Soon after starting AirWeights, Jace saw that there was strong demand for the product. He quickly realized that his existing way of managing production wouldn’t be enough to meet this demand.
“While we could figure out ways to plan production, it became very cumbersome to understand material requirements,” Jace explains. “Everything was managed with spreadsheets, very chaotically. We had really challenging manual processes.”
Once it became clear that his current system could not keep up, Jace began evaluating ERP systems that could handle the needs of a growing manufacturer.
Powerful features at an affordable price point
When Jace discovered MRPeasy, he quickly realized it was the only software that had what he needed – powerful features made for manufacturing, at a price point he could afford. With the help of MRPeasy’s customer success team, Jace was able to get up and running with the software in just two months.
“We had great support from customer support, who helped with onboarding and showed us the ropes,” Jace explains. “They also clearly defined what the capabilities and limitations were at different price tiers.”
Fortunately, getting employees to adopt the new system was also smooth.
“Any new tool can be a little bit jarring,” Jace says. “But there wasn’t much resistance, because employees quickly saw its value and how it made their lives easier.”
Gaining control over materials, production, and costs
For Jace and his team, implementing ERP software quickly brought more clarity and control to everyday operations. With explicit BOMs and better production scheduling, they gained a clearer understanding of material requirements.
“We really needed explicit BOMs and the ability to schedule production to keep up with demand. MRPeasy provided exactly that,“ Jace explains. “We now know exactly what our material requirements are per order, and we're able to forecast and plan leveraging integrations like Microsoft Power BI.”
That visibility has helped AirWeights improve stock availability and reduce the uncertainty that made it difficult to give customers accurate timelines.
“We always know what we need and by when,” Jace says. “We went from constantly catching up and having to estimate lead times to our customers to being in stock.”
Better production planning has also removed a lot of day-to-day stress. With a clearer overview of materials and timing, Jace and his team can plan with more confidence instead of worrying about disruptions.
“We don’t need to stress out about this component or that component or whether production will be completed on time,” Jace emphasizes.
MRPeasy has also given the company a better understanding of production costs, including material costs and the cost of goods sold.
“We understand our costs really clearly,” Jace says. “For example, we can see what it costs to bring material into the building and how the cost of goods sold fluctuates for a given period. That is a really important thing for us.”
Freeing up time for higher-value work
Jace and his team used to spend a lot of time on administrative tasks that added little value. Now, MRPeasy has automated many of these manual processes. One example is MRPeasy’s integration with Shopify.
“When we receive an order, it’s automatically imported from Shopify to MRPeasy,” Jace explains. “If the inventory is available, the system books it, and an order can go from being placed' to 'ready to ship' in moments. For me, as a business owner, this is really important. I want the people that I'm paying to be doing high-value tasks, not remedial stuff.”
Advice to other small manufacturers
According to Jace, one reason many small manufacturers avoid ERP systems is the perceived cost. In his view though, MRPeasy eliminates this concern by offering powerful capabilities at an affordable price point.
“The fact that you can get a plan for $49 per user per month is pretty hard to beat for the level of capability that's available,” Jace says.
When asked what he would say to other small manufacturers struggling with manual processes or outdated systems, Jace puts it simply:
“There's an easier way. There's a way that's much more systematic that will give you a clearer picture of your business, save you a ton of time, and help you serve customers better.”
For more information, visit www.MRPeasy.com.
