Customer Success Story : Superior Machine & Tool
Superior Machine & Tool's Transformation Through Cloud Technology
Who is Superior Machine & Tool
Superior Machine & Tool is a third-generation, family-owned machine shop that opened in 1945. They offer CNC machining, grinding, and finishing with a wide range of capabilities and knowledge, priding themselves on their innovation and discipline.
Before: The on-premises predicament
Jordan Green, information systems manager at Superior Machine & Tool, talks about the struggles of an on-premises ERP system:
“Some of the biggest drawbacks of having to manage the server on-premises was for me to actually have to go in and manually back up every time I would want to save our data, just in case the internet went down over the weekend or something happened.”
Superior Machine & Tool found that having JobBOSS classic as their primary data source was inconvenient due to the manual efforts required to back up and update the software server. In a shop where the internet is known to go down, all business data would be lost if servers were not continually backed up.
Since all jobs are run through the software, data loss would cause a loss of visibility in jobs currently running. When they can’t see what jobs are running, they don’t know which parts to make. When parts aren’t being made, nothing is being sent out. When nothing is being sent out, no profits are being made. No profits mean the company would not stay afloat. “So, it would literally set everything back to square one,” Jordan explains.
In addition to server struggles, on-premises software does not allow for real-time data collection, which Jordan says “…isn’t terrible, but just due to the volatility of machining itself, knowing whether a machine goes down the second it goes down is super important.”
Superior Machine & Tool was ready to upgrade to a real-time data-collecting, cloud-based, modern ERP that not only eliminated server problems but also kept them on top of the latest technological advancements, like AI.
After: Cloud-powered clarity
“JobBOSS² has made us more efficient and successful.”
Superior Machine & Tool found that their easiest option was to upgrade from JobBOSS to JobBOSS², a natural evolution for most ECI JobBOSS users. This cloud software eliminated the stress and error of manually updating an on-premises server. “So, if our internet goes down here, everything we entered in, everything, all the data collection that we have, is perfectly safe,” Jordan assures.
JobBOSS² provides Jordan with real-time data collection entered up to that second. Without ever guessing what will happen next, JobBOSS² helps Jordan keep schedules on track and pushing forward. This data collection also provides granular visibility into part creation, which can be used for more accurate customer updates and a more realistic profit margin on specific parts.
The modern user interface (UI) has also become a fan favorite with employees on the floor. Previously, data collection on the floor was complicated. Jordan says that JobBOSS²’s easy data collection “…just makes their job easier. It makes them able to enter [data] in faster, and it makes them more willing to do it.”
Overall, the modern UI and newer technology advancements have been a better fit for Superior Machine & Tool’s workflow. With the JobBOSS classic software, Jordan reports that a job could take upwards of ten minutes to create and quote. “But with JobBOSS², as long as we have that quote in there, it takes less than a minute to basically create a job from it,” Jordan says, eliminating nine minutes of extra work each time.
Since both softwares are ECI products, Jordan mentions that implementation was smooth and support was super responsive. They could choose which data would be transferred to the new software and which would be left behind.
Suppose your business is ready to upgrade from JobBOSS. In that case, Jordan leaves us with this final statement:
“I would definitely recommend JobBOSS² to another manufacturer using JobBOSS classic—the switch is definitely worth it—it's going the way of the industry itself in terms of technology, implementing AI, implementing cloud-based servers, and getting away from that on-premises.”
Watch the Full Interview
