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Industrial Machinery & Equipment

Glider Guard

Oldcastle, ON

Features: Inventory Management - Job Costing - Purchasing

Glider Guard had to change their processes in order to keep up with increasing demand. Implementation was done in small, careful steps to ensure maximum value. Genius ERP is now helping them drive growth.

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[Genius] understands manufacturing more than some of the other guys. It’s going to be a good system for us.

Brenn Cox
Owner
About the Company

The company

About

Originally founded nearly 60 years ago to produce glider guards — a cast iron part that guarded the blades of tractors used to till the cornfields surrounding Windsor, Ontario, Glider Guard shifted its focus in 1980 to tooling, die, and molding, and now employees over 75 people and runs two manufacturing facilities.

Industry

The company designs and builds a number of high-performance tools, including stamping dies, progressive dies, injection molds for plastics, and multi-action molds for major auto manufacturers and their suppliers. They are also an industry leader in decorative and surface trim tooling and have contributed considerable experience and ingenuity to revolutionary processes such as Insert-Molding.

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Genius ERP Highlight

"From design all the way to accounting and out the door, [Genius] was perfect.”

Kathy Marsden Office Manager
The Challenge

The challenge

Glider Guard recently purchased a second manufacturing plant located across the street from their original building. This expansion was undertaken due to the growth the company had experienced in recent years, which also meant they had to change their processes in order to keep up with demand.

“When we were smaller, the few of us working in management knew everything — where everything was and what was to do — but now that we’ve grown, and continue to grow, we had to do something to keep track of everything,” said Kathy Marsden, long-standing Office Manager at Glider Guard.

The new ERP system had to fulfill specific needs outlined by the Windsor-based company: Firstly, the system that would be put in place would have to help the company efficiently track their inventory and locate any and all parts, whether they are found in their first plant, second plant, or their warehouse.

Top requirements

Inventory tracking

With multiple locations to manage, Glider Guard’s inventory is difficult to track, and they spend too much time hunting down parts

Purchasing order management

Glider Guard needs to be able to better track and manage purchase orders, to be more organized, and save time

Historical data

Creating quotes for custom jobs is difficult, and they need to be able to track and pull historical data to help create more accurate quotes

The solution

The solution

“When we met Jean [Magny, president of Genius Solutions], we immediately realized Genius shared the same values that we did,” said Brenn. “We weren’t just a number to them. They walked us through the system, and we could see that — apart from an understanding of the custom manufacturing industry — they added a personal touch and allowed us to feel comfortable.”

“I’ve worked with two other ERP systems,” explained McNeil. “Genius is different because of the ease with which you can navigate through the system.” Genius ERP helps Glider Guard keep track of inventory, whether in stock or transit. The system easily creates purchase orders and quotes, as well as compiles historical data. It also seamlessly integrates with ACCPAC accounting software.

“We couldn’t be happier,” said Brenn. “We’re headed in the right direction, and it already feels like it’s part of the woodwork.”

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Key Features

Key features

View all features

Key features

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Inventory Management

Glider Guard now has a better grasp on their inventory across their multiple locations and can quickly track down the parts they need

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Purchasing

Purchasing processes have been streamlined, and Glider Guard can easily track and manage their many POs

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job costing

Job Costing

Glider Guard can now compile historical data, letting them know how many machine-hours and person-hours they spend on jobs—and create better quotes

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Industry Insights

Industrial Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers

Industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers build a wide range of machinery, from large-scale equipment for heavy industries to specialized tools for precision manufacturing. This type of complex, multi-stage manufacturing demands high levels of precision and technical expertise. Industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers often work on custom orders, requiring specialized designs and materials, and need to manage shifting demand, supply chain disruptions, and frequent changes to meet customer needs. Consistently delivering high-quality products while controlling costs, managing long production cycles, and coordinating large teams are all ongoing challenges.

ERPs help industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers by streamlining business operations and improving efficiency. By integrating various business processes, such as engineering, production, inventory management, and analytics, into a single platform, ERPs allow high-variable manufacturers to optimize workflows and reduce errors.

Real-time insights into business operations — including accurate job costing — let industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers make better business decisions and respond quickly to market changes. With an ERP, industrial machinery and equipment manufacturers can better manage their supply chain, enhance production planning, and ensure timely delivery of their products, all while controlling costs.

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