Metal Stamping Manufacturer Elevates Communication with Epicor Express Cloud ERP
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Chirch Global Manufacturing, an Illinois based manufacturer of metal stampings, sheet metal fabrications and assemblies, examines their recent implementation of the Epicor Express cloud ERP platform.
Being untethered from a physical system has been one of the biggest benefits we've noticed.
Cary, IL – Cloud computing long ago ceased to be a pie-in-the-sky idea and has become a viable technology for business. Forward-thinking manufacturers have been keeping an eye on the growth of cloud computing, but for many making a permanent move to the cloud still means rethinking their entire way of doing business. This was the journey taken by Chirch Global Manufacturing, LLC, a Cary, Ill.-based manufacturer of metal stampings, sheet metal fabrications and assemblies, when it decided to implement the Epicor Express cloud ERP platform.
Anthony L. Chirchirillo, CEO of Chirch Global Manufacturing, is also the founder of the Chirch Global Manufacturing Network, which he describes as a group of family-owned, privately held manufacturing companies that work together to provide buyers with a "one-stop shop" for manufacturing needs across different verticals.
Chirch's adoption of Epicor was born from Chirchirillo's leadership and interest in the emerging cloud computing market. "We had made a decision to go to a cloud-based technology, because we saw it as the wave of the future," he said.
The decision to move to a Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP environment took into account a number of factors, according to Chirchirillo. "As a small to mid-sized manufacturer, it's hard to keep abreast of all the changes in technology," he said. "By going to an expert that is focused on [such changes], it permits us to focus on our business as opposed to software updates."
Additionally, Chirch wanted its ERP to be untethered from one physical location. Chirchirillo cites the company's recent move to a new main office as an example of why this is still a necessity. "Because we're cloud-based, it didn't matter where our information system was — our ERP was immediately accessible through a high-speed network," he explained. "It was a non-issue for us in the move. Had we been using server-based technology, we would have had to transport equipment and reinstall software."
Epicor Express Improves Communication with Customers, Contractors, and Partners
Today, Chirch is using Epicor Express across the entire company, according to Chirchirillo, and the changes in the way it does business are evident. "Job costing has shown a substantial improvement from the way we used to do things," he said. "Now we can peer into our system and see live information as to how the profitability and gross margins are doing."
On the sales end, a regularly occurring customer survey feeds data into Epicor Express, according to Chirchirillo. This provides ongoing communication and feedback from Chirch's buyers, letting the company know how its performance is being ranked.
Employees across the company have responded well to the Epicor cloud system, which allows them 24/7 access to the ERP system to check on the progress of jobs and product orders without needing to go into the office, according to Chirchirillo. "Being untethered from a physical system has been one of the biggest benefits we've noticed," he said. "We've gone from being a commodity - being just a metal stamper - to forming an alliance with 14 manufacturing companies that can [deliver an entire product] to customers. We couldn't have formed that network on the old platform."
About the Company
Chirch Global Manufacturing is one of fourteen companies that make up the Chirch Global Manufacturing Network. With a wide variety of manufacturing solutions available, this Network can be a single source service provider for just about any type of manufactured parts or assemblies you may need.
Learn more about www.ChirchNetwork.com.
