🏆 New Year, New System, Big Challenges

March 7, 2025 by
🏆 New Year, New System, Big Challenges
Capital Trophy, Kari Wiens
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Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, but gorgeous at the end.

 - Robin Sharma​

We're in the "messy in the middle" part 😉

Half way there and powering through!

The Odoo Transition - A Massive Overhaul

Key Points:

  • Officially launched our new Odoo system
  • Not just an ordering system—this is our entire business infrastructure (ordering, production workflows, purchasing, accounting, phones, emails, etc.)
  • Implementation has been a massive challenge, essentially rebuilding from scratch
  • We’re still working out kinks, and fine-tuning will continue through 2025
  • Improvements:
    • 100% paperless
    • Cloud-based for remote access and better organization
    • Customer portal for tracking orders, past invoices, and better communication
    • More streamlined workflows

✅ We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue fine-tuning!

A Major Team Change - Saying Goodbye to Angel

At the end of 2024, we said an unexpected goodbye to Angel, our Assistant Manager of 8 years. Angel played a huge role in our day-to-day operations, handling nearly 90% of order processing and estimating, and her departure has been a significant adjustment for us. We’re incredibly grateful for everything she contributed over the years and wish her the best in her next chapter!

With her absence, Kari is currently managing all estimating and order processing alone, in addition to running the business, training staff, and troubleshooting our new Odoo system. This has unfortunately led to delays in responses, quotes, and lead times, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this transition.

We are working hard to adjust and rebuild while maintaining the level of service you expect from us. Thank you for sticking with us—we truly appreciate your support! ⏳💙

Growing The Team & Plans to Stabilize

With Angel’s departure, we’ve had to make some big adjustments to keep things running smoothly. Our production team, Sky and Brandon, are stepping up to learn order processing and estimating, which is a huge help in the long run but does leave a gap in production. We’re actively working on solutions to balance both sides of the workflow.

To help bridge that gap, Kari’s dad, Steve, has joined the team part-time to assist with production. However, he is still in training, and it will take some time before he’s fully up to speed. Additionally, we are preparing to hire a new full-time production technician, but between onboarding and training, it will likely take about six months before we’re fully back to capacity.

In the meantime, Kevin (Kari’s husband and co-owner) has been working after hours and on weekends—on top of his full-time job—to help keep production on schedule while we train new team members. We appreciate your patience and support as we work through this transition and get our team back to full strength!

Kiva - Where's the "Shop Dog in Training?" 

Our shop pup, Kiva, turned one year old in November 2024 and has officially entered her adolescent phase! While she was a regular at the shop as a puppy, managing her boundless energy has become a bit challenging with our limited staff and current workload. As a naturally mouthy breed, her playful style involves a lot of biting and grabbing, which isn’t ideal for customer interactions.

That said, she is still very loved and spoiled! Even though Mom and Dad are busy with work, Kiva gets plenty of after-hours and weekend playtime. We’re hopeful that as she matures—typically around 3 to 5 years old—she’ll grow out of her mouthy habits and become a more well-mannered shop dog.

🐶 For now, she’s still in training, but we look forward to the day she may be able to greet customers properly!

How You Can Help Us Serve You Better

With our limited staff, we may not be able to follow up as frequently as we’d like. Normally, we reach out for artwork confirmations, quote approvals, and pickup reminders, but if you haven’t heard from us, please don’t hesitate to check in. Your order may be waiting on your response, or we may simply be behind—either way, we appreciate your patience!

Help Us Streamline Your Order

✅ Include Deadline Information Upfront

When reaching out, please include your event date or latest in-hand date in your initial inquiry. This helps us prioritize orders without unnecessary back-and-forth delays.

✅ Use Your Customer Portal

Your customer portal allows you to track your order status throughout production. Keep in mind that orders only appear once a quote has been started, so initial inquiries won’t be visible. Make sure to sign up using your primary email so past and future orders are correctly linked to your account. SIGN UP HERE

✅ Submit Orders Early

We are maintaining our 10-business day turnaround, but processing and confirming orders can take several days. This means actual production time may be limited to 4-5 days, increasing the risk of delays. The sooner you place your order, the smoother the process will be!

Thank you for your support and understanding—we truly appreciate your business! 🎉

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