ECI Software Solutions

HTS Coatings, Inc., a metal coating business, was in need of a shop planning and management software that was affordable, user-friendly, and could be operational immediately after purchase. The company was new and the founders, Ashley and Jason Hunsaker, were juggling the demands of a newborn baby while trying to get their business off the ground. They needed a software solution that required minimal customization and could help them improve productivity and increase revenue.

Unique Tool and Manufacturing, a North Carolina-based job shop, was struggling with an outdated and inefficient system of managing their business. They were using a series of notebooks and spreadsheets, with important documents scattered across various filing cabinets and computers. This lack of a centralized system led to complications and inefficiencies in their operations. The company was also facing issues with inconsistent pricing due to custom estimates for every customer. Furthermore, their certification initiative was more time-consuming and expensive than necessary.

Denver Machine Shop, a family-owned heavy industrial repair and prototype machine shop, was facing challenges in managing their operations due to their paper-based system. The system was inefficient and made it difficult to track jobs, billing, and costs accurately. The company was also concerned about missing out on important details such as the actual time taken to complete a job. As the company grew, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of all the operations. For instance, there were instances where jobs were shipped without being billed, and the company had no way of knowing this without a comprehensive system in place.

Rehtek Machine Company, a producer of micro-components for various industries, was facing a challenge in meeting the strict documentation requirements for ISO certification. The company had been maintaining all its records on Excel spreadsheets, which was not efficient or effective for the purpose. The lack of a proper system for documentation was hindering the company's progress towards ISO certification, which was important for both their customers and their own quality assurance processes.

Before the implementation of the E2 ERP system, Automation Outfitters was struggling with their previous software, Global Shop. The software was used by everyone in the company, leading to bottlenecks that slowed down or completely halted their computers. This constant disruption was backing up their entire process, making their jobs more difficult instead of easier. The company quickly realized the need for a replacement ERP system that would streamline their operations and eliminate these bottlenecks.

PF Technologies, a company specializing in robotic coatings and decorating for the medical and automotive industries, was facing challenges with their outdated management software. The software, which was designed and managed by the company's General Manager, Bill Rice, in 1993, was no longer able to keep up with the growing sophistication of the business. The system began to crash daily, and the original programmer was no longer available to make necessary updates. The company's unique processes, which are heavily regulated by federal and agency regulations, required a robust and sophisticated system that could handle their unique needs.

In 2006, East Branch Engineering was growing rapidly. The shop had more customers, more jobs, and more administrative tasks than they had ever had before. For years East Branch had used a software platform to manage scheduling, estimating, and other important functions. However, with the increasing volume of business, the shop found that the software’s limitations were too much to handle. Data wouldn’t transfer between modules so there was a lot of data entry and time-wasting administrative work. They decided pretty quickly that they needed a new solution.

Kaymor Machining and Welding, a company serving the machining and welding needs of Alberta’s oil, gas, and forestry industries, was managing their entire operation manually. Inventory, scheduling, materials, estimating - it was all tracked with handwritten notes. The company suspected that they were losing efficiency and profits because of their system. They realized that a change was needed. They began the process of looking for shop software and narrowed their search to Shoptech’s E2 platform.

Brisco Inc., a machine, fab, and laser shop, was previously using JobBoss software for their operations. However, they faced significant challenges with inventory management as they were unable to accurately track materials and waste from jobs. Additionally, the software's short character codes for customer names made it difficult to find customers in the system. The situation worsened when their entire JobBoss system crashed, resulting in the loss of six months of data, including backups. The cost of upgrading and redoing their JobBoss system was prohibitive, prompting them to look for another software vendor.

A&J Manufacturing Company was struggling with their existing ERP system. The system was partially implemented and most of the work was done manually before being entered into the ERP system. This made finding current and correct data a challenge and creating reports from that data was frustrating. The company had a large number of part numbers due to the variety of racks they manufacture. Their old system had around 20,000 part numbers and they didn't want to transfer all of them to the new system if they weren't being utilized.

HJ Machine and Pattern, a machine shop that provides solutions for complex problems, was in need of an update. The company's phone system and computer design had not been updated for a few years. When Gurjinder Jammu took over as President and CEO, he decided to modernize the company's operations, including its ERP software. The company considered several ERP software options before settling on E2 in 2017. The decision was based on the simplicity of E2 and its efficient information flow. However, in mid-2020, the company decided to upgrade to E2 SHOP on the cloud.

Stainless Metals, a custom fabrication shop, was facing challenges in tracking jobs on the shop floor and estimating jobs. They occasionally lost track of a job, and they lacked an efficient system for estimating jobs. They decided to implement E2 SHOP on the cloud to address these issues. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after they got E2 SHOP in March 2020, which delayed their plans.

Screwmatics of South Carolina Inc. was using JobBoss as their ERP system. However, they were unable to see costs and profits because they couldn’t run any relevant reports in JobBoss. It was too hard for them to keep track of everything in that system, and when they called support they couldn’t get a reply for a week. They had a large quantity of handwritten information and it used to take a long time to pull up an order because Screwmatics makes so many different parts with thousands of different part numbers. They had trouble in the past keeping track of the actual costs and sales of just the plating division.

