Case Study: How a Sheet Metal Manufacturer Improved Cost Visibility and Competitiveness

by EstesCloud | Apr 2, 2021 | Success Stories

Case Study: How a Sheet Metal Manufacturer Improved Cost Visibility and Competitiveness

EstesGroup helped a sheet metal manufacturer improve cost visibility, reduce inefficiencies, and become more competitive with ERP.

From Cost Blindness to Competitive Strength

A custom sheet metal manufacturer was operating without clear visibility into the true cost of producing its products. Without that level of insight, leadership could not see where margin was eroding, where process inefficiencies were taking hold, or how pricing decisions were affecting competitiveness in the market.

The company needed a clearer operational and financial picture. Their team needed better information, strengthened discipline, and a stronger foundation for making the decision that could make their jobs easier and give them peace of mind, knowing the ERP implementation would bolster the future of the organization with long-term, cost-saving effects.

Location

Western US

Industry

Manufacturing

Solution

Business Process Review
ERP Implementation
Tailoring the ERP solution to fit their needs

The Challenge

This manufacturer was producing complex products without a reliable view of actual production costs. As a result, the business faced a familiar problem: it could make and sell product, but it could not confidently identify where money was being lost.

When costs are obscured, the effects spread quickly. Pricing becomes harder to calibrate. Process waste is harder to isolate. Management has less confidence in which parts of the operation are performing well and which are quietly weakening margin. Over time, that uncertainty can limit both competitiveness and growth.

The company needed to understand its cost structure more clearly and create a more disciplined operating environment.

The Solution

EstesGroup began with a business process review designed to give the company a clearer view of its systems, workflows, performance constraints, and areas of risk. This diagnostic work helped identify where visibility was breaking down and where the business needed stronger system support.

From there, EstesGroup delivered ERP consulting and implementation services tailored to the company’s operational requirements. Key performance indicators were established so progress could be measured, tracked, and improved across the business.

The ERP initiative was not simply about replacing software. It was about creating a better basis for good people making good decisions. With stronger visibility into production activity, costs, and operational performance, the company could begin managing from evidence rather than approximation.

The Result

With a clearer understanding of production costs, the manufacturer identified meaningful opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement. As efficiency improved, the business was able to lower pricing and strengthen its competitive position in the market.

That improvement in cost visibility also created room for growth. Increased production could be absorbed more effectively because the business was operating with better information and a stronger internal foundation. What had once been difficult to see could now be measured, managed, and improved.

Business Impact

By improving cost visibility and aligning operations more effectively, the company gained:

clearer insight into true production costs
better identification of cost reduction opportunities
improved operational efficiency
stronger pricing discipline
a more competitive position in the market
a better foundation for profitable growth

The deeper value of the project was not merely technical. The company gained a clearer understanding of how its business was functioning and where performance could be improved. That clarity supported better decisions, better resource use, and a stronger path forward.

Ready to improve visibility and competitiveness?

EstesGroup helps manufacturers use business process review and ERP implementation to strengthen operational clarity, reduce inefficiencies, and build a better foundation for growth. How clearly can your business see the real drivers of cost, margin, and performance today?

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Case Study: Why Technical ERP Support Mattered for a Complex Publishing Company

by Bruce Grant | Apr 2, 2021 | Success Stories

A Case Study in IT Support and ERP Expertise

Closing the Gap Between Systems and ERP

How an Internal IT Team Gained Critical ERP Support

A publishing company in Charlotte, North Carolina produces 40 business publications and reaches more than 3.6 million readers.

Its commitment to high-quality journalism, strong community presence, and large-scale events creates a demanding operational environment with many moving parts.

Location

Charlotte, North Carolina

Industry

Print Publishing

Solution

IT and ERP expertise to extend the capabilities of a talented internal team

With 1,600 employees and a substantial technical footprint, the company needed help bridging the gap between its existing software interface and its Epicor ERP system. Leadership knew there were areas where redundancy, manual work, and avoidable waste were slowing progress. They had already invested in the right technology foundation. What they needed was the expertise to connect systems, reduce friction, and help internal teams move important projects forward.

