Custom ERP Drives 85% Efficiency Gain
How we eliminated manual data entry and streamlined operations for a mid-sized manufacturing company
The Challenge
A mid-sized manufacturing company with $45M annual revenue was struggling with disconnected systems and manual processes:
- 7 Different Software Systems - QuickBooks, Excel spreadsheets, custom Access databases, legacy inventory system
- Manual Data Entry - Same information entered 3-5 times across systems
- No Real-Time Visibility - Inventory counts off by 15-20%, couldn't trust data
- Slow Order Processing - 2-3 days from quote to production order
- High Error Rate - 8% of orders had data entry errors causing delays
The company was spending $380K annually on ERP software licenses that didn't fit their workflows, forcing workarounds and inefficiency.
Company Profile
| Industry | Industrial Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Annual Revenue | $45 Million |
| Employees | 120 staff |
| Products | Custom industrial equipment |
| Previous System Cost | $380K/year in licenses |
| Project Duration | 8 months (design to deployment) |
Our Solution
We built a custom ERP system that unified all operations into a single, purpose-built platform designed specifically for their workflows.
Sales & Quoting
- • Customer portal for RFQs
- • Automated pricing based on specs
- • Quote to order in one click
- • Real-time margin calculations
Production Management
- • Automated work orders from sales
- • Shop floor tracking with tablets
- • Material requirement planning
- • Real-time production status
Inventory Control
- • Barcode scanning for accuracy
- • Auto-reorder point alerts
- • Lot tracking and traceability
- • Multi-location management
Purchasing
- • Automated PO generation
- • Vendor performance tracking
- • 3-way match (PO, receipt, invoice)
- • Spend analytics dashboard
Financial Integration
- • Real-time GL posting
- • Job costing by project
- • AR/AP automation
- • Financial reporting suite
Shipping & Logistics
- • Carrier integration (FedEx, UPS)
- • Automated shipping labels
- • Tracking number sync
- • Delivery confirmation
Technical Implementation
Technology Stack
| Frontend | React + TypeScript |
|---|---|
| Backend | Node.js + Express |
| Database | PostgreSQL |
| Hosting | AWS (EC2, RDS, S3) |
| Mobile | Progressive Web App |
| Integrations | QuickBooks, FedEx, UPS APIs |
Key Features
-
Role-Based Access Control
Granular permissions by department and role -
Real-Time Dashboards
Live KPIs for sales, production, inventory -
Mobile Shop Floor App
Tablet-based production tracking -
Automated Workflows
Eliminate manual handoffs between departments -
Custom Reporting Engine
Build ad-hoc reports without IT help
Measurable Results
Operational Efficiency
- 85% reduction in manual data entry time
- 4x faster quote-to-order processing (from 2-3 days to 4 hours)
- 92% fewer data entry errors
- Real-time inventory accuracy improved from 80% to 99.2%
- Eliminated 3 FTE positions worth of redundant data entry
Financial Impact
- $420K annual savings (eliminated $380K in licenses + $40K in reduced labor)
- $385K total project cost (11-month payback period)
- 23% inventory reduction through better visibility ($580K freed up)
- 18% margin improvement on custom orders (better cost estimation)
- $0 ongoing licensing fees (vs $380K/year previously)
Employee & Customer Impact
- 35% faster employee onboarding (system designed for their workflow)
- 4.8/5 user satisfaction score (vs 2.1/5 for old system)
- Customer portal reduced quote request response time by 78%
- Real-time order tracking reduced "where's my order" calls by 65%
- Mobile access for sales team increased productivity by 40%
"This custom ERP transformed our business. We went from juggling 7 different systems to one unified platform that actually fits how we work. Our team loves it, customers love it, and we're saving $420K per year. Best investment we've ever made."
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