Eagle Grinding and Plating, a long-time user of the E2 shop system, faced a situation where a customer needed repairs done quickly. However, the person who handled the order had passed away and their records were incomplete. The customer was hoping that Eagle Grinding had the necessary information on the job. This was not an isolated incident, and similar situations had occurred on several occasions.

JC Precision Milling, a precision CNC shop, was facing challenges with their existing ERP system, JobBoss, which was not meeting their shop’s or their customers’ needs. The lack of a robust scheduling program made it difficult to estimate job durations, locate jobs on the shop floor, and ensure smooth workflow. This resulted in delayed deliveries and dissatisfied customers. The company realized the need for a better software solution to improve their operations and customer service.

Jonal Laboratories, a company that creates compounds and turns those into seals for the aerospace industry, was facing challenges with their old systems. They were using an AS400 system from the late ‘80s for most of the manufacturing side, Excel for quality, and QuickBooks and Excel for their accounting system. It was difficult to find information, and even when you did, you couldn’t be sure it was accurate and up to date. The old systems were making it much harder to train new people and keep jobs moving in the shop. As they hired a lot of new employees, they realized that their systems didn’t make sense to outsiders. They needed a system that could make their specialized knowledge easy to find and ensure that they’re looking at current information.

Rapid Design Group, a turn-key shop located in Leduc, Alberta, Canada, was founded by Serg Arabsky in 2011. Initially, it was a one-man shop consulting in the oil and gas industry. However, Serg quickly realized that he could offer not only consulting but design and manufacturing as well. Today, Rapid Design Group occupies a 17,000 sq ft facility with 22 employees, specializing in downhole drilling and completions for the oil and gas industry. Despite its growth, the company faced challenges in integrating departments, creating efficiencies, and planning, which made every job difficult.

Auto-Turn Manufacturing, a company that produces component parts for various industries, was struggling with antiquated systems and lack of consistency across departments. Each department had its own Excel spreadsheets and databases that weren’t communicating with other departments. Sharing information about accounting, payroll, quality standards, and production needs was extremely difficult. The company was in dire need of a system that would modernize its operations and improve inter-departmental communication. The company also wanted a system that would integrate with QuickBooks, but beyond that, they were unsure of the specific technology needs of the shop.

Roberts Precision Machine, a precision manufacturing company based in Monroe, Washington, faced a severe IT crisis when their server crashed. This crash led to the deletion of nearly a decade's worth of critical data in their ERP system. The lost data included invoices, orders, part information, and costing data. The company was unsure if any of the information could be recovered. If a solution couldn't be found, Roberts Precision faced the daunting task of manually inputting the data back into its system. This would involve digging up old invoices and purchase orders, hunting through emails with customers and suppliers, and then inputting all of that information - by hand - back into the ERP. It would be an effort that would take months and likely still wouldn’t provide a complete picture.

Solid Industries, a machining service provider for various industries, was facing challenges in managing its growing business operations. The company was relying on manually created documents and an internal database developed by an employee for managing its processes. However, these systems were not robust enough to provide the necessary data or control required by the shop’s managers. The lack of a comprehensive system made it difficult to locate important information, leading to inefficiencies and waste.

Harvestco Fabricators, a fabrication shop in Ellensburg, Washington, was facing a common problem in the manufacturing world. They would start a job with a schedule and process in place, confident they had all the materials needed to complete the job on deadline. However, they would often find that the inventory count was wrong partway through the job, leading to a halt in production until new parts could be ordered. This issue was wreaking havoc on their schedule and cash flow. Harvestco was using Quickbooks to manage both their accounting and inventory, but found that it couldn't provide the real-time inventory tracking they needed.

DP West, a machine shop based in Enumclaw, WA, had purchased Shoptech’s E2 system to improve its processes, including quoting, scheduling, ordering, inventory management, and more. However, they faced a significant challenge in integrating the E2 system with their existing QuickBooks platform, which was managed by an external accountant. The initial attempts at integration were unsuccessful, leading to frustration within the DP West team.

Davidson Fabrication, a Pennsylvania-based sheet metal fabricator, works with some of the aerospace industry’s biggest commercial and defense companies. At any given time, Davidson is routing up to 400 jobs and parts through 7 different departments and working with numerous specialty contractors. To handle and monitor the workload, Davidson uses Shoptech’s E2 software. Prior to 2009, Davidson had managed its workflow with a legacy system that was based in Microsoft Access. The system was effective enough at sorting and displaying information, but it wasn’t “intelligent or interactive.” In addition to the Access database, Davidson used a set of Microsoft Word sheets to track a part as it moved through the fabrication process. As a part would go through each of Davidson’s seven systems, the department operator would have to update the information on the part’s sheet. This was a very cumbersome and time-consuming process.

First Tool Corporation, a company with six different divisions and a wide range of jobs from designing and building special machines to injection molding, was facing communication challenges between its shops, some of which are out of state, and with its traveling employees. In addition, one of their servers was going down and would cost them about $20,000 to replace. The company needed a solution that would improve communication, reduce costs, and ensure the security and backup of their data.