The Challenge

This organization had a talented internal IT department, but like many growing companies, it faced the practical reality that internal teams cannot always carry every specialized initiative alone. The company needed experienced IT support services to help align software interfaces with Epicor, reduce inefficiencies, and bring greater structure to projects that involved multiple stakeholders, technical dependencies, and competing priorities.

The need was not simply for extra hands. It was for technical depth, ERP knowledge, and project management leadership that could help close gaps without disrupting the work already underway.

The Approach

EstesGroup worked with the company’s IT department as an extension of the internal technical team. Our role was to provide the support, guidance, and project coordination needed to help the business get more value from its Epicor environment and surrounding systems.

Over the course of four years, EstesGroup supported the client as needs arose across technical support, upgrades, implementations, and project management. When projects involved many moving parts, we helped create structure, identify the right contributors, and keep work progressing with clarity and discipline.

This collaborative approach allowed the client to strengthen execution without overloading internal staff. Rather than forcing change from the outside, EstesGroup supported the internal team in a way that respected existing knowledge while adding specialized ERP and technical expertise where it mattered most.

The Result

As a result of this work, the company was able to reduce wasteful redundancies, limit human error, and introduce automation that improved efficiency across important business processes.

Just as important, the organization gained a trusted technology partner that could step in when projects required added depth, broader coordination, or experienced ERP guidance. The result was not merely a set of fixes, but a stronger capacity to move technical initiatives forward with greater confidence.

Why IT Matters

Companies often know where friction exists. They can see the duplicate work, the manual steps, the delays, and the places where systems do not communicate as they should. The harder question is how to close those gaps without derailing the business or exhausting the internal team.

That is where the right outside expertise matters. With the proper technical support and ERP guidance, organizations can reduce waste, strengthen process reliability, and create the conditions for steadier growth.

What processes in your business still rely on repetitive manual work?

Where could your IT team benefit from added technical depth, ERP expertise, or experienced project leadership? What would change if the right support helped remove friction from your day-to-day operations? Tell us where your systems, teams, or processes are under strain. EstesGroup can help you close the gap.

Fast, Personalized, Proven IT & ERP Expertise

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Case Study: Why and How Two Redundant ERP Systems Became One

by Bruce Grant | Apr 2, 2021 | Success Stories

How Two Redundant ERP Systems Became One

EstesGroup helped an electronics manufacturer and its sister company replace disconnected systems with one shared ERP environment, improving visibility, customer responsiveness, and quote turnaround.

One ERP System Replaced Two Redundant Platforms

Founded in 1954, this electronics manufacturer had built a long-standing reputation in its market as a circuit board engineering, prototyping, and production services provider. But while its technical capabilities remained strong, its systems environment had fallen out of step with the tempo of customer demand.

The core problem was structural. The company and its sister company were operating on separate ERP systems, which created disconnected data, fragmented visibility, and slower communication across the business.

Information that should have been instantly accessible often had to be gathered manually from other departments. Even basic customer inquiries could turn into delays because employees lacked direct access to the data they needed.

Location

Milwaukee, WI

Industry

Technology Manufacturing

Solution

Business Process Review
ERP Implementation
ERP configuration aligned to business requirements

From Fragmented Systems to Shared Visibility

EstesGroup began with a Business Process Review, a three-day assessment designed to understand how the business functioned across departments, systems, and decision points. This process included interviews with key stakeholders, subject matter experts, executive leadership, and operational leaders throughout the organization.

The purpose was not merely to map workflows. It was to identify where information was breaking apart, where timing was slipping, and where the business needed tighter system alignment to support customer responsiveness, quoting accuracy, and financial clarity.

A Single ERP Environment for Two Related Businesses

Following the review, EstesGroup guided the consolidation effort by moving the electronics manufacturer off its legacy ERP platform while upgrading the sister company to the same ERP system. This brought both businesses into a shared operating environment, replacing siloed data with a common system of record.

