Digital Transformation

Overview

Kessler Crane designs and manufactures professional camera-motion equipment for filmmakers. When I joined, the company was a passionate, 30-person operation where nearly every process — sales, fulfillment, inventory, and IT — was manual.

My role blended IT, web administration, and sales, but it quickly evolved into a full-scale modernization of Kessler's digital systems and workflows. Over several years, we transitioned from paper orders and legacy servers to a fully integrated e-commerce and inventory-driven operation.

The Challenge

•Manual everything: Orders were printed and hand-delivered to production. No SKUs, no inventory tracking
•Volusion limitations: The legacy Volusion site couldn't handle Kessler's modular, configurable products, forcing manual quoting for nearly every order
•Shipping errors: Addresses were re-typed into UPS WorldShip, leading to frequent mistakes
•Aging infrastructure: Physical servers, no virtualization, and no backup strategy
•Scaling pains: The company was growing but lacked systems to support higher volume

The Approach

Customer Service & Sales Enablement

✓Implemented Zendesk for email, voice, and live chat
✓Connected inbound phone and chat channels directly to ticket creation, adding call recording and transcription
✓Gave a three-person sales team the ability to handle 40–100 inquiries per day with better tracking and accountability

Infrastructure Modernization

✓Virtualized legacy servers and established a VM backup strategy for disaster recovery
✓Oversaw the network and systems setup for Kessler's relocation to a new manufacturing facility: hired cabling vendors, implemented fiber links, installed security systems, and built a new core networking closet
✓Established a VPN bridge between the old and new buildings for a seamless transition

E-Commerce Rebuild

✓Migrated from Volusion to Magento 1.8, enabling configurable and bundled products to reflect Kessler's modular gear ecosystem
✓Easier product bundling and custom quoting directly on the site
✓Coordinated theme customization and plugin implementation through the hosting provider

Fulfillment & Shipping Automation

✓Integrated ShipStation with Magento to auto-populate shipping data and print labels
✓Eliminated address transcription errors by pulling data directly from online orders
✓Streamlined daily shipping operations and reduced mis-shipments

Inventory & Warehouse Operations

✓Advocated for and implemented SKU discipline across all product lines
✓Introduced SKUvault, integrating it with Magento for real-time inventory and order picking
✓Designed a shelf-labeling and bin-location system for the warehouse
✓Implemented picking and packing workflows, giving Kessler its first true warehouse-management system
✓Built an in-house PHP/MySQL raw-materials inventory app to replace spreadsheets, track adjustments, and monitor usage trends

Business Process Integration

✓Helped establish bundle SKUs for pre-packaged kits and introduced B2B integrations with Amazon and B&H Photo to expand reach

Results

3-4x Growth

$6-8M → $18-24M Revenue

40-100

Daily Inquiries Handled

Zero

Manual Order Entry

✓Revenue Growth: Increased annual revenue from roughly $6–8 million to $18–24 million
✓Error Reduction: Eliminated most manual shipping and order-entry mistakes
✓Operational Efficiency: Orders flowed digitally from website to warehouse with SKU-based tracking
✓Scalability: Enabled true e-commerce operations that could handle rising global demand
✓IT Resilience: Modernized infrastructure and improved network reliability across two facilities
✓Cultural Shift: Transitioned Kessler from a handcrafted, manual operation to a technology-driven manufacturer

Technology Stack

Magento 1.8ZendeskShipStationSKUvaultPHP/MySQLVirtualized Server InfrastructureVPN NetworkingFiber & Security Systems

At Kessler, I learned that digital transformation isn't just about software — it's about empowering people and processes to scale with technology.

David Stillson

IT & E-Commerce Lead, Kessler Crane

Key Takeaways

✓Digital transformation is about empowering people and processes, not just implementing software
✓Multi-faceted roles (IT + web + sales) provide unique perspective on business transformation
✓SKU discipline is foundational for scalable manufacturing and e-commerce operations
✓Integrated systems (Magento + Zendesk + ShipStation + SKUvault) create operational efficiency
✓Warehouse automation reduces errors and provides real-time visibility
✓Custom solutions (PHP inventory manager) can fill gaps where off-the-shelf tools fall short
✓Infrastructure planning (virtualization, VPN, fiber) is critical during facility relocations
✓Configurable products (Magento) enable complex modular product ecosystems
✓Cultural transformation from manual to digital requires patience and change management
✓Small teams (3 people) can handle massive volume (40-100 daily inquiries) with the right tools

Technologies Used