The Challenge
Watch the conversation with Matthew Treece, founder of Outdoor Beards, to learn how CustomBooks™ helped replace manual production workflows, automate accounting tasks, and support growth across Shopify, Amazon, Walmart.com, and more.
Outdoor Beards began in 2016 as a side project while Matthew Treece worked in the vaping industry managing logistics, production, ERP implementation, and large-scale operations. As the company grew, Matthew needed software that could support manufacturing complexity without the enterprise-level cost and overhead of traditional ERP systems.
Before CustomBooks™, Matthew struggled with:
- QuickBooks Online lacking Bill of Materials functionality
- Overly complex and expensive ERP systems like NetSuite
- Manual spreadsheet-driven production management
- Difficulty managing multi-channel inventory and fulfillment
- Lack of accessible customer support from larger software providers
- Time-consuming accounting and transaction categorization
As Outdoor Beards expanded into Amazon FBA, Walmart.com, and additional fulfillment channels, those operational bottlenecks became even more critical.
Key pain points
- Inadequate Production Accounting: QuickBooks Online did not support Bills of Materials (BOM), making accurate inventory and production accounting nearly impossible.
- Enterprise ERP Complexity: NetSuite provided functionality, but was expensive, difficult to customize, and too large for a growing small business.
- Spreadsheet-Driven Production: Critical production planning and raw material tracking relied heavily on complex Excel workflows that were difficult to maintain and scale.
- Limited Human Support: Larger software vendors made it difficult to access live support or quickly solve operational challenges.
- Multi-Channel Operational Complexity: Managing inventory and accounting across Shopify, ShipStation, Amazon FBA, and Walmart.com created growing administrative overhead.
Our Solution
CustomBooks™ provided Outdoor Beards with ERP-level production and inventory functionality while remaining affordable and approachable for a growing business.
Key solutions included:
- Multi-level Bill of Materials management
- Cloud Commerce integrations for order imports
- Cloud Banking automation and transaction rules
- Inventory and fulfillment workflows across multiple sales channels
- Custom software builds tailored to production requirements
- Personalized onboarding and ongoing support
- Flexible accounting workflows without enterprise ERP complexity
Most importantly, CustomBooks™ helped Matthew automate operational bottlenecks so he could focus on growing the business, developing products, and expanding sales channels.
Implementation highlights
Multi-Level Production Workflows
Outdoor Beards uses layered Bills of Materials to manage complex product manufacturing. This allows accurate inventory tracking across raw materials, intermediate production stages, and finished goods.
For example:
- Scent blend creation
- Balm base production
- Final assembly into finished beard balm products
Custom Production Automation
CustomBooks™ developed a custom production workflow that:
- Calculated production requirements
- Managed raw material ordering
- Guided production teams on manufacturing priorities
- Replaced heavily manual spreadsheet processes
According to Matthew, this custom build was a major factor in his ability to leave his previous job and run Outdoor Beards full-time.
Multi-Channel Commerce Integration
Outdoor Beards successfully integrated:
- Shopify
- ShipStation
- Amazon FBA
- Walmart.com
Orders flow through ShipStation into CustomBooks™, streamlining fulfillment and accounting processes.
Cloud Banking Automation
Custom transaction rules automatically categorize recurring expenses such as USPS shipping charges, reducing repetitive bookkeeping work.
Quick Facts
4 to 6 Hours Every Two Weeks
Average accounting time after automation
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Client
Outdoor Beards — Interview with Matthew Treece
Primary Modules
Bill of Materials · Cloud Commerce · Cloud Banking · Inventory Management
Timeline
Customer Since 2016
Supporting growth from startup to full-time business
Tags
Case Study · Consumer Products Manufacturing · Inventory · Accounting· Automation
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