Challenge
As the leader of a fourth-generation family business, Sean Simmons, President of Tuffaloy Products, starts each day with the question:
“What can I do today to improve the company and strengthen it, preparing to pass it on to the fifth generation?”
Founded in 1937, Tuffaloy began when Simmons’ great-grandfather introduced a new line of resistance welding alloys. Over the decades, the company has expanded to six facilities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Today, Tuffaloy offers thousands of products and partners with many distributors to ensure customers always have access to high-quality, cost-effective resistance welding supplies and accessories.
However, this growth hasn’t come without challenges. One major issue was their legacy ERP system based on DOS. Simmons shared:
“We were just one Windows update away from going… out of business. The system wasn’t designed to support growth or connect with other platforms. We were also acquiring other companies to diversify, so we needed a way to integrate quickly. The old system kept us constrained.”
With a clear commitment to the company’s mission, Simmons ensured resources were allocated where they mattered most:
“We don’t have full-time IT staff, nor do I want to invest in that. I want to partner with IT professionals who can provide solutions, uptime, and security.”
When evaluating ERP solutions, Simmons’ team had non-negotiable requirements:
-
Integration with existing internal and external systems.
-
A cloud platform for remote access.
-
A solution purpose-built for manufacturing.
Simmons said:
“Some providers required heavy customization for our make-to-stock and pick-and-pack model. Others weren’t truly cloud-based. Epicor was the only vendor that met all of our criteria.”
Smooth Implementation with Expert Support
Transitioning to a new business system is always a challenge. However, all concerns were alleviated thanks to a comprehensive implementation plan:
“Epicor sent two specialists to work closely with us, training employees, writing custom code, migrating data, validating, and testing. The transition went more smoothly than we ever expected,” Simmons said.
Immediate benefits from Epicor Kinetic included an intuitive interface, in-depth training programs, and powerful features like multi-currency support and improved supply chain tracking.
“Our customer service team was nervous about the change, but once they saw Epicor Kinetic in action, they wished they had been using it years earlier,” Simmons shared.
Transparent, Data-Driven Organization
“Epicor has made the entire business transparent and data-driven. Employees feel more connected to the company’s mission. Automated dashboards at all facilities display real-time KPIs so everyone can see individual contributions and overall performance. That’s truly powerful.”
Another key advantage was API integration. Epicor connects with external applications like FedEx and UPS, while synchronizing with internal systems.
“We have about 6,500 products on our website, all maintained in Epicor, making updates easy. The same goes for our distributor e-commerce site: Epicor pushes data to display real-time order information,” Simmons explained.
Outstanding Results
Epicor Kinetic delivered significant improvements:
-
On-time delivery rates rose from 65% to 90% in Canada, and from 80% to 92% in the U.S. (with further growth expected).
-
Overtime production costs dropped 50% in the first year.
-
DSO (days sales outstanding) decreased from 50+ days to just 35 days.
-
Supply chain optimization through real-time data, inventory alerts, and alternative supplier support.
-
Sales staff productivity increased thanks to mobile access to data.
-
Executive travel time reduced by 50% due to remote monitoring capabilities.
Simmons affirmed:
“Epicor delivers the business insights to make critical decisions faster and more accurately. Without a doubt, Epicor is helping me elevate Tuffaloy and better prepare for the next generation.”
Ready for the Future
Simmons has further plans to leverage Epicor:
-
Applying Machine Learning and AI for better forecasting and inventory optimization.
-
Automating order processing.
-
Deploying Epicor Data Analytics to enhance budgeting.
“Epicor listens to customers and continuously improves. Their cloud-based solution allows us to selectively activate new features when we’re ready,” Simmons said.
He concluded: “Epicor is helping me achieve my goal of making Tuffaloy stronger and ready for the future.”
3S Software Co., Ltd.
To successfully upgrade a business, businesses need an experienced and trusted partner. 3S will be a partner accompanying businesses on their path of development, helping businesses become more comprehensive and increase productivity at lower costs. Along with compliance with the Epicor Signature Project Implementation Methodology, it will help businesses increase production efficiency and improve profits at a very reasonable cost. 3S believes that it will always bring the most satisfaction to customers.
The 5 main solutions of 3S include:
Epicor ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning
Epicor MES – Manufacturing Execution System
BPM XSOL Solution – Business Modeling Solution
ECM DOCSTAR Solution – Digital Content Management Software
Epicor CADLINK solution – The solution allows transferring information from CAD drawings such as AutoCAD, Solidworks to Epicor ERP
More references: TECHCOMP RISES TO INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP WITH EPICOR KINETIC