Nova Dry Kiln, a company that manufactures dry kilns for the wood industry, was facing challenges in managing costs and staying competitive in the global market. They had been using the E2 Shop System since 2010 for order entry, production piece creation, cost calculation, and inventory tracking. However, they saw an opportunity for improvement in the new web-based product, SHOP. The company was interested in the ability to access their system anywhere through the internet, as well as the constant updates and backups provided through Shoptech hosting the data through Rackspace. However, the company had concerns about the security of their data being hosted in a separate location.

Bhurjee Industries, a small job shop in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, faced a significant challenge during the economic downturn in 2014. Many shops in their area were closing, and the company was struggling to keep up with the influx of work. The company was also transitioning to focus on their own product, customized mounting kits for the oil and gas industry. These kits required multi-fit parts that could accommodate a wide variety of valve and actuator brands. Managing the ins and outs of 300-400 jobs at a time was proving to be a logistical nightmare.

The National Flag Company was struggling with a lack of communication in the shop, inability to log profit margins, and difficulty tracking employee time. They were doing a lot of custom manufacturing jobs but had no system in place to track their orders. Their old system did not allow them to track jobs or costs, and they had to manually back up their data and host it on their own server, which incurred additional costs. They were also unable to work remotely, which limited their flexibility and efficiency.

Volume Machine, a small CNC shop specializing in the aerospace industry in Van Nuys, CA, has been using E2 since 1999. The manufacturing industry is notorious for having a tumultuous, cyclical cycle. With E2, they can be flexible and run with those changes. Because every bit of information is accessible with just the click of a button, the team can quickly identify which current jobs and which prospects will best suit their schedule and goals. The challenge was to implement a system that could handle the cyclical nature of the manufacturing industry and provide the flexibility to adapt to changes.

Endeavor Precision, a start-up company specializing in contract EDM (electrical discharge machining) hole drilling for the aerospace industry, faced the challenge of becoming AS9100 and NADCAP certified. The complexity of the certification process led the company's president, Dave Langenkamp, to consider either hiring a consultant or investing in software to assist with the certification. The company was also dealing with scattered information across Excel spreadsheets and other databases, which made it difficult to manage the business effectively.

Custom Production Grinding, a service manufacturer specializing in grinding parts to the correct size and shape, faced a significant challenge during the last economic recession. The company saw business vanish quickly, and CFO Greg Schoepke realized the importance of closely monitoring cash flow. Their customers and vendors were also experiencing financial troubles, which necessitated a coordinated approach to manage payables and receivables. The company needed a solution that could provide a comprehensive overview of their cash flow, including customer payments, net terms, and payroll costs.

KSM Stainless Steel Fabricators Ltd, a company based near Vancouver, Canada, often works with the entertainment industry, which imposes aggressive timelines on their projects. Every job is a rush, with sometimes just days to plan, develop, and create a custom piece. Before implementing the E2 system in 2004, the company relied on handwritten notes, spreadsheets, and multiple systems that didn't work well together. Answering project status questions was time-consuming, requiring staff to go out on the floor, find the order, and talk to multiple employees.

QT Magnetic Solutions, a manufacturer of high-end magnets and permanent magnets, was facing challenges with their existing ERP software, JobBoss. The software was not user-friendly and lacked sufficient options on the accounting side, causing issues when trying to enter orders. The company needed a more flexible and comprehensive solution that would streamline their operations and improve access to different areas of the business.

Prototype Casting was struggling with their previous ERP system, JobBoss, which wasn't providing a comprehensive view of their operations. They were unable to efficiently track time spent on jobs or their employees' time. Additionally, they couldn't see the profit from the jobs they did every day. Without visibility into job costs and profits, it was hard for Prototype Casting to measure their performance. They needed a solution that could provide a full picture of their shop, track time efficiently, and provide clear visibility into job costs and profits.

Art Brass Aerospace Inc., a third-party vendor for Boeing, was facing a significant challenge due to its rapid growth. The company had expanded from a 10-man shop to a 100-person operation, with 40 new hires in the past year. However, their planning capacity had not kept pace with their growth, leading to operational inefficiencies. The company was using outdated software that was slow, unreliable, and had a poor user interface. The software was so slow that they couldn't even plan jobs effectively. They also lacked the ability to scan jobs or track where jobs were on the shop floor, leading to wasted time and effort.

DeKing Screw Products, a family-owned business in Chatsworth, CA, was facing a period of transition and growth. After the company's founder experienced health issues and the business took a hit from the recession, the company decided to invest in CNC Swiss lathes. This investment allowed the company to produce small, complex parts for the aerospace industry, leading to significant growth. However, with this growth came the need for a more robust and comprehensive ERP system. The company needed a solution that could handle the increased complexity and volume of their operations, while also providing the flexibility and accessibility required by their team.

Avion Technologies, Inc., a job shop that primarily makes complex gears for several industries, was using E2 Pro and decided in 2019 that it was time to upgrade to E2 SHOP on the cloud. The company was concerned about the security of their old server and knew that moving to the cloud would eliminate the need to keep a server up-to-date and ensure that security was taken care of. The transition to the new software was crucial to keep their shop running smoothly.