Winamac Coil Spring, Inc. was established in 1948 and has grown steadily to be one of the largest single location spring companies in the United States. Their mission is to ensure premium quality springs that exceed customer satisfaction.
- Fragmented internal processes and systems with one ERP and 15 additional applications
- Lack of holistic view of business
- Guesswork when developing quotes for customers and inability to answer questions about pricing and timelines
- Plex ERP that combines all processes and systems into one, unified platform
- Complete control over every aspect of the business
- Ability to deliver more accurate quotes and better pricing to customers
- Set up to compete successfully in the marketplace in the future
Challenge
A Long-Standing Business in Need of a Manufacturing ERP
Winamac Coil Spring knew they needed a manufacturing ERP. A family-owned, leading coil spring manufacturer established in 1948, growth and success over the years led to a complex system landscape. Operating as one of the largest single-location spring companies in the United States, the company has faced challenges in managing its processes effectively. Winamac Coil Spring holds a prominent position in serving the agriculture and ATV/UTV markets. However, their internal systems faced fragmentation, and they chose Plex as their manufacturing ERP partner.
Business Operations Before a Manufacturing ERP
Before adopting Plex, the company navigated with a single ERP system alongside an additional 15 applications, leading to fragmented data and disjointed workflows. The absence of a centralized system posed challenges in forecasting, planning, and providing accurate quotes to customers. The team encountered difficulties in estimating timelines accurately and struggled to meet customer demands promptly. This disconnect made it challenging to obtain critical information, hindering their ability to deliver precise pricing and timelines, essential for customer satisfaction and competitive edge.
The absence of streamlined systems resulted in guesswork rather than informed decision-making. The company found itself unable to meet customer requests efficiently and struggled to consolidate data from various applications. This lack of centralized control and access to reliable data prevented the Winamac team from offering customers better pricing and thus, winning more business.
Solution
To overcome these challenges, Winamac Coil Spring sought a manufacturing ERP solution that could unify their fragmented systems into a single, cohesive platform. The team’s primary objectives were to regain control over their processes, streamline workflows, and deliver accurate pricing and timelines to customers. The pursuit of a consolidated system aimed to provide a foundation for improved business control and customer-centric operations, intending to support their goal of securing more business.
The team decided to implement Plex ERP, a manufacturing ERP designed specifically for the needs of companies like theirs. Alan Page, IT Manager at Winamac Coil Spring says, “When we did our integration with Plex, we wanted to get rid of as much as possible.”
Clarity, Transparency, and Control
That’s exactly what they did. The implementation of Plex ERP allowed Winamac Coil Spring to consolidate disparate systems into a single, unified platform. This transition enabled the company to achieve a holistic view of their operations, facilitating better control, visibility, and synchronization across various departments and processes. From managing production schedules, inventory, and orders to enhancing customer relationship management and pricing accuracy, Plex ERP provided Winamac Coil Spring for clarity into every aspect of the business.
The system’s intuitive interface, coupled with its scalability and adaptability to the unique needs of the manufacturing industry, empowered Winamac Coil Spring to standardize their workflows, minimize inefficiencies, and optimize their operational efficiency. As a result, the company has positioned itself to deliver improved service to customers, enhance decision-making capabilities, and pave the way for sustainable growth in the future.
Result
Business Growth Now and Plenty to Come
After the successful integration with Plex, Page says, “Now we have one source of truth that is driving our business in ways we didn’t even think possible.” Specifically, Plex ERP provides the team with real-time data about what their projects actually require versus what they’re quoting customers. Additionally, while quoting, the Winamac team can view historical data about past products that them make informed decisions about how to quote and position future products as the marketplace changes.
To summarize what Winamac Coil Spring is achieving thanks to the manufacturing ERP, Page says, “Having this tight partnership with Plex helps us expand and adapt quicker than we’ve ever been able to do in the past.”
Published February 4, 2024