“We have managed to decrease inventory 10 percent, while still growing the business.”

Mario Marquez

Operations Manager

International Coatings Company

Company Name

International Coatings Company

Location

Cerritos, CA

Industry

Paint and Coatings

Solution

BatchMaster Desktop ERP

International Coatings Improves Inventory Control and Production Efficiency with BatchMaster Enterprise

Founded more than 50 years ago, International Coatings Company (ICC) is a leading manufacturer of textile screen-printing inks, industrial plastic compounds, adhesives, coatings, and specialty materials used across a wide range of industries, including automotive, medical, aerospace, sportswear, and consumer products.

With manufacturing facilities in California and Georgia and customers around the world, ICC required an ERP system capable of supporting its growing operations, managing complex formulations, and improving visibility into inventory and production.

After evaluating multiple ERP platforms, ICC selected BatchMaster Enterprise to support its manufacturing, inventory, laboratory, and operational management needs.

Challenges

As ICC continued to grow, the company needed a more advanced and scalable ERP solution to support increasing operational complexity and maintain competitiveness in a volatile raw materials market.

1. Supporting Business Growth

ICC required a system capable of supporting continued company growth while improving operational efficiency and user accessibility.

2. Improving Inventory Visibility and Control

The company needed stronger inventory tracking and greater visibility into material usage to reduce shortages, improve purchasing decisions, and better manage cash flow.

3. Managing Volatile Raw Material Costs

Because many of ICC’s raw materials are petroleum-based, fluctuating market prices created challenges in maintaining margins and controlling inventory costs.

4. Streamlining Formula Development and Product Management

As a custom compound manufacturer, ICC needed strong laboratory and formulation management tools to maintain formula histories, support product development, and improve pricing decisions.

Solution

After reviewing several ERP systems, ICC selected BatchMaster because it remained the best fit for the company’s process manufacturing requirements and long-term growth plans.

“We evaluated three other systems and selected BatchMaster again,” explained Steve Kahane, President of ICC.

BatchMaster provided integrated functionality for:

Formula and laboratory management
Inventory and lot tracking
Production management
Cost analysis and reporting
Sales and material usage analysis
Financial integration
Reporting and operational visibility

ICC upgraded from the DOS version of BatchMaster to the Windows-based platform to take advantage of expanded functionality, improved usability, and scalability.

Key Results

1. Improved Inventory Control and Material Planning

BatchMaster helped ICC gain stronger visibility into inventory levels, material usage, and production requirements. The company improved purchasing decisions, reduced shortages, and better managed inventory across both manufacturing facilities.

“BatchMaster has definitely helped us become more efficient in production,”

– Mario Marquez, Operations Manager

2. Reduced Inventory While Supporting Growth

Using BatchMaster’s inventory tracking and reporting capabilities, ICC reduced inventory levels by 10 percent while continuing to grow the business. The reduction improved cash flow and helped strengthen operating margins.

“We have managed to decrease inventory 10 percent, while still growing the business,” said Marquez.

3. Better Cost Control and Margin Management

BatchMaster’s costing functionality allowed ICC to monitor both standard and market costs, helping the company respond to volatile raw material pricing and maintain product margins.

The system provided stronger visibility into price movements and product profitability, supporting more informed pricing decisions.

4. Enhanced Formula Development and Product History Management

ICC relies heavily on BatchMaster’s laboratory functionality to support custom formulation and product development. The system maintains a searchable library of formulas, helping formulators quickly reference and modify previous formulations rather than recreating them from scratch. “We rely very heavily on the BatchMaster laboratory functions,” explained Kahane.

5. Improved Reporting and Operational Visibility

BatchMaster provided ICC management with both high-level business visibility and detailed operational reporting. The company regularly uses reports for open orders, sales analysis, material usage, and production performance to support forecasting and decision-making. Users also benefited from easy data extraction and custom reporting capabilities using Excel and BatchMaster reporting tools.

6. Positioned for Future MRP and Production Planning Improvements

ICC plans to further expand its use of BatchMaster by implementing Master Production Scheduling (MPS) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) functionality. The company expects these tools to improve production planning, optimize batch sizes, and provide tighter control over inventory and raw material purchasing.

Looking Ahead

With BatchMaster in place, International Coatings Company strengthened its operational foundation with improved inventory control, production efficiency, cost management, and reporting visibility.

The company continues to leverage BatchMaster to support growth, improve manufacturing responsiveness, and maintain its competitive position in the global coatings and plastics industries.

About BatchMaster Software

BatchMaster Software is a leading provider of ERP solutions that help growing formula-based manufacturers streamline operations, reduce costs, and comply with stringent regulatory mandates. BatchMaster ERP is designed specifically for the Food, Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, and Specialty Manufacturing industries, and can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud.