Patchworks enables Tentsile to reach new heights

UK-based tree-tent creator, Tentsile, has elevated customer experience, order fulfilment and saved hundreds of team hours by harnessing its complex technology stack using Patchworks integration platform as a service (iPaaS).

Tentsile specialises in creating state-of-the-art tree tents, suspended portable treehouses that can be taken anywhere you decide to travel. Founded in 2010 by Alex Shirley-Smith, Tentsile has redefined the meaning of camping, with products designed for camping above ground, such as insect mesh walls, waterproof walls, and ladders that can create multi-storey campgrounds.

With staycation and in-country exploration becoming a growing trend since the pandemic, the UK camping market spend increased 77 percent between 2020-2021 to an estimated £2.7 billion, with an estimated 4.5 million Brits taking their first camping trip. As a result, Tentsile’s growth surged but having an increasing number of apps to sync to enhance customer experience put its tech infrastructure under pressure to deliver.

Control over stock management was a key challenge, with only three out of its four warehouses integrated to the core systems globally. This meant that warehouses weren’t communicating with each other and with the platform to inform performance.

The retailer also had no integrated accounting software to track its financial performance, and its reliance on manual tasks was sapping time and resources which could be spent improving other areas of the business. Tentsile critically required a centralised ERP which would allow data to flow and be shared across its entire enterprise.

Patchworks was brought on board as an integration provider to seamlessly connect all of Tentsile’s systems for maximum efficiency. As part of this, they integrated Tentsile’s Shopify ecommerce platform with third party logistics (3PL) companies Shipbob and VDepot. Patchworks worked alongside DEAR Systems, that provided the ERP to centralise data and help Tentsile track its performance, as well as accounting software.

Now all Tentsile’s data is available to its entire business through one system, meaning different departments can work together cohesively. There’s been an overall increase in efficiency across the entire business, with automated reporting, and enhanced connectivity giving more streamlined communication between departments. This has enabled Tentsile to reduce the volume of email correspondence with warehouses by 95 percent thanks to increased automation and connectivity. During peak seasons, around 80-100 hours of labour were freed up, allowing the team to focus on other areas of the business.

Arran Dixon, General Manager at Tentsile said: "Our ambition is to create an enviable web experience and delight our customers, from first enquiry to transaction and fulfilment. By harnessing our data through a cohesive tech ecosystem, we’ve got absolute confidence in the speed and efficiency of placing and fulfilling orders, even in the busiest trading periods.

“Patchworks has given us shoulder to shoulder support, and the mutual decision-making has created a strong business partnership. We sourced our integration experience externally, but now it feels like Patchworks are part of the team. By unlocking further potential, we look forward to taking business to the next level.”

Ady Collins, Chief Operating Officer at Patchworks said: “Having a diverse and complex tech stack, it’s common for retail brands to struggle to generate strategic data insights without effective integration. We’re thrilled to be working with Tentsile to connect their software ecosystem, allowing them to make more data-driven decisions that generate real business value. Through unlocking this further potential, Tentsile really will be taking its business to the next level.”