Jeep Conversion Solutions Manufacturer Gains Control over 5,000 SKUs 

After nearly 60 years of operations, Utah-based Jeep conversion solutions manufacturer Novak Conversions needed a system that could match the scale and complexity of its growing manufacturing operations. “I compared MRPeasy to many other systems, and it really stood out,” says Eric Forsberg, Director. “It was a revelation to me.”

A legacy built on a love for Jeeps

Based in Logan, Utah, Novak Conversions is a manufacturer of Jeep engine and transmission swap kits, adapters, and turnkey powertrains. Founded in 1967 by Lloyd Novak, the company began as a small garage shop selling adapters to fellow Jeep enthusiasts, gradually expanding into a sizable mail-order operation. 

By the time Lloyd passed away in 1998, Novak Conversions had set the gold standard for Jeep expertise in the automotive industry. A few years later, Eric Forsberg, who had been a customer at one point, decided to purchase the company and modernize it to bring Lloyd’s legacy into the 21st century. Today, Novak Conversions is run by more than 20 technicians, machinists, and designers, united above all by a lifelong passion for Jeep automobiles.

Finding a small business solution to manage increasing complexity

Moving into the 2020s, the company had reached a level where manufacturing operations management had grown too complex to handle in spreadsheets. The company implemented a manufacturing software solution but it proved insufficient for their needs. After trying to reconfigure the existing system, the team decided they needed something different. Having come across MRPeasy during their previous software evaluation, they decided to finally test it and found it to fit their needs exactly.

“I compared MRPeasy to many other systems, and it really stood out,” Forsberg says. “It was a revelation to me.”

Before deciding on MRPeasy, Forsberg had also considered NetSuite, which provided a stark contrast to the small-manufacturing-oriented MRPeasy.

“NetSuite had a 700-page user manual – it felt like it could take forever to master it,” he says. “I think a smaller software vendor is more likely to understand the needs of small manufacturers.”

Implementation took just a few months

The team started testing and implementing the new system in late 2022 and went live in January 2023. According to Austin Twede, R&D Engineer, the software setup was a smooth process, with any small issues resolved quickly with the help of MRPeasy’s support team.

“We found that we needed a better system to sell directly to customers, especially when people call in, so we used the MRPeasy API to integrate our custom sales software into the infrastructure,” Twede says.

Getting total control over inventory, production, and costs

After two years of use, Novak Conversion has its entire 5,000-item inventory and manufacturing process running on MRPeasy. All the products start as bills of materials, production steps are accounted for in the routings, and all production orders are meticulously tracked. Purchase orders are informed by accurate data and as soon as items arrive in the facility, the system assigns them lot or serial numbers, enabling the team to know exactly where components are and which products they were used in.

“Our inventory and production management have improved a lot after adopting MRPeasy,” Davis Edwards, General Manager, says.

In addition to inventory movements and order statuses, the new system also tracks component prices and production costs in real time. As a result, the company can ensure its products are priced appropriately and the business remains profitable.

“This cost tracking is highly beneficial to us,” Edwards states.

Improved internal processes have also led to greater customer satisfaction, as the system has helped reduce backorders and stockouts.

“Since implementing MRPeasy, customers receive their orders much quicker,” Edwards says.

When should a manufacturer consider manufacturing software?

To other small manufacturers struggling with operations management headaches and unwieldy spreadsheets, the Novak Conversions crew wholeheartedly recommends MRPeasy.

Edwards puts it this way: “If you have 5 or 6 items that you sell, spreadsheets are probably sufficient. But if you work with hundreds or thousands of items, MRPeasy just makes sense.” 

Forsberg agrees, adding, “Even if you have 3 or 4 employees, I think you should consider MRPeasy. Because it’s so affordable and it scales well, it makes your life easier in the long run. Implementing software in a company with 3 employees is substantially less complicated than in one with 30 employees.”

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