Foundation Systems & Anchors, Inc. ERP Case Study

The Challenge

FSA manufactures and supplies threaded rod products for critical industries such as highway infrastructure, utilities and commercial construction. As demand increased and market competition intensified, FSA's legacy accounting system became a barrier to growth. The system could process financial data but lacked the manufacturing-focused features needed for detailed cost analysis, job costing, quoting, automated purchasing and real-time inventory management. Manual processes for tracking labor and managing inventory created inefficiencies and limited visibility, making it difficult for FSA to control costs and scale operations. "We wanted to go from our old accounting system to more of a manufacturing system. Our old system crunched the numbers adequately. But in order to grow the business, we needed a system that could do cost analysis, track quoting, automate purchasing, and everything else today’s manufacturing companies need to compete," said Vincent Codispoti, Chief Financial Officer.

The Solution

Recognizing the need for a purpose-built ERP solution, FSA evaluated options that could offer comprehensive manufacturing automation, robust job costing, and real-time shop floor data. Global Shop Solutions ERP software was selected for its ability to integrate manufacturing, purchasing, and inventory management into a single, cohesive system. FSA invested heavily in training, with 15 employees trained over eight days on site and 10 hours of online instruction to ensure a successful transition. Implementation was completed in just three months, supported by the technical expertise and responsive service of the Global Shop Solutions team. "Global Shop Solutions has done a lot for our business. The biggest benefit has been the level of job costing sophistication and the ability to automate many of the activities and processes we used to do manually. Before, we never had the shop floor control we needed to really grow the business. With Global Shop Solutions, we have it now," Codispoti noted. The ERP enabled FSA to move from manual processes to automated workflows - especially in labor tracking and inventory - setting the foundation for accurate cost control and improved operational agility.

The Results

Within three months of going live with Global Shop Solutions ERP, FSA saw transformative results. Purchasing, billing and invoicing processes became more efficient and less reliant on manual effort. Real-time shop floor data provided immediate insight into direct labor hours per job, allowing FSA to compare estimates against actuals and refine their quoting and costing processes. "Before Global Shop Solutions, we didn’t have the capability of tracking the number of hours for any one job. Now that we can track direct labor, we’re starting to get more into job costing, in particular paying attention to estimated versus actual. The ability to get that data in real time is huge for us," said Codispoti. Automated inventory management reduced errors and improved stock control. Key implementation metrics include 15 employees trained, 8 on-site training days, 10 hours of online training, and successful deployment in just 3 months. With responsive technical support and robust ERP capabilities, FSA continues to leverage data-driven decision-making, automation, and accurate job costing to drive growth and operational excellence.