Headquartered just north of Houston, American National Carbide (ANC) is a vertically-integrated manufacturer of cemented tungsten carbide products. The company serves a wide range of industries including energy, metalworking, oil and gas, wood processing, mining, and construction.

ANC is one of Global Shop Solutions’ first customers when they acquired the ERP software in the mid-seventies. As computer technologies improved leaps and bounds, Global Shop Solutions continually added new features, functions, and capabilities to keep up with the ever-evolving manufacturing environment. For this reason, ANC has remained a loyal Global Shop Solutions customer for more than 40 years.

“We made a conscious decision to stick with Global Shop Solutions because of the software’s capabilities, the ROI of the product, and the service we receive. Over the years, Global Shop Solutions has become a part of the company’s DNA, interwoven in every aspect of our business. We couldn’t operate without it.”

– Greg Stroud, President and CEO of American National Carbide

Doubling On-Time Delivery Rates

Early on, ANC struggled mightily to achieve efficient scheduling and production processes. As a result, on-time delivery rates were dismal at best, causing lost customers and revenues.

To remedy that, ANC used the Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) application to efficiently schedule every job. The company has doubled its on-time efficiency rate, much to the delight of its customers and bottom line.

“As a manufacturer that produces make-to-stock and make-to-order products, we need a software with the flexibility to handle both production scenarios,” says Stroud. “Not only does Global Shop Solution’s job scheduling features fit that bill, but they also provide visibility of all jobs on the shop floor so supervisors can properly manage the workflow and maximize on-time deliveries.”

Being on time most of the time has improved labor efficiency, in large part because employees no longer have to spend so much time answering customer calls about where their jobs are. Improved labor efficiency has translated into lower labor costs and improved customer retention. 

Changing the Game with CRM

One of the biggest improvements in recent years has come from implementing the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application. In fact, Stroud considers it to be one of the most impactful features of the entire ERP software.

“The CRM software has been an absolute game-changer for us because it makes selling our products so much easier,” he says. “The seamless connection between our customer and sales data makes it easy to keep track of tasks and critical customer information. We can easily track buying activity, schedule follow-ups and sales calls, and review quotes and other customer information – all at the click of the mouse.”

A 40+ Year Partnership

Both ANC and Global Shop Solutions have come a long way since the 1970s. Each company has grown tremendously in size and sophistication, and each are known throughout their industries for quality products and customer service.

“We always look forward to the updates and revisions to see what new tools and improvements they’ve added and how we can incorporate them into our operations,” Stroud says. “In particular, the Quality Control application, Preventative Maintenance application, and CRM software have made a big difference in our ability to remain competitive. What amazes me is that even as the software has grown more complex, it becomes easier to learn, use, and train others to use.”

If you’d like to read the full case study to see what other ways ANC uses ERP software to continually optimize their manufacturing process, download their case study.