At the same time, EstesGroup aligned the financial structure across both companies so the right stakeholders could see accurate, current information across job status, inventory status, project timing, and budget performance. Instead of relying on fragmented updates and departmental workarounds, teams could work from the same live data.

This change had immediate implications for customer service. With access to real scheduling information, the business could use “Capable to Promise” functionality to provide customers with delivery commitments based on actual capacity and schedule conditions rather than estimates or guesswork.

Results

The results were clear: by bringing two disconnected ERP systems into one shared environment, the company gained faster quoting, stronger visibility, and better coordination across the business:

Two redundant ERP systems consolidated into one shared platform
Improved visibility across job status, inventory status, project timing, and budget alignment
Financial data aligned across both companies
Faster customer response through better access to current information
Capable to Promise functionality used to provide more accurate delivery expectations
Quote turnaround reduced from multiple days to 24 hours

Why IT Matters

When related companies operate on disconnected ERP systems, the cost is rarely confined to IT. It appears in delayed quotes, fragmented visibility, slower customer response, and weakened coordination across the business. This case shows what becomes possible when systems architecture is brought into alignment with operational reality. Better timing begins with better information, and better information begins with a platform the business can actually share.

Running Two Systems That Should Really Be One?

If disconnected ERP platforms are slowing visibility, quoting, or customer response, EstesGroup can help you evaluate the path to a more coherent system environment. Where is redundancy creating delay inside your business today?

Fast, Personalized, Proven IT & ERP Expertise

No spam. No pressure. Just strategic insights and clear solutions.

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Case Study: ERP Recovery Project – Rescuing a Stalled Implementation

by Bruce Grant | Apr 2, 2021 | Success Stories

ERP Recovery Project Case Study

How a stalled ERP implementation was reset, simplified, and brought to completion with clearer structure, lower cost, and restored confidence.

Why This ERP Implementation Went Off Course

This company came to EstesGroup in the middle of an ERP implementation that had already consumed too much time, too much money, and too much patience.

After months of work with another firm, they were still far from the finish line. Costs kept rising, the options kept getting more complicated, and the client was losing confidence in both the project and the product they had purchased.

By the time this company reached out to EstesGroup, the situation had become painfully familiar. They had invested heavily in an ERP implementation, but instead of gaining clarity, they were being pulled deeper into confusion.

Location

Plano, Texas

Industry

Control Systems Integration and Manufacturing

Solution

Business Process Review
ERP Project Recovery
ERP Implementation

The recommendations coming from their original implementation partner seemed to point only toward more spending, more delays, and more complexity.

Unclear Choices, Rising Doubt

Worse still, the client did not feel they had enough visibility into the process to make sound decisions. They were being asked to weigh complicated options without a clear understanding of what those choices would mean for their business. After months of frustration, they had begun to wonder whether they had made the wrong ERP investment altogether.

EstesGroup stepped in and started where recovery work should always start – with a Business Process Review. Before recommending changes, our team needed to understand what the company was trying to achieve, where the implementation had gone off course, and what had been made more complicated than it needed to be.

The Real Problem Was the Implementation

What we discovered through the review process was important. The ERP system itself was not the problem. The product was a solid fit for the business. The real issue was that the implementation lacked a practical foundation. The client had been led toward elaborate customizations and a more complex path than their business actually required. Instead of building from the ground up with clarity and discipline, the project had become tangled in unnecessary complication.

So we reset it.

Building the System Around the Business

EstesGroup restructured the project around the client’s actual needs, simplified the approach, and removed much of the complexity the previous firm had introduced. We also optimized the financial structure of the system so the solution would better reflect how the company operated in real life, not how someone else imagined it should operate on paper.

The numbers tell part of the story. Before coming to EstesGroup, the client had already spent more than $220,000 over the course of nine months and still did not have a completed implementation. Our team was able to recover the project, undo what had gone wrong, complete the implementation, and deliver training for $141,000.

