Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP Case Study: Portable Pipe Hangers

Portable Pipe Hangers Systems/Design (PHP) is a pioneer for “zero penetration” roof systems. Founded in Houston, Texas in 1992, the company supports engineers, architects and property owners with high-quality and durable products—including rooftop components such as pipes, walkways, crossovers, platforms, equipment supports, cable trays and ducts.

By leveraging Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP, PHP has achieved consistent growth over two decades. However, company workflows and reliance on internal hardware for data backups presented a major challenge, which was compounded by the pandemic, further exposing inefficiencies in company-wide processes.

The Challenge

A gradual shift in workplace structure and the macroeconomic environment caused by the pandemic prompted PHP’s leadership to re-evaluate their operations and connect with the Aptean team to look for solutions to support their remote work initiative. Before moving to a cloud ERP, PHP dealt with these challenges:

• Cumbersome remote access options

• Need to accommodate shifting workplace structures

• Difficulty in effectively future-proofing for disaster preparedness

“Before moving our on-premise ERP solution to the cloud, there were multiple steps needed, including a VPN connection, to access the system which made it more cumbersome,” Jason commented.

The Solution

Because of the factors that restricted its operations, PHP decided to move its ERP solution to the cloud which provides employees convenient access to data—supporting remote work initiatives. With Aptean’s cloud-based Industrial Manufacturing ERP, PHP employees are able to remotely access the company’s servers and connect to the system from almost anywhere.

Aptean’s cloud ERP provides:

• Flexible and easy remote access

• Instant and secure data backup

• Robust data security protocols

• 24/7 system monitoring

Migrating PHP’s system to the cloud didn’t change the company’s processes at all which according to Fulton is a “big plus.”

The Implementation

During the migration, the Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP team worked closely with PHP, sharing best practices and industry knowledge to ensure the organization’s digital transformation journey would run smoothly. With the help of Aptean’s industry experts and implementation professionals, PHP was able to set realistic and comfortable timeframes for the implementation process and conducted routine testing to help ensure a smooth transition.

“Our main point of contact at Aptean did a tremendous job for us, staying in contact constantly. The entire project team also stayed in contact with us. During the testing phase, they answered all my questions; if I shot an e-mail or text, they would respond immediately,” said Fulton.

The smooth migration meant that no process adjustments were necessary and PHP was able to jump back to work immediately.

The Result

PHP is known for using a revolutionary installation method and exceptional service. As such the company requires a solution that can keep up with the increase in customer demands, as well as changes in market trends. The shift to cloud-based ERP supports the organization in this effort and paves the way for accelerated growth and enhanced scalability.

Not only are software updates regularly deployed to ensure clients can access important advanced features, but Aptean also prides itself on providing tight modern data security protocols to help ensure protection against data corruption and combat privacy leaks. Moreover, Aptean’s Technology Hub Team is responsible for maintaining and deploying updates to ensure that the SaaS environment is optimized, secured and running when customers need it the most.

All of this means that PHP is now able to say its business is not only scalable, but also future-proofed.

“It’s definitely worth the money, and I’d recommend moving to the cloud. Our system flows very smoothly, and Aptean is continually improving the solution and evolving it the right way,” Fulton noted.

There will be no expensive hardware to purchase, and no physical data centers required in the future, which will help reduce maintenance and replacement expenses. And the company’s cloud environment is also flexible and able to accommodate any changes in the number of users, system permissions or back-end options that may surface in the future as the organization continues to grow.

Ready to Future-Proof Your Business and Accelerate Growth?

As competition only becomes fiercer and business conditions remain volatile, future-proofing your business with a robust and innovative tech stack has never been more important.

Thankfully, Aptean has you covered. With a full suite of cloud software solutions, all backed by experienced in-house teams, we’re ready to help you unlock advanced security, increase scalability, enhance accessibility and proactively tackle changing circumstances. All of which means you can drive profitability and accelerate growth.

Plus, by choosing one technology partner for a variety of your business solutions you reap additional benefits to help you simplify vendor relationships and streamline system integrations. With decades of experience in your industry and a proven track record of helping customers overcome their challenges, we’re dedicated to being a by-your-side partner, not just a software supplier.

To get started on your digital transformation journey with advanced manufacturing software now, get in touch with one of our experts, or check out some of our solutions in more depth below.

• Discrete manufacturing enterprise resource planning (ERP)

• Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

• Electronic data interchange (EDI)

• Transportation management systems (TMS)