This One Change Transformed Word on Fire's Entire Growth

Dan Van Sistine had admired Word on Fire long before stepping into his new role as Director of Sales and Distribution. The nonprofit’s impact was undeniable—publishing books, producing media, and sharing its message with a global audience. From the outside, Word on Fire was a success story: Rapid growth, skyrocketing demand, and a catalog expanding faster than ever before.

But success, as Dan quickly realized, came with its own risks. “I realized right away that we couldn’t keep going like this,” he says.

Word on Fire’s ambition to meet growing demand had propelled them to new heights—but their operational systems hadn’t kept pace. Scaling without bringing their infrastructure along for the ride left the organization at a turning point. Orders were piling up, inventory was chaotic, and customer relationships were beginning to fray.

The stakes were clear: if Word on Fire wanted to sustain its growth and fulfill its bold ambitions to become one of the leading Catholic publishers, they would need to rebuild the operational foundation supporting their success.

And they had to do it quickly.

The Story of Word on Fire

Word on Fire’s story begins with Bishop Robert Barron, a charismatic leader with a knack for translating theology into everyday language. What started as a Chicago radio broadcast expanded into Word on Fire: A media organization dedicated to promoting Catholicism through DVD series, books, and digital content that captivates millions. Their Catholicism DVD series in 2007 was a runaway success, introducing Word on Fire to a national audience and marking their first foray into large-scale distribution.

The publishing arm, however, didn’t emerge until years later. After years of relying on third-party publishers, the team realized they could do it themselves—and do it better.

They began producing their own titles in 2015, shipping a modest amount of orders in their first year. By 2023, those order numbers had skyrocketed by over 2,000% annually, with a product catalog of over 275 SKUs—while producing 40 new titles per year.

Managing this kind of growth was no small feat. While the company was thriving outwardly, internally, their operational systems weren’t designed to handle this newfound complexity that came with scaling. They were still using the same 3PL they had partnered with in their early days, but it had become clear the relationship could no longer meet the demands of Word on Fire’s ever-expanding reach.

Something had to change.

Delayed Shipments Put Customer Loyalty at Risk

Dan’s early weeks at Word on Fire brought the operational cracks into sharp focus. Orders were taking up to six days to leave the warehouse, creating a ripple effect that frustrated customers and jeopardized relationships. Bulk shipments to parishes—critical to Word on Fire’s mission—were among the hardest hit, as parishes relied on precise delivery timelines for events and ministries.

“We’d have parishes cancel orders or tell us they’d never buy from us again because their shipments didn’t arrive on time,” Dan shares.

Each delay wasn’t just an inconvenience—it was a threat to Word on Fire’s reputation and their ability to expand their audience. Dan knew that without fixing fulfillment speed, they risked losing loyal customers and falling short of their mission to inspire faith through their materials.

The search for a new fulfillment partner led Dan to Shipfusion, but the switch wasn’t without its anxieties. “I knew the risks of switching 3PLs while managing our catalog and order volume, but staying wasn’t an option,” Dan explains.

Despite the anxiety, the transition began.

Shipfusion’s team worked quickly to ensure an easy transition. “We didn’t even have to shut down Shopify,” Dan says. “The team at Shipfusion made the process seamless.”

By October 2023, Shipfusion was fully operational as Word on Fire’s fulfillment partner.

With Shipfusion’s optimized workflows, orders that had previously taken days or weeks to process were shipped within hours. During their peak Bible season, fulfillment times dropped from six weeks to an average of just 22.5 hours. Word on Fire’s customer relations team also noted significant improvements in feedback, particularly around reduced shipping delays and packaging damage.

The impact was clear: Faster fulfillment meant happier customers, restored trust, and a renewed ability to focus on growth.

Inaccurate Data Made Scaling the Catalog Impossible

Behind every late shipment was another obstacle: inventory mismanagement. Word on Fire’s growing momentum in the market made it critical to understand what was selling and why—but their unreliable inventory data made that impossible. Without knowing which titles were performing well, the team struggled to plan future reprints or decide which genres to expand into.

“We were consistently dealing with inventory count issues,” Dan says. “This affected customers, because we’d end up overselling things. But it also affected the business because it made it difficult to forecast reorders.”

This lack of visibility didn’t just create headaches—it stalled expansion and undermined Word on Fire’s business strategy. For example, if they believed a particular title was a runaway success based on faulty inventory numbers, they might decide to expand their catalog in that genre or reprint a title. But if they realized after the fact that the numbers were inaccurate and that demand wasn’t real?

Well, the ripple effects of inaccurate data would reach far beyond the warehouse.

With Shipfusion, this challenge was resolved almost immediately. By integrating with a reputable publishing software designed for catalog and data management, Word on Fire gained a holistic way to track their inventory.

“Having a central source of truth for our catalog was a game-changer,” Dan says. Real-time inventory tracking gave the team the confidence to plan reprints and maintain stock levels. “Our first audit with Shipfusion was like night and day,” Dan shares. “It was incredibly smooth—it just took a couple of hours.”