Just as important, we restored confidence. The client no longer felt trapped inside a project they could not interpret. They had a clearer understanding of the path ahead, a solution that made sense for their business, and a team that could guide the work to completion without unnecessary detours.

Results

After nine months and more than $220,000 spent with another firm, the project was still incomplete. EstesGroup recovered the implementation, simplified the design, and completed the work in six months for $141,000. The client gained a stronger ERP foundation, a better financial structure, and a clearer path forward.

EstesGroup to the ERP Rescue

Is your ERP project taking longer than expected, costing more than planned, or becoming harder to understand with each passing phase?

Have you been told your only path forward is more customization, more consulting time, and a larger budget?

Would it help to have an experienced team take a fresh look at what is really needed and what is not?

Tell us your story. EstesGroup’s expert ERP and IT consultants will help you navigate ERP challenges and industry obstacles.

Fast, Personalized, Proven IT & ERP Expertise

No spam. No pressure. Just strategic insights and clear solutions.

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Case Study: From Spreadsheets to $30 Million in Growth

by Bruce Grant | Apr 2, 2021 | Success Stories

From Spreadsheets to $30 Million in Growth with Epicor ERP

A defense electronics manufacturer replaced spreadsheet-driven processes with Epicor ERP, gained clearer visibility across quoting, production, and finance, and increased revenue by 50 percent in two years without adding headcount.

How a Defense Electronics Manufacturer Turned Spreadsheets into Scalable Growth

A defense electronics manufacturer replaced fragmented manual processes with Epicor ERP, improved visibility across the business, and grew revenue by 50 percent over two years without adding headcount.

This multi-million-dollar manufacturer was running core parts of the business through an elaborate network of spreadsheets and disconnected systems.

The approach had become difficult to interpret, difficult to manage, and increasingly difficult to scale.

Location
Western US

Industry
Defense Electronics Manufacturing

Solution
Epicor 9
ERP Implementation
Business Process Improvement
Change Management

Because information lived in too many places, teams lacked a reliable, shared view of what was happening across quoting, sales, production, inventory, and finance. Processes were heavily manual, poorly documented, and burdened by the compliance demands common to classified defense-related work. The company needed more than software. It needed structure, process discipline, and a better foundation for growth.

What EstesGroup Found

The business was not suffering from a lack of effort. It was suffering from fragmentation.

The client relied on multiple point solutions for quoting, inventory, and general ledger activities, which made even routine work harder than it should have been. Building proposals, generating quotes, and producing invoices required unnecessary effort because the underlying systems did not speak the same language. Important manufacturing processes were also manually structured, which made consistency difficult and limited the organization’s ability to scale with confidence.

We helped the client move away from spreadsheet dependence and disconnected applications by creating an integrated ERP environment that brought together quoting, sales, production, and finance. At the same time, we supported organizational change management and helped establish repeatable manufacturing processes that could be documented, measured, and improved over time.

A particularly important part of the engagement involved financial integration. The client’s inventory, quoting, and core accounting activities had previously been split across disparate systems, creating friction throughout the quote-to-cash cycle. EstesGroup configured their legacy ERP system to interface with the client’s government compliance systems while connecting the central financial engine to the broader business.

The Results

Over the following two years, revenue increased by 50 percent, representing more than $30 million in growth, with no increase in headcount. Greater access to relevant data helped employees do their work with more speed and accuracy. Standardized ERP processes reduced friction across the manufacturing line. Operational cost per piece declined significantly. Project payback occurred in less than two years.

The Relationship

Although this implementation was completed in 2010, EstesGroup remains a trusted resource to this client today. The work did not end at go-live. It grew into a lasting partnership grounded in results, credibility, and continued support. Through EstesCare ERP for Epicor Kinetic and Epicor Prophet 21, we help clients resolve issues, improve system performance, and keep their ERP aligned with the needs of the business over time.

Tell us your ERP legacy story, and let’s explore what becomes possible when spreadsheets stop carrying the weight of the business.

Fast, Personalized, Proven IT & ERP Expertise

No spam. No pressure. Just strategic insights and clear solutions.

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