A foundry is a multi-department operation that relies on synergy from sales to shipping to invoicing. Many foundries have become relaxed with a legacy software system that allows money to slip through the cracks of both the shop floor and the front office. A common misstep from foundries is neglecting the shop floor, while misallocating resources in administrative departments. Foundries around the world are performing manual entries of labor tickets, struggling to compile required certificates, and executing manual AR & AP tasks with a spreadsheet that lacks security and precision.
Torrance Casting is a family-owned sand foundry, based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, that employs 100 individuals and provides diverse process solutions for clients’ casting needs. Before implementing Guardian’s Foundry ERP with MES solution in 2005, Torrance Casting’s system was outdated and inefficient. Without an option for real-time data capture, Torrance staff members were required to manually capture data leading to inefficient use of staff resources. This, combined with siloed departments, led to a lack of visibility, resources, and data that inhibited their growth.
“Our old system wasn’t working; there was too much manual work and data entry,” expressed Lisa Smith, IT Administrator for Torrance Casting. “And on top of that, there was no real-time data capture.”
Torrance understood that manual administrative tasks were causing them a loss in data, time, efficiencies, and visibility. Guardian Software Systems partnered with Torrance Casting to consolidate administrative operations and bridge the information gap between the front office and the shop floor, allowing Torrance greater flexibility and higher visibility in all areas. With integration across all departments and boosted efficiency, Guardian helped take Torrance from disconnected to cohesive.
Any transition a business goes through is difficult, but the foundry industry’s uniqueness amplifies that challenge. Torrance understood that their pre-Guardian, non-foundry solutions, were not working and that a solution designed for the foundry was critical for them to attain long-term goals. When Torrance entrusted Guardian as their foundry-specific ERP provider, Guardian led Torrance through an implementation plan to integrate the system while still carrying out their production responsibilities.
“While we knew we had to make a change, we also knew it would be a massive feat. We stayed determined and worked closely with Guardian throughout the implementation process,” said Smith. “It was a huge initiative, but it was definitely worth it in the end.”
Since its inception, Torrance and Guardian Software Systems have worked together on curating the software to the latest needs of the foundry. The partnership, as with all of Guardian’s clients, allows Guardian an inside view into what foundries require from their software provider to help them become more efficient, lower operating costs, and be more competitive in the metalcasting market.
“Guardian gave us a resource to remove the manual aspect of our administrative tasks allowing us to reallocate assets into other departments, which, in turn maximized our resources and helped lower overall operating costs,” said Smith.
Guardian integration across all of Torrance’s departments has increased scalability in their production due to increased visibility. Live visibility into their production showed operational bottlenecks that could be detrimental to meeting demanding lead times and order requirements. This information, gained from live data collection through the Guardian MES, was crucial in altering operations to avoid bottlenecks on the shop floor and automate administrative tasks.
“Guardian has been a very responsive partner; there is a true relationship between our two companies,” said Smith. “They respond to our requests for enhancements, training, or just a simple question because they are constantly improving the system to better assist clients. We couldn’t ask for a better company.”
