Six months after launching a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) system building on data from more than 1 million pieces of used gear listed in the company’s 20-year history, Geartrade recognizes a rise in employees’ quality of work as processing times have plummeted.
Geartrade conceived its AI solution to overcome two operational challenges that arose from its consignment program: an “easy button” for individual and brand resellers which launched in July 2021.
The first hurdle was a backlog of incoming products from used gear resellers, which slowed its ability to evaluate, price and warehouse items in a timely fashion; and the second obstacle was an increasing rate of employee burnout from the high-touch process of product evaluation and posting that was previously the company norm.
Pushed to solve the problem, Geartrade built a proprietary technological solution and doubled the size of its warehouse in December of that year to support its AI-supported system as well as its growing inventory.
“Timing is everything. Our new consignment model was bringing product in way faster than the human resources of Geartrade were able to keep up with, while the company culture and the human element was suffering. We had to evolve and create something that supported both our employees and customers,” said Aaron Provine, president of Geartrade. “The results have been insane. Processing times have crashed, customer experience has improved, and our team is back on track.”
Geartrade’s AI-supported tool solves two essential needs: visually identifying every product that is submitted by sellers through the consignment program, and researching the item’s key features, benefits and sales details.
Geartrade strengthened the tool’s accuracy and effectiveness by pairing it with the company’s database, which includes information on more than 1 million products listed over the company’s 20-year history.
Since the system launched in January, processing time has dropped 64 percent and is projected to drop more this fall as Geartrade staff continues to gain proficiency.
While there has also been a corresponding impact on the speed of products entering the sales portal, as well as a significant decrease in the processing cost per SKU, the biggest benefit in the decreased processing time is the positive impact on the Geartrade team’s quality of work.
“For some, the big fear of AI is that it’s going to get rid of people, but we found that it actually helps them,” Provine said.
For more information or to sell that great old backpack hanging in your garage, visit www.Geartrade.com. For information on Geartrade B2B Resale Partnerships, contact partnerships@geartrade.com.
