Ink Makes Its Mark With Help From Net at Work And Acumatica
For nearly 40 years, Ink has been in the business of making ideas wearable. From T-shirts and hats to custom eCommerce stores and inventory fulfillment, the company turns creative concepts into tangible experiences. Ink works with events, camps, retail brands, and businesses of all kinds—offering what they proudly call a “concept to commerce” solution.
Whether it’s 50 shirts for a youth retreat or thousands of SKUs for a wholesale client, Ink brings craftsmanship, care, and creativity to every order. And behind the vibrant designs and polished packaging is a company committed to constant improvement—finding smarter, faster ways to get things done without losing their personal touch.
And that led them to Acumatica—and Net at Work.
FROM PRESS TO PROCESS
Ink has used nearly every kind of ERP you can imagine over the decades—seven or eight by their count. From legacy on-prem systems to industry-specific software that lacked strong financial tools, nothing quite fit. “We had ERPs that couldn’t scale, or didn’t give us the visibility we needed, or had zero support,” explains Daniel Byrum, Systems Development Director at Ink.
“And if you don’t trust your data, it’s hard to make confident decisions.”
Byrum says the company had simply outgrown its old way of doing things.
“We needed better inventory control, better order management, and a system that didn’t make our people spend their time pushing buttons all day,” he adds.
What Ink needed was a flexible, cloud-based platform that could connect seamlessly with their growing suite of eCommerce and production tools, give them real-time access to inventory and financials, and adapt to the way their business actually works.
Acumatica checked all those boxes—and then some. What they found in Acumatica was the full package: a robust cloud ERP with integrated financials, flexible inventory management, real-time reporting, and the ability to customize workflows to match Ink’s unique business model. It was everything they needed—and nothing they didn’t.
But the real magic happened when they connected with Net at Work. “Net at Work has been incredibly responsive,” Byrum says. “I can bring them a problem or an idea, and they’ll walk me through it, help us think it through, and guide us to the best solution. That kind of partnership is hard to come by.”
CUSTOM FIT, JUST LIKE THEIR MERCH
Ink’s model is built around personalization, which extends to their tech stack. With Acumatica, they can tailor workflows, dashboards, and reports to support how their teams actually work.
“Acumatica fits us,” Byrum says. “We’ve got many moving pieces—orders, art approvals, production, inventory, fulfillment. Being able to customize fields, processes, and reports means we’re not cramming our workflow into a one-size-fits-all system.”
That flexibility has been essential as Ink’s volume has exploded. Before 2020, they handled 300–500 orders a month. Now, they average around 2,500—without adding a massive headcount. Year-over-year revenue growth has been steady at 25–30%, thanks in part to the automation Acumatica makes possible.
“We’ve scaled significantly, and we haven’t had to grow our team at the same rate,” Byrum says. “The system lets us all move faster and get more done in a day.”
PRESSING FORWARD WITH PARTNERSHIP
While Acumatica provides the horsepower, Net at Work helps keep everything running smoothly. Byrum connected with the team through an Acumatica developer focused on the print industry, and quickly realized Net at Work was the right long-term partner.
“They’ve been incredible,” he says. “Our account team is responsive, knowledgeable, and they really listen. I can come to them with a half-formed idea, and they’ll help shape it into something that works.”
Net at Work brings more than support—they bring perspective. With experience across industries, they bring a consultative mindset that helps Ink apply best practices from beyond the print world.
“They’ve helped us not just solve problems, but think bigger,” Byrum says. “It’s rare to find a team that’s as invested in your success as you are.”
DOING WHAT ONLY PEOPLE CAN DO
Automation has changed the game for Ink. By automating many manual workflows, the team is free to focus on the creative and relational work that makes their brand stand out.
“The system takes care of the routine stuff,” Byrum explains. “That means our people get to do what only people can—create great art, deliver great service, build real relationships. That’s where the magic happens.”
Instead of babysitting reports or manually updating orders, Ink’s team spends their time enhancing customer experiences and growing the business.
RELATIONSHIPS ARE IN THE FABRIC
At Ink, business is personal. That philosophy extends beyond their customers to the vendors and partners who help make their work possible. Byrum says the human connection with Net at Work has been a highlight of the relationship.
“We care deeply about relationships,” he says. “That includes our customers, our vendors, and our partners. Net at Work doesn’t just get that—they live it. They’ve taken the time to know us, to understand how we work. They’ve been awesome to work with.”
It might be chatting about families or hobbies or sports teams—Byrum says those personal touches build trust—and trust builds better businesses.
FULL COLOR, FULL SPEED AHEAD
Today, Ink is operating with even more clarity, confidence, and creativity. They’ve got better visibility into their data, tighter control over inventory, and a partner they can rely on to help them navigate whatever comes next.
“Net at Work gives us the support we need to grow the way we want to grow,” Byrum says. “And Acumatica gives us the tools to do it right.”
It’s a partnership—and a platform—as personalized as the products Ink is known for.
