Brookfield Fabricating Corporation ERP Case Study

The Challenge

Before adopting Global Shop Solutions, Brookfield Fabricating grappled with time-consuming manual processes and fragmented data. Annual physical inventory counts could take up to two months, requiring the involvement of three full-time employees and disrupting daily operations. Remnant tracking was inconsistent, leading to material waste and missed cost-saving opportunities. Certification packet assembly for finished goods was a laborious process, consuming hours and introducing the risk of errors. The absence of real-time process visibility made it difficult for leadership and staff to coordinate activities, ensure inventory accuracy and maintain compliance with industry certifications. These challenges highlighted the pressing need for a unified ERP solution to centralize data, automate critical workflows and support company growth.

The Solution

Brookfield Fabricating evaluated its options and selected Global Shop Solutions ERP to consolidate business functions and enable digital transformation. According to Lance Faulkner, Production Control Manager, "Our retiring CEO had a treasure trove of knowledge about the business in his head, and we needed a place to organize and store that invaluable data. We also needed more consistency and accuracy with our inventory, and we wanted to get all the departments working together more effectively. Global Shop Solutions had all the functionality we needed to accomplish these goals in one integrated system." The implementation delivered robust features for inventory management, barcode tracking, mobile data collection and document control. With these capabilities, Brookfield Fabricating gained the tools to automate labor-intensive processes and facilitate real-time visibility into shop floor activities and inventory levels. This integration fostered greater collaboration among departments and empowered staff with actionable data for decision-making.

The Results

The transition to Global Shop Solutions ERP drove measurable improvements across Brookfield Fabricating’s operations. Inventory count time dropped dramatically from two months to just one day, enabling the company to increase cycle count frequency from annually to several times per year. Inventory staff requirements were reduced from three full-time employees to a minimal footprint. As Controller Brooke Mauzey noted, "Instead of months, we now have an accurate inventory count at the end of the day. Because the process takes so little time, we have started conducting cycle counts to verify accuracy throughout the year." Certification packet assembly was automated, reducing preparation time from hours to minutes. Mauzey also emphasized the value of integrated data: "With the superb integration of data, I can go just about anywhere in the system to figure out what’s going on. The visibility of processes and the real-time aspect of the data is tremendous, especially when it comes to inventory." According to Faulkner, "Global Shop Solutions gives us a snapshot of everything going on in all three shops at any given time, allowing us to run our business more efficiently and effectively." These outcomes reflect a significant leap in inventory management, process optimization and cross-departmental coordination, positioning Brookfield Fabricating Corporation for continued growth and operational excellence.