Bargreen’s Serving Up Smarter Inventory With Netstock

With 25 warehouses supported by three distribution centers, over 2,000 suppliers, and a global sourcing footprint, managing inventory efficiently is critical and uniquely complex for the business. Seeking a modern solution to replace its largely manual processes, Bargreen Ellingson implemented Netstock to bring intelligence, simplicity, and better inventory optimization to its supply chain planning.

Complex inventory, spiky demand, and manual mayhem

Before Netstock, Bargreen’s inventory planning process was manual and decentralized. Warehouse managers spent 1+ hour weekly reviewing backorders and open orders, using internal Power BI reports to manually adjust reorder points, often with mixed success.

The key challenges they faced:

• 40% of sales were custom items, not meant to be stocked, creating “false positives” in traditional systems.
• Extremely spiky demand patterns. For example, plates are ordered irregularly in bulk.
• Excess inventory on managed items, but stock-outs on neglected ones, creating the worst-case scenario: high carrying costs and poor service levels.
• Seasonality and large event-driven spikes (e.g., Mother’s Day, the busiest dining day in the U.S.) further complicated planning.

Choosing a smarter way to plan: Netstock

After a rigorous Request for Proposal process evaluating six different solutions, Bargreen chose Netstock for three key reasons:

1. Custom policy overrides:
   Netstock’s flexibility allowed Bargreen to embed their own logic and management philosophy into the system. Custom policies helped eliminate stocking anomalies by tagging items and warehouses based on internal data and usage patterns.
2. Simplicity of use:
   Unlike other platforms, Netstock’s intuitive UI made it accessible for 25 warehouse managers to quickly make smarter inventory decisions. Instead of managing individual items, they now manage stocking policies, confidently scaling their efforts.
3. A flexible partnership:
   Netstock’s willingness to work with Bargreen on a phased, non-disruptive rollout completely sealed the deal. Competing vendors demanded upfront commitment and multi-year contracts. Netstock offered a collaborative, customer-centric approach.

“The Netstock interface makes a complicated space as simple as it can be. It empowers less tech-savvy users and improves adoption.”

Maximizing value with Netstock’s Opportunity Engine

Netstock’s built-in AI, the Opportunity Engine, has become a powerful tool in Bargreen’s daily inventory management, especially for warehouse managers.

“We like the Opportunity Engine because someone with no training can log in to Netstock on day one and do something useful. It gives them a sense of control and makes them feel successful.”

Each warehouse manager regularly reviews the opportunity recommendations and uses their local context to assess what’s actionable. While some suggestions need to be dismissed due to custom orders or product nuances, the tool helps prioritize inventory actions quickly and effectively.

“It’s not perfect because of some of the idiosyncrasies in our business, but our warehouse managers have the context to know what to act on. Roughly half of what it recommends is directly actionable, an excellent result for our environment.”

The Opportunity Engine has become a key part of daily decision-making, empowering managers to respond proactively rather than reactively.

Less excess and fewer stock-outs

Since going live at the central location two years ago, Bargreen has seen clear improvements:

• Stockholding reduced from 17.8m to 9.3m
• Reduced excess inventory by >$2 million
• Fill rate improved by 5% for high-turn items.
• Stockouts are ⅓ of what they used to be
• Faster onboarding and contribution from new users via the Opportunity Engine
• Significant improvements in team morale and culture across inventory teams

A happy and more engaged team culture

Beyond operational efficiency, Netstock has helped improve Bargreen Ellingson’s internal culture. Warehouse managers who once struggled with manual processes and backorders now have clear visibility and actionable insights, making them feel more competent and successful in their roles. This uplift in morale has positively impacted team interactions and reduced stress, fostering a more motivated and engaged workforce.

“A surprising yet valuable outcome has been the positive impact on our internal culture. Our warehouse managers feel more empowered and effective in their roles, and they experience a genuine sense of accomplishment from using Netstock.”

Unlocking more value from Netstock

With the final rollout underway at the Tacoma DC, Bargreen plans to further explore Netstock’s capabilities, which include:

• The AI Pack tools, such as the Report Analyzer and Item Analyzer
• Continued refinement of custom policy logic to better handle irregular demand

“We’re taking small, deliberate steps, and we know there’s a lot more value to unlock with Netstock.”

Building on a strong future for Bargreen Ellingson

Bargreen Ellingson’s journey with Netstock demonstrates the power of a truly user-friendly inventory management solution that adapts to real-world complexity. By eliminating inefficiencies, reducing excess, and empowering its team, Bargreen has set a strong foundation for scalable, resilient growth, even in an unpredictable market.