Manual re-entry hours per week
The direct admin time removed by each connection.
Small manufacturers · Systems integration
Connect your ERP, accounting and shop floor so job data moves once
Most small plants run on a set of systems that grew one at a time: an ERP for jobs, QuickBooks or another package for accounting, a CRM for sales, a carrier site for shipping, spreadsheets for quality and a shared drive for drawings. The same customer, part and order get typed into three or four of them, and they slowly drift apart.
How it often works today
- Invoices are re-keyed from the ERP into the accounting system, and the two never quite reconcile at month end.
- Shipping details are typed into the carrier site and again into the ERP, with tracking numbers emailed to customers by hand.
- Sales sees opportunities in the CRM but has no view of order status, so they call the plant manager for every update.
- Quality nonconformances live in spreadsheets with no link to the job, part or supplier record in the ERP.
We would map where each key record lives today, such as customers, items, jobs, shipments and invoices, and agree which system owns each one. Then we would connect the handoffs that cost the most time or cause the most errors, using built-in integrations first and tools like Power Automate, Make or a small custom connection only where needed.
The improved workflow
Map the records and owners
Draw how customers, items, jobs, shipments and invoices flow between systems today, and agree one source of truth for each record type.
Use native integrations first
Turn on or fix built-in connections, such as ERP to accounting sync, before adding any new tool, and document how each one is configured.
Connect the costliest handoffs
Automate the next most expensive manual steps, such as shipment confirmation with tracking to the customer or order status into the CRM, with logging for every transfer.
Monitor and own it
Set up alerts for failed syncs and name an internal owner who checks them weekly, so the integration does not quietly break after a software update.
How we deliver this: AI automation for small business or fractional CTO leadership, scoped in writing and run over 90 days. See pricing or the sample scope.
What we would measure
Month-end reconciliation differences
Shows whether ERP and accounting data now agree.
Sync failures and time to fix
An integration that breaks silently can be worse than a manual step.
Where people stay in control
- Each integration has a written owner, source of truth and failure procedure before it goes live.
- Changes to financial data sync are tested in a sandbox or on copies and approved by the controller or bookkeeper.
- Access credentials for integrations are stored securely and limited to the minimum permissions needed.
Example
Illustrative: shipments, tracking and invoices
For example, a 60-person fabricator ships 30 to 40 orders a week. The shipping clerk enters each one in the carrier site, copies tracking into the ERP, emails the customer and passes paperwork to accounting for invoicing. After mapping the flow, the shop connects shipment confirmation to customer emails and the invoice sync to accounting, while the clerk still checks each shipment. The volumes here are illustrative.
Tools typically involved
What the first 30 days look like
In the first 30 days we would map how customers, items, jobs, shipments and invoices move between your systems, count manual re-entry hours, check which native integrations exist and agree the one handoff to connect first with clear success measures.
Common questions
Should we replace systems instead of connecting them?
Sometimes. If your ERP cannot do basic things your business needs, connecting it to more tools only adds complexity. But replacement is expensive and disruptive. We would map the gaps first and give you an honest view of whether integration, better configuration or replacement makes the most sense.
What happens when one of the systems updates?
Integrations can break when vendors change their software. That is why each connection needs logging, failure alerts and a named owner. We would document every integration so your team or another partner can maintain it, rather than leaving something only one person understands.
Do we need a developer on staff?
Not usually for this scope. Many connections can be built with no-code tools or the ERP's own import and export features. Larger or more sensitive integrations may need a specialist, which would be scoped and budgeted separately. We would recommend the simplest approach that is reliable.
The business case
Does it pay for itself?
Illustrative defaults for a manufacturer. Replace them with your numbers.
What this workflow costs today
a month in staff time, before any lost sales
Monthly fee + assumed tools +
Break-even: new clients a month (at first-year value)
Or: staff hours recovered and redeployed
Break-even additional revenue
Value of +1 point of win rate
First 90 days, service fee
Worth a closer lookTest the assumptions
Illustration only, not a forecast or guarantee. Recovered staff time becomes a cash saving only if spending actually declines or the time goes into paid work. Tool costs are an assumption; we replace every number here with yours before recommending a scope.
Systems integration in other industries
Architecture firmsConstruction and general contractorsEngineering firmsLogistics and freight companies
Systems integration: full guide
Related guides
Is a fractional CTO worth it for a small business?When to hire a CTOHow to scope an automation projectZapier for small business
Terms used here
Next step
Bring one expensive workflow. Leave with a clear next step.
In 30 minutes we look at one recurring workflow, what it costs you today and whether there is a credible case to improve it. If there is not, we will say so.
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