Metalworking Device Manufacturer Eliminates Stockouts After 2-Month ERP Rollout

AirWeights, a Colorado-based manufacturer of vacuum workholding systems, went live with ERP software in just two months. “We went from constantly catching up and having to advertise lead times to our customers, to being in stock,” says Jace Dispenza, Founder of AirWeights. 

A product built to solve real manufacturing challenges

AirWeights is a modular vacuum workholding system for CNC machines that uses vacuum pressure instead of screws or clamps. With a background in mechanical engineering and mechanical design consulting, Founder Jace Dispenza started developing AirWeights as a side project in August 2023.

AirWeights quickly grew in popularity, and so Jace started to work full-time on the business. The company’s main customers are other small manufacturers that use CNC machines to make products like coasters, signs, and cutting boards. Because Jace is a small manufacturer himself, he has a direct understanding of the challenges his customers face, which he says is one of the main reasons for his success.

“I’m my own customer,” Jace says. “That’s largely why I think my business has been successful. I’m heavily invested and interested in the market that I’m serving.”

Strong demand required better systems 

AirWeights saw a lot of demand right out of the gate, and Jace quickly realized that their way of managing production wasn’t going to be enough. 

“Demand was starting to outpace what we could keep up with,” he explains. “While we could figure out ways to plan production, it became very cumbersome to understand material requirements, and we started to run out of the stock we needed to complete orders. Everything was managed with spreadsheets, very chaotically. We had really challenging manual processes.” 

Jace knew that the solution was to implement some kind of ERP software, so he started looking at different systems. Some of the options he explored were inventory tracking systems with limited manufacturing capabilities. Others were enterprise-level solutions that had impressive manufacturing features, but the price tag was not feasible for small manufacturers.

Powerful features at an affordable price point

When Jace finally came across MRPeasy, he quickly realized it was the only software that had what they needed – powerful features made for manufacturing, at a price point he could afford. Reading positive feedback from other small manufacturers and testing the software through a free trial helped Jace confirm that MRPeasy was the best fit.

“I was searching around online and looking at different tools,” Jace recalls. “Quite frankly, there was a pretty big gap between MRPeasy and the next available ERP tool specific to manufacturers. MRPeasy really stood out to me. After a free trial, it became clear pretty quickly it was the right fit.”

It took just two months for Jace to get up and running with MRPeasy. In January of 2025, he started testing the software, entering sample data, and putting through initial test orders, and by March, he was using the system to manage production. MRPeasy’s customer success team played an important role in helping Jace implement the software so quickly. 

“We had great support from MRPeasy staff, who helped with onboarding and showed us the ropes,” Jace explains. “They also clearly defined what the capabilities and limitations were at different price tiers.”

Getting employees to adopt the new system was also smooth, mainly due to the fact that it was immediately apparent how much more efficient the new system was. 

“Any new tool can be a little bit jarring,” Jace says. “But there wasn’t much resistance to the new system, because employees quickly saw its value and how it made their life easier.” 

Gaining control over materials and production

For Jace and his team, the new system quickly brought a new level of clarity and control to their everyday operations.

“We really needed explicit BOMs and the ability to schedule production to keep up with demand. MRPeasy provided exactly that. We now know exactly what our material requirements are per order, and we’re able to forecast and plan leveraging integrations like Microsoft Power BI.”

As a result of having a clear overview of what was needed and when, AirWeights has been able to improve stock availability and reduce customer lead times.

“The complexities of manufacturing were simplified to a point where we always knew what we needed and by when,” Jace says. “We went from constantly catching up and having to estimate lead times to our customers to being in stock.” 

MRPeasy has also given the company a better understanding of production costs, including material costs and cost of goods sold.

“We understand our costs really clearly,” Jace says. “For example, we can see what it costs to bring material into the building and how the cost of goods sold fluctuates for a given period. That is a really important thing for us.”

Freeing up time for higher-value work

With their old system, Jace and his team spent a lot of time on repetitive, administrative tasks that added little value but took up a lot of time. However, after implementing ERP software, many of these manual processes have been automated. One standout example is MRPeasy’s integration with Shopify. 

“When we receive an order, it’s automatically imported from Shopify to MRPeasy,” Jace explains. “If the inventory is available, the system books it, and an order can automatically go from ‘being placed’ to ‘ready to ship’ in a matter of moments, because the integration is so seamless.”

By removing time-consuming administrative work, Jace has been able to free up his employees to focus on higher-value tasks, which has enormous benefits for the business. 

“This integration does so many things that we used to do manually. It just takes off so much of the burden,” Jace stresses. “For me, as a business owner, this is really important. I want the people that I’m paying to be doing high-value tasks, not remedial stuff.”

More visibility means less stress

Better production planning has removed a lot of stress for Jace and his team. With a clearer overview of materials and timing, they can plan production with confidence instead of constantly worrying whether key components will be available when needed.

“Eliminating stress is a big benefit,” Jace emphasizes. “Because we have MRPeasy, we don’t need to stress out about individual components or whether production will be completed on time.”

A solution built to support business growth

While he’s satisfied with their current setup, Jace recognizes there are functionalities available in MRPeasy’s higher-tier plans that could be beneficial in the future. One capability that stands out is full API access, which comes with MRPeasy’s unlimited plan. For Jace, this feature would allow for tailored integrations and customizations that fit with his specific workflows. 

“There are customizations we would love to make that are specific to our use case,” Jace says. “It would make some of the integrations more seamless, and if we had those customizations, I think it would save even more time than we’re saving now.”

Advice to other small manufacturers

Jace knew that he needed software like MRPeasy to manage his production, but he realizes that not all business owners have the same willingness to adopt new systems. According to Jace, one of the biggest reasons many small manufacturers are hesitant to try ERP systems is the perceived cost. In his view though, MRPeasy eliminates this concern by offering powerful functionalities at an affordable price point.

“When you’re a small business, getting started with an ERP system may feel overwhelming,” Jace explains. “I think the biggest hurdle is cost. But with MRPeasy, the fact that you can get a plan for $49 per user per month is pretty hard to beat for the level of capability that’s available.”

When asked what he would say to other small manufacturers struggling with manual processes or outdated systems, Jace puts it simply: “I would tell them there’s an easier way. There’s a way that’s much more systematic. It will give you a clearer picture of your business, save you a ton of time and help you serve customers better.”

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