What I Learned from the Border States ROI Study
By Joe Davis – Host of the “GAINS ON podcast”
When I first read Nucleus Research’s ROI case study on our customer Border States, I thought I’d misread the numbers.
976% ROI… payback in 1.3 months?! Surely that’s a typo.
Lead Times: The Hidden Budget Killer
At Border States, it was intense— manually managing lead times in a database for 130 warehouses in 31 states. Forecasting, purchase orders, and transfers were all affected by lead times, and that uncertainty came with a price:
Most companies treat lead times like an afterthought— entered into the system and rarely, if ever, updated.
- Excess inventory “just in case”
- Expedited shipping when suppliers ran late
- Sleepless planners running on caffeine and hope
What Changed with GAINS LTP
From the Nucleus study, it’s clear that GAINS’ composable architecture and plug-and-play deployment were a game-changer. Border States took an incremental approach, finding and building on quick wins as opposed to a complete “Digital Transformation.” Employing a policy of continual improvement, Border States is using the savings they gained from their LTP project to fund future (GAINS) supply chain projects.
No waiting a year for IT approval. No ERP overhaul. Just one module, added to their existing GAINS + SAP environment, LTP went live in weeks. and instantly started flagging where safety stock was too high or too low. No rip-and-replace, no workflow disruption.
Numbers I Can’t Stop Thinking About
Here’s what leapt off the page for me:
- 976% ROI — $13.50 back for every $1 invested!
- $21M inventory reduction ––in 6–8 months
- 65% improvement in lead time accuracy
- 1,500 hours saved annually for procurement staff
And the kicker? There are even more
Why Supply Chain Pros Should Care
This isn’t just one company’s win—it’s proof that small, composable solutions can deliver massive, measurable results without the pain of big-bang ERP projects. If lead time variability is causing excess stock, stockouts, or constant firefighting, Border States shows there’s a faster, smarter path.
Award Winning but for Real
You hear the term “award-winning” a lot. I’ve had a lot of truly terrible meals in “award-winning” restaurants. When I saw “award-winning ROI,” I figured it was just hyperbole. But nope, Border States’ 976% ROI with GAINS LTP actually won an award. The Nucleus Research 2025 ROI Award and Border States are finalists for not one but two major industry honors: the CSCMP/SCB Innovation Award and the Supply Chain Excellence Award.
Turns out, GAINS and Border States aren’t just looking to rack up results—they’re collecting trophies. Not bad for a project that went live in weeks and paid for itself in about the time it takes to get caught up on old episodes of Law &Order.
The Next Move
Talk to a GAINS expert before the GAINS Summit in Atlanta this October. Border States will be presenting their ROI story live—and you’ll want the inside details you can’t get from a PDF.
