Background

Manufacturers helped pioneer microcomputing, only to lag behind in adopting the next generation of tech: the cloud, and its potential to revolutionize production. Modern manufacturers must be nimble, data-rich, and ready for just-in-time production, rush orders, and last-minute modifications. However, many of America’s 1.2 million manufacturers still use outdated custom software built for a different era. Many systems recreate an old-fashioned paper trail and do little more. This even though modern customers expect real-time planning, quoting, quality control, and inventory tracking information. Moreover, these bespoke software solutions are often priced per-user, don’t integrate with other systems, and require shops to buy and maintain their own servers and IT security systems. 

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Taken together, this antiquated tech slows down, complicates, and jacks up the price of the entire production process. It means small companies are plowing money and time into systems that aren’t serving their best interest—or letting them reach their full potential. It’s no surprise then that one analysis found that over 90% of manufacturers dislike their current ERP options.

Company Specifics

Fulcrum is a cloud-based ERP that uses modern design, top-to-bottom data integration, advanced forecasting tools, and democratic pricing to help manufacturers reach their full potential. 

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Its tools add more information at nearly every step of the process. It automates and standardizes quoting and can integrate with manufacturers’ email to speed and declutter the deals pipeline. It combines data about the production process, delivery schedule, and inventory stock to trigger part-purchasing alerts and advice on when is the best time to buy based on historical pricing trends. Its clean interface allows managers to automatically schedule jobs based on orders, and uses intelligent capacity planning to route orders to stations ready to take on the work, tightening efficiency and cutting down on overtime costs. Finally, real-time barcode tracking creates an instant, air-tight inventory and quality control process. 

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Fulcrum’s pricing and software are designed to be as open-ended as possible. Fulcrum uses a subscription model, rather than per-user pricing, saving firms money as they scale. It integrates with numerous third-party solutions, so firms don’t have to waste time jury-rigging disparate tech. And because Fulcrum is cloud-based, manufacturers don’t have to buy or manage their own hardware, and instantly get updates and security fixes. 

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Founder and CEO Sunny Han has over a decade of experience building custom ERP systems and consulting for manufacturing firms. Ryan met Sunny when they sat next to each other in a coworking space in Minneapolis, and has stayed close to the Fulcrum team ever since.