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Sanborn Tube Sales, Inc. ERP Case Study

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Industry

Engineer-to-Order

Challenge

Sanborn Tube Sales, Inc., operating a 72,000 sq ft production facility and serving a range of industries since 1957, faced limitations with their legacy system that was focused primarily on warehouse and distribution management. As manufacturing markets demanded faster lead times and higher operational efficiency, their existing platform could not effectively handle complex production scheduling, precise cost tracking, or provide real-time insights for decision-making. This hindered their ability to meet evolving customer demands and restricted opportunities for process optimization and growth.

Results

After deploying Global Shop Solutions ERP, Sanborn achieved significant operational improvements. The company enhanced on-time delivery rates through robust Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS), reduced aging inventory with tailored reporting, and automated manual administrative tasks - saving hours each day. Real-time manufacturing data empowered better decision-making and improved communication with customers. The new ERP system delivered accurate cost tracking, strengthened quality control, and refined both purchasing and quoting workflows, positioning Sanborn for continued growth and responsiveness in a competitive market.

Key Applications

Inventory, Advanced Planning & Scheduling, Quality Control, Job Costing Accounting, CRM, Sales

www.sanborntube.com/
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Real-Time Visibility
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APS Scheduling
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INTEGRATED SYSTEM

Global Shop Solutions has simplified how we view our entire operations. We save hours every day by no longer having to manually track RFQs, on-time delivery and other key business metrics. The data helps us resolve problems quicker and do a better job of planning for the future. Knowing our true costs enables us to compete more effectively. And the software allows us to do a better job of tracking the types of quotes and jobs we do well on so we can identify which customers and products to pursue.

Chad Schultz

Operations Manager

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About Sanborn

Sanborn is a custom manufacturer, distributor and manufacturer’s representative for tubing, aluminum extrusions and fabricated parts, serving OEMs and manufacturers in diverse industries including agriculture, transportation, recreation, medical and more since 1957. Sanborn specializes in cut to length and tubular laser cut fabricated parts and is ISO 9001:2015 certified

The Challenge

Sanborn needed to modernize their operations to remain competitive in a rapidly changing manufacturing landscape. Their previous system was tailored to warehouse and distribution functions, lacking the advanced scheduling, real-time data and cost-tracking features required for manufacturing excellence. As customer expectations for shorter lead times and accurate delivery increased, the company sought a solution that would provide superior production scheduling, inventory management and operational visibility across their 72,000 sq ft facility.

The Solution

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive manufacturing ERP, Sanborn evaluated solutions that could integrate their core processes and deliver real-time insights. Global Shop Solutions stood out for its advanced APS, robust CRM and detailed reporting capabilities. Tim Brinkmann, Quality and IT Manager, explained, "Our old system was completely warehouse and distribution driven. It worked well in those areas, but lacked the functionality we needed to efficiently schedule jobs, track costs and do all the other things necessary to compete in today’s manufacturing markets. With Global Shop Solutions, we can manage these and other areas much more effectively." With modules to automate production scheduling, track inventory and provide up-to-the-minute data, the implementation empowered the team to react quickly to late jobs, accurately estimate capacity and improve communication with customers. Brinkmann shared, "With APS, we can instantly see which jobs are running on time and which ones are late. This allows us to react in time to schedule overtime, outsource some work or do whatever else it takes to get a job back on track. The visibility of data in APS also enables us to communicate more accurately with customers about our ability to meet their lead times." Chad Schultz, Operations Manager, added, "Finite scheduling shows our capacity by work load and hours so we can give customers a much more accurate estimate of what we can do by when."

The Results

With Global Shop Solutions ERP in place, Sanborn realized measurable operational gains. On-time delivery rates improved as APS provided clear visibility into job status and capacity. Tailored reporting reduced aging inventory and helped address delinquent stock more efficiently. Automation of manual tasks saved hours daily, freeing staff for higher-value work. The company now benefits from precise cost tracking, enhanced quality control and more effective purchasing and quoting. These improvements have positioned Sanborn to respond rapidly to customer needs and maintain a competitive edge in manufacturing.

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