Rapala USA EDI and Analytics Critical for its Supply Chain Performance

Unofficially founded in 1936, Rapala USA has grown from humble roots to become recognized today as the gold standard of fishing lures. To help support worldwide distribution to more than 130 countries, the company partnered with SPS Commerce because of its broad full-service EDI capabilities, quickly connecting with its retailer customers and integrating to Rapala’s JD Edwards system. With a successful deployment, the Rapala USA EDI initiative was able to start ahead of schedule.

Rapala USA’s Commitment to Quality Extends Beyond its Product

The company’s commitment to quality can be seen in its passion for perfection, as each lure is tested and hand-tuned before sale. This process ensures the product lives up to the same quality anglers have experienced first-hand for 80 years.

As the sole distributor of Rapala fishing lures and tackle in the United States, the company needed a way to ensure consumers could get the products they’ve come to rely on and admire. Since 2002, the Rapala USA EDI implementation with SPS Commerce has evolved into the type of trusted relationship that’s reminiscent of long-time fishing buddies.

“We’ve seen a lot of changes since we first started with SPS over a decade ago. Not only in what its offerings are, but from what our customers are requesting of us,” Dwyer said. “We have found that each step along the way, SPS is able to provide the service that we need. Whether it be a mapping request or point-of-sale information, we use the SPS solutions to best support our customers.”

Insight Through Point-of-Sale Analytics with SPS

One area where SPS has specifically helped Rapala USA operate more efficiently is by using point-of-sale (POS) analytics. The company can see what’s moving quickly off the shelves and can use this insight to improve forecasting. The data clarity and consolidation it makes a big difference in how the company collaborates with key customers to identify growth opportunities.

As Rapala USA extends its global reach further, SPS Commerce will continue to be a partner they can rely on to provide solutions and expertise that helps the fishing lure company to remain an industry leader.

“Our partnership (with SPS) continues to evolve. I know that as our customer demands increase, our need for information becomes more extensive and SPS will be there,” Dwyer said.