King Machine, LLC ERP Case Study

The Challenge

Despite their strong industry reputation, King Machine’s previous production management system lacked the integration and automation required to support modern manufacturing demands. Inventory was managed manually, requiring monthly full counts and risking errors that could lead to costly stockouts or overages. Job costing was handled through time-consuming processes that hindered visibility into true profitability, and material traceability was difficult to maintain. Document retrieval was manual and paper-based, slowing down both shop floor and office productivity. Payroll and quality tracking were not integrated, further complicating compliance and operational control.

The Solution

Seeking a comprehensive, integrated ERP system, King Machine evaluated multiple solutions before selecting Global Shop Solutions. The decision was driven by the system’s breadth of modules - covering inventory, payroll, quality, document control and real-time shop floor data - as well as its user-friendly interface. According to Keith Mehus, President of King Machine, “Global Shop Solutions offered a fully integrated system that included payroll and quality software. We also liked the Document Control software, and the system’s ease of use, which was essential for implementation and training. Of all the systems we evaluated, Global Shop Solutions offered the best value for the cost.” Deployment of Global Shop Solutions ERP enabled King Machine to move inventory efficiently between bins and issue pick tickets directly from the shop floor, dramatically improving traceability and accuracy. “We can now move inventory from one bin to another and issue pick tickets to move materials to the job while documenting the transaction right there on the shop floor. GS Mobile is quick and convenient, especially with the pick tickets. It simplifies the process of getting the right materials to the right place at the right time. And we can trace every material from the time it comes in the back door to the time it goes out in a finished product with remarkable precision,” Mehus added. The Document Control module centralized all instructions and revisions, eliminating the need for workers and office personnel to manually search for documentation. “Document Control produces phenomenal time savings because people can get everything they need through the Shop Floor Data Collection stations. Shop floor workers no longer have to leave their stations to hunt down setup instructions or the latest rev version. Office personnel no longer waste time hunting through file drawers to find the document they need. It’s all there in the system.”

The Results

After implementing Global Shop Solutions ERP, King Machine realized immediate and measurable improvements. Inventory accuracy soared to 99.98%, enabling the company to reduce inventory counts from monthly to annual, with less than 0.02% adjustments needed. The integration of real-time data and advanced job costing provided clear visibility into profitability, empowering management to optimize production and focus on high-margin contracts. “Knowing our true costs by the job allows us to see where we’re making a profit and where we’re not. This data allows us to target the jobs that need improvement and see where we can focus more on our high-margin jobs. Most important, it allows us to win more bids by knowing our true margins,” shared Mehus. King Machine sustained a 97% on-time delivery rate and a 99% quality rate - even as revenue grew by 40% - demonstrating the ERP’s ability to support scalable, high-performance operations. Automated document control and GS Mobile enabled precise, efficient material traceability, while integrated payroll and quality modules ensured compliance and operational reliability. The result: enhanced customer satisfaction, improved profitability and a future-ready manufacturing operation.