Manufacturing and Trade SMBs

Most SMBs in manufacturing and trade are essentially doing what much larger companies do, but with a fraction of the resources. A founder who keeps everything running personally works fine up to a point. As the business grows, though, the knowledge ends up locked in one person’s head, next month’s cash position stays a mystery until it’s on top of you, and it gets harder and harder to say which jobs actually make money. Here’s how one small machining workshop turned that around.

Client Profile

A metal parts machining workshop. 25 employees, founder-centric management, order-based production.

Challenges Faced

• Information Silos: Pricing, customer history, supplier details, all of it lived in the founder’s head or his personal notebook. When he took a week off, work effectively stopped.
• Cash Flow Uncertainty: There was no clear answer to how the coming month’s payments would be covered until month-end rolled around. A reliable cash projection simply wasn’t possible.
• Lack of True Cost Visibility: Nobody could say for certain which products turned a profit and which lost money. Quotes leaned heavily on experience and gut feel.

Solution Approach: Cloud-Based SMB ERP Package

• Corporate Memory: Every customer conversation, quote, and order now lives in a digital system. The dependence on the founder for basic information disappeared.
• Cash Flow Statement: Cash projections are generated automatically from receivable and payable due dates. The position for the next 3 months is visible at a glance.
• Product-Based Cost Tracking: Material, labor, and overhead costs are calculated automatically for each order.

Achieved Results

• Founder’s operational burden decreased by 60%
• Cash flow visibility extended to 3 months
• Quote accuracy increased by 45%
• New customer acquisition time shortened by 30%