How Climate by Design Drives Rapid Growth With Discrete Manufacturing ERP

It’s not news to say that discrete manufacturers are feeling the pressure to achieve operational agility. Amidst supply chain disruptions, market fluctuations and the rising cost of materials and labor, the margin of error for this type of business has significantly decreased.

Climate by Design International (CDI) is one of those manufacturers pursuing resilience. CDI designs and manufactures custom desiccant dehumidifiers and critical process air handlers for numerous markets, including food processing, ice arenas, wastewater treatment plants, pharmaceutical, automotive, rental, healthcare, aviation, lithium battery manufacturing and other niche markets requiring dry air climates.

With its humble beginnings in 1991 located at Owatonna, Minnesota, CDI has grown to over 200 employees who serve its customers and build relationships based on honesty and integrity. As an industrial machinery manufacturer, CDI leverages Aptean’s purpose-built enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for discrete companies.

Leveraging Aptean Discrete Manufacturing Technology for Operational Efficiency

How does Aptean’s discrete ERP help CDI achieve its full operational potential? Lynn Limberg, ERP Specialist at CDI, shares her insights into how the company is using specialized software to streamline processes and increase efficiency.

“We are going through a rapid growth period in our organization right now, so we are really focused on the core ERP. Going back a few steps and using it the way it’s meant to be used.” Limberg told the Aptean team.

“Over the past three years, since the leadership asked me to move up and become an ERP specialist, I have focused on better understanding the ERP system and how we can leverage it better for improved utilization. I have also documented what processes we're doing, have a better understanding of how the ERP is meant to be used and we’re making those necessary adjustments to streamline our processes.” Limberg added.

“We are looking at Aptean Smart Hub and the API, Shop Floor Manager, CRM and at a lot of things that are going to take our organization to the next level. We know we can't keep 'muscling through' like we have for the last 20 years; we really need software solutions to help us get there,” Limberg said during the interview.

Aptean's discrete manufacturing ERP offers user-friendly workflows and streamlined processes to help manage CDI's day-to-day business activities from beginning to end. They've recently grown from 100 to 200 employees and want to leverage these new perspectives. Some of their new hires have a great history with ERPs and understand their concept better than when CDI implemented the ERP software initially. These insights are helping CDI gain even more benefits from the system and drive additional growth.

Some benefits of Aptean's unified solutions for discrete manufacturers that CDI has taken advantage of include:

• Improved communication and collaboration within the organization

• Streamlined supplier management, contracts and technical support

• Smooth and quick integrations for end-to-end performance improvement

• Enhanced scalability and agility for future growth

Gaining Standardized, Real-Time Data Across the Organization

One of the core benefits of Aptean's discrete ERP is providing a single source of truth. For CDI this means seamlessly integrating its various business processes and providing a unified platform for managing and accessing critical information.

“It is all about Aptean software for us. Our motto at CDI right now is 'one source of truth' and that is going to be Aptean ERP. We need to get away from all the spreadsheets, we need to get away from all the outside data. From a senior leadership level down, it is one source of truth and that is Aptean for us.” Limberg said.

Aptean's discrete ERP consolidates data to serve as the single source of truth to reduce silos within the business, boost visibility and improve cross-functional operations. The platform also allows CDI to have quicker access to data, reduce errors and enable data-driven decision-making—not only improving daily operations, but enabling better strategic insights for future growth.

Having accurate, real-time data available across the organization also helps improve a variety of functional areas and processes such as:

• Streamlined and agile supply chain management

• Better quality control and compliance

• Precise inventory management across all components

• Tighter cost management

• Access to customized reporting and analytics

• Transparent serial number tracking and asset traceability

Combining Advanced Software With Outstanding Support

Without the right support, even the best software can fall flat. That’s why Aptean provides dedicated by-your-side services alongside its technology. Having the support of a knowledgeable and experienced team helps CDI better understand the software, follow industry best practices and maximize the benefits of Aptean’s discrete manufacturing solution.

“I cannot speak highly enough of the checkup service from Aptean. Month end is brutal for us, so we want to learn how to do that better, more efficiently, more effectively.” Limberg said.

“Using the upgrade services was invaluable for us. We learned from [the Aptean] team about our upgrades in the past. Having them on-site and that resource has been invaluable for us. We have a deeper understanding of our software, which I think is critical nowadays. Even though Aptean is there, it still provided us with a level of security knowing that we really understand our software and our platform.” she added.

Partnering With Aptean To Enable Business Success

The successful partnership between Aptean and CDI reflects our steadfast commitment to supporting customers and enabling them to unlock the full operational potential of our technology.

"Aptean ERP was the solution we chose for our operations. It's understanding how the software is designed versus how we utilize it as a small company. We need to take some giant steps backward and fundamentally change how we use the software to move forward." Lynn Limberg said.

A proactive approach to building skilled teams for system upgrades keeps your business ahead. A connected mindset in organizational development stresses a holistic and collaborative view to prevent isolated changes. Also, making decisions together helps smooth departmental shifts, creates a shared understanding of changes and fosters accountability.

Devoted to delivering exceptional support, our highly committed team diligently works to enhance the smooth operation of your business. With a focus on adding significant value, we strive to contribute to the overall success of your operations.

Reach out when you’re ready for a quick discovery call to learn how Aptean’s discrete ERP can help streamline your processes. You can also check this starter guide to manufacturing software or this helpful article on how ERP solutions can elevate your operations.