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, Sam 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 Stuard 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.

Chapters:

00:00:54 Sam’s Background & Shop Story
00:16:07 Why ERP? Why JobBOSS²?
00:26:30 ERP Integration & Training
01:04:50 Is It Worth It For Small Shops?
01:17:00 Tips Of The Day

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Connect with Sam here:   / madebymonarch  

Want to know more about JobBOSS²™ and ECI solutions?
Check them out here: https://www.ecisolutions.com/
JobBOSS²™: https://www.ecisolutions.com/products...

Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG:   / job_shopper_tn   or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG:   / machiningiscool   or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG:   / marvelmachining   or PM @marvel

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