningful way. Yeah, absolutely. I think it's really interesting to see that. And obviously those dashboards can help you to drive those decisions and really kind of understand what's happening in your

your business and your operations and maybe something you thought was the right thing to do, maybe it's not the right thing to do, right? Yeah. Like whenever you make these changes and we look around here, I mean there's so much technology, so many advancements, so many different things, you start to implement these things. How do you really know whether it's effective or not, right? And that data is going to tell you that. So, really interesting there. And now, you've also recently updated the user interface too. And I'll say,

Actually, my students will attest to this that I'm passionate about user interface. I did like a half hour rant about it in class recently. I think they were all looking at me like, "What is going on here?" But tell us a little bit about the updates of the user interface that you did. So, we're really excited about this and we've officially launched the new SnapFulfill UI here at PROMAT.

And it really brings forward Snap-a-Field to much more modern technology. It's allowing our customers better performance, more configurability, user-based configurability. So you can take that view that you have as a user and customize it to your needs. Now, in the warehouse environment, that's really important. If I'm focused on inbound, I want to see a certain set of

of data, certain set of views on my user interface that are meaningful to my operation. You can now customize that so it's specific to the user level and we've done a lot of enhancements around the performance. How are we loading data into the views? So really bringing everything forward, allowing copy within a table so you can copy specific fields and bring it into other sources. Those things are based upon improvements that are based upon feedback from our customers.

So we really listened to the market. We listened to our customer base, and we brought the UI forward. As a former user of Snap Fulfill, I'm extremely excited about what we're able to provide to our customers now. Yeah, and I think that's such a huge thing, right? Because the user interface is huge.

is so key in the user experience overall, right? Especially in operations and you know, as someone that used to have a 3PL, right? Has worked in 3PLs and as you said, former user of Snackafil too. You know how important that is. So tell us a little bit about from that aspect where we see obviously

been ongoing for a few years now, the discussion around labor, trying to get labor in. But that training aspect is huge too. So talk to us a little bit about that user experience, user interface when it comes to not only training those new hires, but then also at the level of how does that help with retention too? Yeah. So that's extremely important to us at Snap.

So what you'll notice if you start to navigate through SnapFill, the one thing in the UI is, and it's always been there, is the layout of the data. Whether you're looking at inbound transactions, outbound transactions, it's all organized in the same way. So it's easy for a user to find what they're looking for no matter what function they're performing in the warehouse.

inventory management, order releasing. You're able to go from a summary to a detail to a much more detailed view. It's all laid out the same way. We've now taken that intuitive view to the next level. Same goes for our RF application. So the application on our mobile devices is not a mobilized version of the web. It's a separate Android application that simplifies all of the processes for the operator in the warehouse.

Now when I was a user of SnapFulfill, we used a lot of template. It's really important that you're able to get value out of a temp as quickly as possible. We used to describe the training process for SnapFulfill as 15 minutes door to floor. A new employee walks in, we can give them an overview of the layout of the warehouse and then give them a brief overview of how SnapFulfill works on the device and they're out within 15-20 minutes derating value to my operation.

Now we can continue that training and invest in that employee if they're going to stay long term. But as is the nature of warehouse operations, if the warehouse down the street is offering a dollar an hour, they're down the street. I haven't invested three months in training them on some complex operation. It's all decisions that are made by the system and we're directing workflow to the floor. So all we have to do in a Snap-a-Fill warehouse is follow the device,

and you're adding value to the operation. That intuitive idea really helps with adoption of the system when we're rolling out to a new customer or a new site and employee retention.

because employees can continue to build their knowledge of the system and start to take on more advanced roles within the operation. Yeah, I think it's really interesting what you said there because I think working warehouse operations, we know this is true, right? When you live in a highly densely populated warehouse area like we do in New Jersey, that's very much the case. Like, oh, next door, a dollar more? I'm out of here, right? Yeah.

But I've heard some discussions and I've seen some stats around the technology investment and how that's deterring some employees from doing that because they'll go work at another warehouse and they hear that the tasks are much harder because you

the UI is bad or the technology is not up to snuff, right? So tell us a little bit about what you hear on that side, maybe from some of your customers or just what you hear in the market in general and how that makes a difference. Yeah, ease of use is important. It continues to be important with our customers and operations. I know that retention when I was a 3PL operator was really important to us, and we actually had very high retention in a very competitive environment.

warehouse landscape right there in central New Jersey. And the reason was because a lot of the processes in the warehouse were simplified with technology.

