“Our ultimate goal is to simplify the manufacturing process for our customers, improving efficiency while increasing their bottom line.”Global Shop Solutions, Inc

“With our ERP software, designed for manufacturing, we help manufacturers grow and become more successful.” 

Global Shop Solutions was founded in the year 1976 in Houston, Texas USA. The company has strived to exceed customer’s expectations and listen to their needs. The company is a trusted partner and adviser to some of the most successful manufacturers around the world. These manufacturers trust Global Shop Solutions ERP software with its critical business functions including shop management, scheduling, CRM, inventory control, sales, accounting, quality, and more. 

The company is family owned with no debt and no external investors. They intend on staying family owned for decades to come to give their employees stability, security, and peace of mind.

Head to head with President & CEO: Dusty Alexander

Why was the company set up? How did you select ERP software and decide to be a part of the global platform?

My father, Dick Alexander, was working for the largest American tractor manufacturer in Iowa in the 1970’s as Controller. While working there, my dad knew technology and process could help companies manufacture parts more effectively. With this desire to help manufacturers in mind, Dick Alexander moved to the Houston, Texas area. “Everyone told my dad he was crazy but, that just inspired him more. He had a dream to build a business to solve manufacturers’ problems and 40 years later the business is stronger than ever.” Following the oil crunch in the late 1980’s, the company focused on diversifying its customer base. At present, the company’s ERP software is found in over 20 different industries and utilized in nearly 25 countries. We take great pride in our history and invite everyone to read about our accomplishments - http://www.globalshopsolutions.com/history.

Tell us about  something the company built that you are proud of?

It was a shop floor data collection program that allowed you to barcode or touch screen the real-time status of a job. The ability to view job data in real-time was fairly revolutionary at the time.

How successful was this product?

It changed manufacturing for our customers. They could now see how much time an employee or machine spent making parts. You can manage your business better when you know you are paying someone for 8 hours and they are spending 8 hours making parts. The product helped to identify direct time, indirect time, and red time to make your shop floor as efficient as possible. Recording the performance of every individual and machine on the shop floor is through our Shop Floor Data Collection and our Shop Floor Management product is crucial to the success of our thousands of customers around the globe.

What were the grounds on which you have expanded your company and its offerings over the years?

We focus on discrete manufacturers and have expanded quite far geographically. Our presence is across US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

What challenges did you face in your initial years?

Decades ago, competition was strong but many manufacturers were successful because they were the only people with a specific machine or knowledge. If you were the only person in the world making a specific part you weren’t necessarily pressing yourself to be better. Manufacturing has globalized and the stress is now on delivering a quality part on-time, every time which is at the core of Global Shop Solutions ERP software.

How big is your organization today?

The company is proud to have nearly 250 employees dedicated to one single product – our ERP software. We support our customers with offices in Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and our global headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. We are proud to promote that our software and service is Made in America. 100% of our programming is completed in our global headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas USA.

What advice would you give others who are looking to find themselves in today’s marketplace?

First, be honest with yourself and your customers. Business is still won and extended face to face – credibility and trust matters. Second, listen to your customers. They are the reason why your doors are open for business. Lastly, have fun and find your passion. Work is so much better if you love what you are doing. 

Do you have any new products ready to be/getting ready to be rolled out into the market?

We recently released a great, great product for our customers. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Dashboard allows a manufacturer to manage their business proactively. This product gives a customer 60 manufacturing specific KPIs including sales analysis, cost analysis by customer, cost analysis by product line, quality and rework, employee and work center productivity, on-time delivery, and inventory to name a few.

Global Shop Solutions Customer success story

Founded in 1969 Gemini Plastics is a family-owned custom injection molder of thermoplastics, specializing in make-to-order products for electronics, industrial and commercial markets. Located in Fallsington, Pennsylvania, their products include parts for the lighting and water pumping industries, as well as point-of-purchase display items for commercial retailers.

Prior to implementing Global Shop Solutions, Gemini managed production with an assortment of computer spreadsheets and manual processes. Looking to the future, company ownership saw the need for a more sophisticated process to manage production. “As the company continued to grow, we needed to get more organized. Global Shop Solutions had everything we were looking for in one integrated package.”- Bob Holbrook, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Gemini Plastics.

Since utilizing Global Shop Solutions Inventory software, inventory accuracy has improved dramatically. Once Gemini ships a product, they know exactly how much raw and packaging materials were used on the job, making it easy to maintain accurate perpetual inventories. Track and managing inventory is now simple. When customers call to inquire about their status order, Gemini workers can instantly see how many parts are in inventory, when they were made and whether more are scheduled for production.

Meet the Company

In 1976, Dick Alexander launched Global Shop Solutions as an ERP solution for manufacturers in the oil industry. Since then, the next generation of Alexanders has taken leadership of the company, expanding its software to thousands of facilities in nearly25 countries around the world supported by close to 250 employees in 7 global offices.

Today, Global Shop Solutions is led by Dick’s son, Dusty Alexander, who adds his own manufacturing background to the leadership of Global Shop Solutions. With comprehensive training solutions and a commitment to exceptional service, Global Shop Solutions has become one of the most trusted ERP software companies for the manufacturing industry.

"Our seamless integration with CAD and other engineering programs allows data to flow into your ERP software from the initial stages of a project all the way to delivery."