Founded in 1979, Zephyr Products, Inc. is a privately-held, full-service metal fabrication job shop that offers laser cutting, precision forming, punching, automated milling, and certified welding and assembly services. Located in Leavenworth, Kansas, Zephyr Products has two American Welding Society certified welding inspectors and all Zephyr Products welders are AWS certified.
When senior management first began looking at ERP systems, Zephyr Products looked at three or four different systems before choosing Global Shop Solutions. Zephyr Products Purchasing Manager Anne Felzke said they choose Global Shop Solutions because it gave them everything they were looking for, all wrapped up in one integrated system.
Before Global Shop Solutions, Zephyr Products had a tough time trying to keep track of all the jobs moving on the shop floor. With Global Shop Solutions’ Advanced Planning & Scheduling application, Zephyr Products can quickly and easily adjust to rush orders and customer changes.
Now, when we get a rush order, we enter the data, refresh the system, and Global Shop Solutions automatically reschedules every job to meet the new parameters.
Lee Cooper, Production Manager at Zephyr Products, Inc.
Under Zephyr Products’ old system, purchasers often over-bought raw materials, largely because they couldn’t tell how much inventory they had on hand or how much they needed for a particular job. With Global Shop Solutions, inventory control is simplified. Several times a week, Zephyr Products runs a report that breaks down purchasing requirements and determines what materials are needed to complete jobs efficiently and on time.
With Global Shop Solutions, Zephyr Products has across-the-board cost reductions, improved on-time delivery rates, and are able to change job requirements on the fly. This positive combination of capabilities makes Zephyr Products more efficient and successful. It is stated best by Felzke, “Global Shop Solutions is a powerful communication tool that makes us all more efficient and effective. Sitting at my desk, I can easily do the work of three or four people, and that gives us a real competitive advantage.”
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