And whether it's the WMS or some other technology you're using, generally speaking in a warehouse, the more automated and simplified the processes are, the more likely you're going to have that higher employee satisfaction. If an employee is expected to remember and have a lot of tribal knowledge for complex operations, they're going to become dissatisfied and they're going to look to leave. So keeping as much process simplification and automation

within your warehouse, whether it's a WMS, whether it's with automation and technology, other technologies, that's important to keep those employees engaged and keep that retention high. Yeah, absolutely. And I think you can see, right? I mean, that frustration builds, I think, over time. Oh, yeah. And it may not be, like, right out visible, and the employee may not tell you every single time, but, you know, they get, like, hung up in their process. They get thrown off, like, the flow of moving through those processes. Absolutely. It just builds up. And then one day they're just like, you know what, like...

I'm done with this. Well, and generally speaking, it's okay if an ops manager is a little upset or frustrated with the software or something. But if you start losing the front line, you've lost. You've completely lost your main source. So really keeping them engaged and listening to them on what tasks that they would like to be simplified or automated is important for any effective operations.

Yeah, absolutely. So very interesting. And it's great to hear that you guys have invested and now have this new user interface. And you can attest to yourself as a former user that is really good. And I think that makes such a difference in an operation for sure. But I'm very curious to hear your perspective on kind of the 3PL market right now. Because I know you're very much in that world. Former 3PL owner, worked in 3PLs before. And

Tell us, what do you think is kind of going on in the market right now this year? Yeah, so I mean, talking to my network and folks I know, our customers, and it's continuing to be a very competitive landscape for 3DLs.

It's hard to differentiate. Folks are looking for better ways to engage with customers, and customers and brands have many more options, and it's becoming harder for them to evaluate 3PL. So now you're seeing a lot of those adjacent and ancillary services pop up, whether it's 3PL referral services or selection consultants trying to help folks

optimize their 3PL services, and then 3PLs optimize their customer base. But I think the trend is going to continue that 3PLs are an important part of the ecosystem of supply chain, especially with growing brands, brands needing to offset some of the costs of...

Do I make an investment in automation? Do I re-up on this 10-year lease I have? Or do I go to a 3PL and get those services? And we're seeing, especially from a SnapFulfil perspective, a lot of 3PLs are now re-evaluating their tech stack, re-evaluating where they sit around technology. Automation is a very common discussion these days. So it's an exciting time to be part of the 3PL space. I think...

customers are more sophisticated. I remember a time when a 3PL customer was someone who just came into a 3PL and said, hey, I have this product. Can you store it and ship it for me? Now they want...

competitive freight rates. They want to know what WMS you're using and is that going to work for them with their ERP. And they're a much more sophisticated customer base for 3PLs to contend with. And I think it's good for the industry because it's raising everybody up. So I'm excited for what's happening in the 3PL space. And it continues to be a place where

The new technology gets tested, the new thinking and the new theories get tested. I'm sure with what's coming with AI and those type of things, 3PLs are going to be a major beneficiary.

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's very interesting to see that competitive landscape, like you said. But that competitive landscape certainly drives the innovation further, too. And I think increases the adoption rate of some of these technologies where if it wasn't as competitive, it'd be like, oh, what we're doing is working. But now we need to stand out. We need to be different for these brands. And the brands are more sophisticated, too. They know more of what's going on as well. That's right.

So very interesting to talk with you here, Brian. Always a pleasure to join you and get some of your insights and learn the latest on Snap Fulfill. Absolutely. Really appreciate it. So if people want to learn more about Snap Fulfill, what's the best way to do that? You can visit our website at snapfulfill.com, set up a demo right through the website there, and we look forward to engaging with folks on it.

All right. Awesome. So make sure you check out SnapFulfill.com and get in touch with Brian for a demo and to learn more about that and pick his brain on 3PLs. Yeah, absolutely. He's a pro. All right. So thanks, Brian, for letting me join you here in the SnapFulfill booth. You've been listening to The New Warehouse Podcast with Kevin Lawton. Subscribe and check us out online at thenewwarehouse.com.

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