INTRODUCTION
Klinger Paint Company, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been a leader in the manufacturing of paints and coatings for 125 years. As a full-service coatings supplier, Klinger Paint offers a diverse product portfolio, including water-based, solvent-based, interior, exterior, industrial, automotive, and military/avionic products, with approximately 2,000 different formulas.
As the company continues its year-by-year growth, CEO Brian Klinger recognized the essential need for a stronger operational foundation to support future success. The previous system, a 30-to-40-year-old DOS-based program called AccuTerm, presented a critical risk by failing to integrate basic business data. This older system created silos of information that could not communicate with one another; for example, batch making, invoicing, and financial data remained isolated. The breaking point was the complete reliance on manual data manipulation and external spreadsheets for critical functions like batch scheduling, which dramatically increased the risk of human input error that could affect chemical formulations or financial reporting.
Compounding the challenge was a prior attempt to modernize with another ERP system that failed entirely. That experience, where Klinger Paint was ‘left out in the dark’ due to poor communication from the vendor, reinforced the essential need for a trustworthy, communicative partner and of deciding to move forward with BatchMaster Web ERP, both strategic and deliberate.
Klinger Paint is implementing BatchMaster Web ERP, seamlessly integrated with QuickBooks Online, to create a connected, cloud-based business environment. This modern architecture supports the company’s goal of improving data security, reducing IT maintenance, and ensuring that operations evolve in step with technology.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PARTNER: BATCHMASTER’S STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
Klinger Paint conducted thorough due diligence, evaluating other ERP systems from providers including Deacom, Mar-Kov, and SAP. The decision to implement BatchMaster ERP was based on several strategic factors:
- The Right Fit: BatchMaster Web ERP was described as the “Goldilocks” solution, offering the right level of functionality without unnecessary features, making it an efficient and well-balanced investment.
- Price Point: The system provided substantial value at a fair price, landing in the middle of the range compared to other solutions that were either too bare-bones or overly complex and costly.
- Industry Reputation: BatchMaster’s strong reputation within the paint and coatings industry, its recognition by the American Coatings Association, and endorsements from other paint manufacturers gave Klinger Paint additional confidence in the decision.
IMPLEMENTATION OBJECTIVES AND FOUNDATIONAL STRATEGY
The implementation of BatchMaster is viewed as a vital step in transforming Klinger Paint’s operations by unifying data and providing clearer business insights for planning and decision-making.
Key Objectives:
- Integrate Data Silos: Unify systems to ensure seamless data communication throughout operations, eliminating manual data entry and reducing input errors.
- Improve Inventory Management: Enable precise tracking for both raw materials and finished goods, including physical location identification (e.g., aisle and row).
- Enhance Operational Visibility: Establish a ‘one-stop shop’ internally that tracks the full product lifecycle, ensuring a clear line of sight from raw material to finished good.
- Automate Batch Scheduling: Replace manual Excel-based scheduling with an intelligent system that recommends actions and scheduling based on historical data.
- Boost Customer Trust: Use faster, more accurate data to provide proactive communication with customers about their order status, to build stronger relationships, and to position Klinger Paint as a strategic partner.
Klinger Paint has structured its ERP rollout into three phases:
- Implementation – Deploying the new Paints and Coatings Manufacturing ERP Software and unifying data across departments.
- Optimization – Reviewing efficiencies, validating data accuracy, and ensuring full utilization of system capabilities.
- Innovation – Introducing mobile capabilities that will allow production operators to input data in real time, giving executives and sales teams instant visibility into batch status and performance.
LOOKING AHEAD
As Klinger Paint advances through implementation, the company envisions a future of greater efficiency, transparency, and customer confidence.
Klinger added, “I always try to view our operations through our customers’ eyes. Timely, transparent communication builds trust, and that’s exactly what BatchMaster helps us achieve.”
With BatchMaster Web, Klinger Paint Company is building a stronger digital foundation to support its 125-year history of growth and ensure decades of continued operational excellence and customer-focused service.
