What’s the Secret Sauce for a Smoother Shop? Hint: It’s Not Just Coolant | 32

Running a machine shop means juggling jobs, customers, employees, and the unexpected—usually all at once. For years, Stuard of Monarch Manufacturing tried to keep everything in his head and on scattered spreadsheets. But as his shop grew, so did the chaos.

In this episode of the Impractical Machinists Podcast, Sam joins us to share how implementing an ERP system from ECI gave him something every shop owner craves: control, visibility, and peace of mind. With the system in place, Sam’s team gained clarity on scheduling, job tracking, and profitability—while customers got more transparency and confidence in the work being done.

Sam opens up about what life was like before ERP, the lessons learned while scaling a shop, and how freeing himself from constant firefighting changed the way his business runs. If you’ve ever wondered whether an ERP system could actually make a difference in a small-to-mid-sized shop, this conversation is a real-world look at how it can transform not just operations—but the day-to-day life of an owner.

Connect with Sam here.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!