Above: Dashboards can provide historic as well as real-time insights for a number of KPIs.
January, 2026- Manufacturing and fabricating are going through a technology transformation. With a generational shift occurring among the leadership ranks at today’s fabricators, the ERP software supporting these businesses is coming under review.
In discussions with hundreds of customers, Adam Grabowski, director of marketing at Global Shop Solutions, has distilled the common traits among leading manufacturers into what he calls the ABCs of Manufacturing: automation, business intelligence and customer care. Grabowski sees ERP software playing a critical role in helping manufacturers leverage the ABCs of their business. As Grabowski explains, the result is “leadership moving away from managing by gut to managing by data.”
CLOSING THE GAP
Grabowski joined The Woodlands, Texas-based Global Shop Solutions in 2013. He recalls back then that customers looking to elevate the automation of their shop were focused on price. “Now customers simply ask us, how fast can we get [the software] installed?” he says.
A unique value proposition at Global Shop Solutions is its software development kit (SDK), which aids the user in customizing dashboards.
This urgency stems from manufacturing companies’ leaders recognizing the production efficiencies and-more importantly-the business intelligence that can be realized with an integrated ERP solution. Grabowski hears this urgency while visiting with customers at Global Shop Solutions’ annual user conference, at regional customer events and at on-site meetings.
Through these visits, Grabowski sees glaring differences. “There is a gap between those businesses that are doing okay and/or struggling and those that are thriving, or crushing it,” he reports. The differences are the ABCs.
To bridge this gap, Grabowski advises fabricators to focus on the basics. “It reminds me of a quote from football quarterback, Tom Brady: ‘To be successful at anything, the truth is you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t: consistent, determined and willing to work for it. No shortcuts!’”
In the underperforming shops, Grabowski observes disconnected process systems and the archaic use of tack boards, white boards and Excel spreadsheets to track their manufacturing processes. “The companies crushing it have a single ERP software system that connects the C-suite, the production floor and all departments. At Global Shop Solutions, we have an ERP system that seamlessly supports the business from quote to cash-and everything in between,” he says.
AUTOMATION
Automation stands for efficiency, as Grabowski puts it. “This used to mean cutting costs. But now it means leveraging your workforce,” he notes, pointing to the hours employees waste looking for documents, inputting rote information or physically looking at a machine to determine its on/off mode-or uptime versus downtime.
Global Shop Solutions software helps automate fabrication shops. The software can put scheduling on autopilot (no more white boards) and take the guesswork out of purchasing. To reduce the chaos and leverage the talent, the company created AI AP Automation. As one example of many relating to AI, when accounting is streamlined there is no more keying in of data invoices, says Grabowski.
He cites one customer that had an accounts payable employee leaving the company. When the customer implemented the AI AP Automation tool in their accounts payable department, there was no need to replace the departing teammate. Instead, their work was assigned to someone else, who used the AI-generative software to accomplish the same tasks faster, with more accuracy and without adding to headcount.
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Once a fabricator has implemented an integrated Global Shop Solutions ERP system, management can better rely upon the data being generated. “Now the user has a single source of truth,” explains Grabowski. “When all the data lives in one system, customers can trust the numbers they are seeing. And everyone is on the same page-from the shop floor to the corner office.”
By using the Dashboard Designer feature, users can customize dashboards to display relevant data in the manner desired by business leadership. A myriad of reports include labor utilization, scrap rates and gross profits on a job. The key performance indicators (KPIs) generated through the ERP are all available in real time. “KPIs are the vital signs of a business. KPI tracking helps the user spot trends on the shop floor and identify moneydraining challenges,” notes Grabowski. “It lets the user manage their business with facts, not just gut feelings.”
During site visits with customers, Grabowski often sees company KPIs displayed in real time on the shop floor. “We find that the shops sharing the data with their employees have the best efficiency gains,” reports Grabowski.
He shares an example of a customer who began displaying the work progress of employees. Initially, management was surprised to see how many projects were running late. Then they started to see employees supporting the slower-performing colleagues. “The shop had a significant change in its on-time delivery KPI. Now, very infrequently will a job not be ‘running in the green.’”
Adam Grabowski
The next generation of fabricator leadership has been quick to embrace data available through ERP tools. “I’ve noticed that our customers have more confidence in their decisions when they can back things up with data. Our ERP tool can help leadership make decisions on a range of fronts+the opening of a new facility (and where), adding production lines and hiring new employees (and how many).”
CUSTOMIZATION
One of the unique value propositions Global Shop Solutions offers is a software development kit (SDK). Grabowski says this allows customers to tailor their software to their needs, rather than the customer being forced to change their operations to fit the software. “Any customer can access dashboards, reports and projects from our application store and most of our 1,800 manufacturing customers around the world contribute to it,” notes Grabowski.
The third aspect of Grabowski’s ABCs is customer care. “Excellent customer care is the cornerstone of growth,” says Grabowski. By leveraging AI and an integrated ERP, users can get accurate quotes out to customers faster. Customer inquiries regarding project status or delivery dates can be provided with just a few mouse clicks.
This focus on speed and accuracy elevates the fabricator in the eyes of the customer. “With a complete view of a customer’s history, needs and ongoing projects, the fabricator can move beyond being just a supplier and become a true partner,” advises Grabowski. “With our ERP system, the user can not only solve today’s problems, but they also become future-proof.” With an eye to the near future, Global Shop Solutions is developing more AI tools, has hired a chief AI officer and is in the process of hiring other AI engineers. “I believe that sooner or later businesses- including fabricators+that use AI will outperform those that don’t. We are excited about the opportunity to take our customers to this next level,” states Grabowski. Now that’s a gut check worth heeding.
Global Shop Solutions, 800/364-5958, globalshopsolutions.com.
