How Fat Fender Turned ERP Failure Into 2× Revenue and Zero Backlog

Adam Ward


Inventory Manager

"When we started with Arda... we were almost a year behind on fulfilling orders. Now our oldest order is 20 days old."

95%

Reduction in Order Backlog

5x

Increase in High-Value Builds

0

Stockouts

Meet Fat Fender Garage

Fat Fender Garage builds and supplies high-performance custom parts and full restorations for classic Ford and Chevy trucks, blending vintage style with modern power.

The Challenge: When Growth  Overwhelms Production

Thanks to soaring demand Fatfender's team grew from 50 to over 65+ employees in just seven months, but their operational infrastructure was cracking under the pressure. This rapid scaling exposed deep-seated inefficiencies that resulted in a critical production bottleneck and an order backlog stretching nearly a year.

365+Day

Backlog in Orders

2

Failed ERP 
Implementations

30%

Growth in Team
 Size in 6 months

Join the Arda Flow Club

Subscribe to our newsletter — we send you the latest tactics, frameworks, and real-world examples straight to your inbox.

Get the latest tactics sent to your inbox.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Solution: Empowering the Shop Floor with Arda

Adam Ward


Inventory Manager

"Everybody that I've talked to about it really likes how simple it is... once you get shown around... it was super easy to figure out. You can use it as little or as much as you'd like... it still works if you don't take full advantage of it."

After two failed Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations, the team was skeptical of new software. Fatfender Garage implemented Arda’s Kanban system, which combines the simplicity of physical cards with a powerful digital backend. This streamlined workflow eliminated a significant bottleneck and fostered a sense of ownership and reliability. The system's simplicity was a key factor in its success, allowing Fatfender to adopt it incrementally without the complexity of an ERP.

The Results: Momentum and Exponential Growth

95%

Reduction in Order Backlog

5x

Increase in High-Value Builds

0

Stockouts

Adam Ward


Inventory Manager

“It gives the team a voice. Instead of just saying to their manager, 'Hey, I need this part,' and they go, 'Okay,' go back to their desk and forget about it for five days... They bring the card over to us, and we scan it, and then it gets...right to the purchasing team.”

Team Efficiency

Arda closed the communication gap between the shop floor and purchasing, eliminating guesswork, frustration and stockouts all at once.

5x Throughput Increase

With streamlined operations, Fatfender increased its kit throughput ($8k each), from one per week to five per week.

Drastic Backlog Reduction

The most significant outcome was the reduction of their order backlog from nearly a year down to just 20 days.

What is ARDA

Start for Free

Reorder cards + easy to use platform. Each card signals when it’s time to restock, so your team avoids stockouts, reduces waste, and keeps production flowing. With Kanban, your inventory reorders itself as items are used—simple, reliable, and perfectly in sync with demand.