by High-quality custom furniture manufacturer Carolina Custom Leather is implementing an advanced production management solution in its Conover, NC facility. The new system collects data on all production activities immediately as they occur and provides real-time performance, production flow, and order status feedback to management and production associates.
GREENVILLE, SC, December 7, 2021 — IPE and TexTempo, experts in real-time production management, order tracking, time/attendance/payroll, and quality control solutions for fashion, furniture, and industrial textiles product manufacturers, announce that Carolina Custom Leather (CCL) is implementing the IP-Realtime™ Shop Floor Control (SFC) solution to gain real-time visibility into production performance and order status at its Conover, NC furniture factory.
CCL Vice President Tanner Stroud explains, “We have experienced tremendous growth during the pandemic, with sales doubling in 2020. Coupled with the fact that virtually everything we do is a custom order from more than five hundred available leather and fabric covers, this growth made it extremely difficult to keep up with production details and order status using traditionally manual production management methods. We recognized that we needed a digital solution to stay continuously informed and take the actions necessary to ensure optimal productivity and flow. After evaluating several systems, IPE stood out to us due to its user-friendly operation and the real-time presentation of up-to-the-minute information. Seeing everything about our operation in real-time will free up considerable time that we currently spend manually walking the floor to determine the status of customer orders. We have come to realize that the more and timelier information we have – the better.”
“Another key factor in our decision was IPE’s ability to integrate with our existing QuickBooks order, invoicing, and financial management software,” continued Stroud. “Other systems we looked at did not offer this integration and would have required us to change multiple systems and processes. With IPE, we can keep the systems that are working while streamlining the processes around them. We also look forward to using the new system to monitor time spent on each piece, which will allow us to more accurately price our products, balance production flow, and avoid production bottlenecks.”
IP-Realtime leverages off-the-shelf Android tablets that production associates use to scan work as it progresses through cutting, upholstery, inspection, and other production steps. All data is collected and automatically processed immediately as activities occur to provide managers and production associates with actionable, real-time information that drives better, more timely decisions.
“We applaud CCL for recognizing the need and embracing the technology required to meet the challenges facing today’s furniture manufacturers,” noted TexTempo Senior Vice President & Co-Founder Greg Hathcox. “Their forward-thinking approach sets an example that many other and larger furniture firms can benefit from as they address the growing demand for customization, speed, agility, visibility, service, and more.”