Since their switch to Shipfusion, inventory errors have been nearly eliminated—from 10 a month to just a few per year. With the uncertainty gone, Word on Fire could focus on expanding their product line and serving more customers without hesitation. Accurate data meant they could confidently identify their best-selling titles and make strategic decisions about what to publish next—without the risk of being misled by faulty inventory counts.

Time and Cost Inefficiencies Threatened Growth Potential

Warehouse inefficiencies were taking a toll on Word on Fire’s ability to grow. The team was stretched thin, spending countless hours each week managing their 3PL relationship and addressing problems.

With so much time consumed by logistical challenges, there was little bandwidth left to do the things that would help them grow, like scaling their catalog or building new customer relationships.

“We were spending more time managing issues and trying to get orders than we’d expected, considering we’d outsourced fulfillment,” Dan explains.

The risks to the business were mounting. Word on Fire couldn’t afford to keep allocating resources to operational troubleshooting when they needed to be hiring more people for sales, marketing, and product development.

On top of that, their previous 3PL relied on shipping strategies that didn’t match Word on Fire’s scale. Things were becoming slow, inefficient, and expensive.

Switching to Shipfusion brought immediate relief. Shipfusion’s proactive support and tailored solutions weren’t just solving problems—they were creating new efficiencies. Shipfusion proposed switching to palletized shipping for Amazon orders, and Word on Fire saw instant savings.

“We probably saved over 90% in costs last year on shipping to Amazon alone,” Dan shares.

With Shipfusion seamlessly managing fulfillment, Dan’s team reclaimed 15 hours a week previously spent troubleshooting issues.

“Having a dedicated account manager was a game-changer,” Dan says. “They’re always looking for ways to make our operations more efficient. I finally felt like we had the right partner to help us grow.”

After eliminating the need for constant firefighting and reducing operational costs, Word on Fire gained back the clarity and capacity needed to focus on strategic growth and expand its impact.

Word on Fire’s Visions for the Future

As Word on Fire looks to the future, their mission remains steadfast: to inspire faith and evangelize through exceptional content and innovative approaches.

Their vision includes:

Expanding their catalog with new titles and genres.
Strengthening distribution by partnering with bookstores.
Streamlining operations through warehouse consolidation.
Increasing global reach with scalable systems.

All with a commitment to creating resources that educate, inspire, and support their mission.

“Our goal is to publish materials that, in and of themselves, evangelize and support the ministry,” says Dan. “By building scalable systems, we can focus on expanding our reach and preparing for the future.”

Lessons for Brands Preparing for Rapid Growth

Word on Fire’s growth wasn’t just about publishing more books—it was about building the right systems and partnerships to support that growth. Here’s what other brands can learn from their journey:

1. Invest in Systems That Support Scale:

As Word on Fire expanded their product line, they quickly learned that relying on manual processes and outdated inventory management systems wasn’t sustainable. They implemented Firebrand software for catalog and data management and partnered with Shipfusion for streamlined fulfillment, allowing them to handle more SKUs and efficiently meet growing demand.

2. Prioritize Inventory Accuracy to Avoid Stockouts:

Word on Fire’s previous 3PL struggled with inventory management, leading to stockouts and overselling. After switching to Shipfusion, their inventory counts became more accurate, which helped them prevent backorders and fulfill orders faster. Accurate inventory tracking is essential for brands looking to scale without disappointing customers.

3. Partner with Experts to Streamline Operations:

Scaling is more than just increasing sales—it’s about ensuring your operations can keep up. Word on Fire benefited from partnering with Shipfusion, a 3PL that understood their fulfillment needs and offered creative solutions like palletized shipping to Amazon, reducing costs by over 90% in the process. The right partner can help you find efficiencies you didn’t know were missing.

4. Learn From Industry Best Practices, But Don’t Be Afraid to Carve Your Own Path:

Word on Fire didn’t follow traditional publishing models—while most publishers rely heavily on wholesale channels, Word on Fire focused on direct-to-consumer sales through their ecommerce store. This allowed them to maintain control over their brand and reach customers more directly. Brands should learn from their industry but adapt strategies that best suit their growth model—and have the operational infrastructure to support growth.

5. Build a Team and Transfer Knowledge to Support Future Growth:

Growth can’t rely on one person’s expertise. Word on Fire’s operational team transitioned from a single person to a team of four dedicated to managing purchasing, inventory, and warehousing. As you grow, invest in building a team and sharing institutional knowledge so the business can continue to scale efficiently.

6. Customer Experience Is Tied to Fulfillment Speed:

With their previous 3PL, Word on Fire’s customers faced long wait times for orders, leading to frustration and lost sales. After switching to Shipfusion, they reduced their average fulfillment time to 22.5 hours. Fast, reliable fulfillment is key to maintaining customer satisfaction and keeping your business moving forward.

Make Sure You Have Your Fulfillment Covered

Our scalable fulfillment team and in-house dedicated Account Managers have your back, so you can focus on building your brand. We’ve got the logistics covered—no stress, just success! Partner with us today and stay ahead of the surge.