Walnut Creek Planing Ltd ERP Case Study

The Challenge

Walnut Creek Planing faced significant operational complexities as demand grew. Their reliance on an Access database and multiple spreadsheets resulted in inadequate tracking, lack of integration and limited visibility across their expansive 80,000-square-foot facility. Managing 25 workstations and 18 shop floor data stations, the company struggled to efficiently coordinate high-volume production, monitor inventory and deliver real-time updates to customers. Manual workflows and disconnected systems impeded their ability to optimize production, meet tight deadlines and adapt to customer needs.

The Solution

Seeking a robust, integrated system to address their challenges, Walnut Creek Planing evaluated several ERP solutions. Global Shop Solutions stood out for its comprehensive capabilities, including scheduling, production management, live inventory tracking, accounting and workflow automation. As Chad Wengerd, Information Technology Manager, shared: "Because it looked like the best all-around ERP software. It did everything we wanted in an ERP software package, from scheduling to production management, inventory to accounting. It also gave us the visibility throughout the shop floor that we need to manage the business more efficiently." The implementation of Global Shop Solutions ERP enabled the company to leverage Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS), live shop floor data collection and the customizable Global Application Builder (GAB) to automate manual processes and facilitate paperless operations. These features provided team leaders with instant access to job priorities, enhanced communication and created a foundation for continuous improvement.

The Results

The deployment of Global Shop Solutions ERP transformed Walnut Creek Planing's manufacturing operations. Inventory costs were reduced through real-time inventory management and shop floor data collection. The APS module delivered precise scheduling for every job, empowering teams to focus on high-priority tasks: "APS lets us schedule every job down to the exact minute. With their workflow automatically organized, the team leader at each workcenter simply selects the job off the top of the dispatch list. This makes it easy to identify which jobs have the highest priority and the team leader just goes down the list in order." Paperless operations replaced cumbersome paperwork and custom automation using GAB eliminated repetitive manual tasks, allowing faster turnaround and improved workflow. As Chad Wengerd noted, "Thanks to Global Shop Solutions, we now have a wealth of information on the shop floor without a wealth of paperwork following it around. Everyone loves it!" The result was enhanced operational efficiency, shorter lead times and superior customer service: "For the company as a whole, I would say organizing and managing workflow, keeping everything flowing smoothly and efficiently from one workcenter to the next. Global Shop Solutions has also helped us decrease lead times, so we can have much quicker turnaround times." With an 80,000-square-foot facility, 300,000 bd ft kiln capacity, 25 managed workstations, and 18 shop floor data stations, Walnut Creek Planing is now positioned to deliver high-quality products with speed, accuracy and confidence.