Gear Motions ERP Case Study

The Challenge

Gear Motions serves demanding sectors such as commercial air compression, specialty automotive, medical device, oil and gas and industrial pumping. As the company grew, its legacy ERP system became a bottleneck, lacking real-time data capture and robust scheduling tools. This created challenges in job costing accuracy, efficient production planning and responding quickly to tight shipping deadlines. The inability to access live shop floor information limited their responsiveness and hindered their ability to maintain high customer satisfaction in a fast-paced market.

The Solution

Recognizing the need for a more capable and responsive system, Gear Motions evaluated several ERP platforms. Global Shop Solutions stood out for its user-friendly interface and powerful Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) capabilities. According to Plant Manager Dan Bartelli, "We liked a lot of things about the software, including the user-friendly interface. But APS really sold us on the system. It gives us the ability to execute more effectively and make appropriate staffing decisions whether planning for the short term or 12 months down the road." The implementation of Global Shop Solutions ERP provided Gear Motions with a global view of shop floor activity, automated real-time data updates every five minutes and custom reporting tools. Director of Accounting and IT Suzanne Waters notes, "Global Shop Solutions helps us get product out quicker by providing a more global view of all aspects of the shop floor environment. It also helps us order and purchase materials more efficiently by showing what we have in inventory, how much we need to order and the lead times for purchasing those materials." These integrated capabilities empowered Gear Motions' teams to make informed decisions, optimize scheduling and improve resource allocation.

The Results

With Global Shop Solutions ERP, Gear Motions achieved a new standard of efficiency and operational control. The system's real-time visibility - updating every five minutes - enabled proactive decision-making and immediate response to shop floor changes. "The system automatically updates the data every five minutes, so we can see exactly what’s going on in the shop in real time. This allows us to act in the moment rather than looking at a report a month later and saying we should have done something differently," shares Plant Manager Dan Bartelli. Production lead times improved to 3-5 weeks, and facility certifications were maintained across all three ISO-9001:2008 locations. Gear Motions also leveraged the system to handle complex jobs, producing gears up to 6 feet in diameter while meeting strict quality and delivery standards. As Bartelli concludes, "Global Shop Solutions enables us to run our business the way we need to run it. APS has a huge impact on our scheduling, staffing and decision-making. And the real-time data allows us to make adjustments in the moment to keep our commitments to customers. The system provides everything we need to work efficiently, supply our customers’ needs and operate a profitable business."