Family-owned businesses always hit a sweet spot with us, so when our customer Auger Fabrication, Inc. (Auger-Fab) implemented Global Shop Solutions ERP software, we knew a great work relationship was about to evolve.
Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, Auger-Fab specializes in the design and manufacturing of parts and accessories for product packaging machines. Their parts, which are entirely designed, manufactured and fabricated in-house to ensure timely delivery, include new and replacement augers, conveyor screws, feeder screws, and flight material for powder and bulk solids material-handling equipment.
For most of its early years, Auger-Fab ran the business with manual spreadsheets and handwritten paper documents. Recognizing the need for a more sophisticated business management tool, ownership chose Global Shop Solutions ERP software to manage the company’s future.
“We liked the robust features and functionality of Global Shop Solutions,” says Executive Vice President and 3rd generation family member Eric Edginton. “What really sealed the deal for us was the software’s ability to adapt to the way we do business. Our production flow and customer demand differ from most manufacturers, and during the on-site demo the Global Shop Solutions consultants showed us how we could tailor the system to fit the way we operate.”
Auger-Fab has grown more than 25% since implementing Global Shop Solutions, in large part because it has made everyone in the company – from the back office to the shop floor – more efficient.
Eric Edington, Executive Vice President at Auger-Fab
Global Shop Solutions assists with two key areas all manufacturers face – identifying true costs and efficiently managing inventory. With the ability to instantly look up work orders in the system, parts can be easily identified and costs are applied immediately.
“It’s all about the visibility of data,” says Edginton. “The software gives us a wide array of lookup options to easily track costs and make sure they’re correct – without having to go on the shop floor and manually dig through hundreds of routers. I typically use the Shop Management software because it enables me to easily drill down into a specific work order, part number or purchase order number to access the data I need.”
Auger-Fab also maintains an extensive inventory of stock products, partly so customers can pull product when needed, but also because it facilitates fast delivery when customers need replacement parts to avoid downtime with their equipment.
“Breaking an auger can shut down production for our customers, so we need to have the part readily available to provide a quick turnaround solution,” adds Edginton.
“Global Shop Solutions helps us keep a suitable inventory by allowing us to assign part numbers to raw materials as they are received, and track how much is released for each job. When the materials in inventory reach a preset minimum level, the system alerts us in time to order more material so we can manufacture those augers and have them in stock for the next customer emergency.”
To learn more about Auger-Fab and their use of Global Shop Solutions to simplify their manufacturing and grow more than 25%, download their case study.