Case Studies

Company Overview
Cabela’s is the World's Foremost Outfitter^® of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear and clothing. Since 1961, Cabela’s has been outfitting the serious outdoorsman with high quality, 100% satisfaction guaranteed gear. The family-owned business currently employs over 5,000 people and operates a global retail organization including retail stores, and catalog and on-line shopping.

The Business Challenge
Cabela’s sought to replace their internal proprietary bar code system with the implementation of a Universal Product Code (UPC) system to standardize the numbering system across all business functions. Covansys was chosen for the UPC project, which was Cablela’s top strategic initiative for 2002.

The Covansys Solution
Covansys leveraged their experience in implementing and converting UPC systems and the client’s existing bar code system to implement a world-class UPC system that met Cabela’s business requirements and new universal UPC standards.

The new system allows Cabela’s to use the UPC barcode to track products from the issuance of a purchase order, through the receiving and fulfillment process, to the ‘Point of Sale’, to the payment of the invoice.

The ability to scan UPC bar codes as opposed to Cabela’s internal bar code helps to increase efficiencies within Cabela’s distribution centers and retail stores and deal with their vendors, many of whom were already using the UPC system. The project included all necessary modifications required on Cabela’s AS/400 and other systems to implement the use of UPC within distribution centers and retail stores.

To complete the project, Covansys provided an onsite project manager and design and development teams who worked with offshore design and development teams to ensure a timely and efficient implementation. In addition to benefiting from Covansys’ unique, blended onsite/offshore model which allows for seamless operations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Cabela’s was able to take advantage of Covansys’ six-phase UPC conversation strategy which ensures full compliance with new UPC standards. As a result, Covansys helped Cabela’s meet their current business needs and create a platform for future growth.

Covansys ensured that Cabela’s new UPC system met the required standards of the ‘Sunrise Date’ set forth by the Uniform Code Council (UCC). Although voluntary, the new standards set by UCC go into effect on January 1, 2005 - the ‘Sunrise Date’. Companies who convert their UPC systems to the Sunrise/UPC standards will be much better equipped to continue and expand their global trade opportunities. Companies who meet the Sunrise Date standards will also be well positioned to be compliant with other initiatives like the Container Security Initiative (CSI). The CSI is a response by the US government to potential terrorist threats against good imported into the United States.