Key Benefits
- 50% Reduction in Financial Close Time
- Saved 40 Hours/Week of Data Entry & Spreadsheets
- Improved Profitability Tracking & Material Planning Visibility
- Scalable ERP Foundation
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CentraPac Solutions Group is a process manufacturer specializing in liquid and dry powder contract packaging services. They formulate, blend, fill, label, and ship a wide range of non-consumable products, including insecticides, pesticides, cleaners, and other specialty chemical products. As a growing co-packer, they needed a process manufacturing ERP capable of supporting every aspect of its operation.
Outgrowing Excel
Many of CentraPac’s core processes were being managed through a highly customized Excel-based system. While the spreadsheets had been carefully built to support the business, relying on manual processes and paper-based workflows made it increasingly difficult to scale operations efficiently.
As Patrick Karpen, the Owner, CEO & CFO of CentraPac, explains, “It took a lot of maintenance and paper to make that system work, so we were looking for something that offered more visibility, efficiency, more people having functionality with the system, and something that could handle the process manufacturing side of the business as well.”
Looking ahead, the company needed a process manufacturing ERP capable of supporting growth. He continues, “We’re looking to grow both organically and through acquisition down the road. We need a system that’s going to be able to grow with us under those two premises.”
Arris + Acumatica
CentraPac evaluated several partners before connecting with Arris Consulting. From the beginning, Arris stood out for their deep process manufacturing ERP expertise. Karpen says, “They were extremely responsive. They knew our industry well. They could speak the lingo. When we were demoing products with them, they knew what they were talking about.”
Arris recommended Acumatica as a strong fit. “We were specifically looking for something that could handle process manufacturing— bill of materials, formulas, things like that. We deal with powders, liquids, a lot of raw material ingredients. Being able to do conversions within those formulas, inventory, financials, those were the big things that we were looking for,” continues Karpen. For CentraPac, Acumatica represented more than a replacement for spreadsheets. It provided a scalable foundation for managing manufacturing operations, improving visibility, and supporting future growth.
Fast Tracked Success
Just as important, CentraPac needed a partner that could move quickly. Karpen states, “We had an aggressive timeline because the faster we’re off the Excel spreadsheet and having data visible to us, the better we can manage our business and go forward and grow.”
Implementing a modern process manufacturing ERP on an accelerated timeline required more than software expertise. “We were going from something really rudimentary to something pretty sophisticated in a quick amount of time, so we were really relying on them as a true partner to help us through that process. Their recommendations were rock solid,” says Karpen.
From Selection to Financials in 45 Days
CentraPac’s first goal was to have Acumatica financials live before year-end close. Working with Arris, the company completed that phase in approximately 45 days. Karpen reflects, “We were able to start the year going forward already having financials implemented, and then we’re working through the manufacturing and inventory side. So that made it great for us.”
He continues, “They did a great job getting us up to speed, not only implementing the data carried over but getting us trained up and moving on that side quickly.”
The rapid implementation delivered immediate results. Since going live, CentraPac has reduced its financial close process by approximately 50%, giving leadership faster access to critical financial information. “Everything is a lot quicker than it was before,” added Karpen.
Sustainable Adoption
The transition to Acumatica involved more than an implementation. It required helping employees adapt to new ways of working. “Arris ran training sessions for us, and then we also ran what’s called ‘Train-the-Trainer.’ We now have a super user that knows the system better than anyone else here,” explains Karpen.
By working closely with designated team members, Arris helped build in-house “super users” with expertise that could support ongoing training and user adoption. This approach created strong internal resources while continuing to maximize the value of Acumatica long after go-live.
He continues, “These guys care. Arris takes the time to come in on their own, talk to us, meet with us face-to-face, and make sure we’re happy, make sure they’re accommodating and meeting our needs, and that we’re using the system the way we should be.”
Better Visibility, Smarter Decisions
Since going live on Acumatica’s process manufacturing ERP, CentraPac gained real-time visibility into orders, inventory, production requirements, and profitability. With a centralized system, staff can quickly access the information they need, improving material planning and helping the company make faster, more informed decisions.
“Now there’s a central repository where everybody who’s a user can go in and look at what orders we’re looking at and what we have to fill,” says Karpen. “Comparing inventory and what we have on hand is a big one for us — the critical material planning.”
Acumatica has also provided deeper insight into costs and profitability, allowing CentraPac to evaluate jobs more effectively before committing resources. The company can now track labor, make more informed pricing decisions, and prioritize work based on both operational and financial considerations.
“Now we can look at job profitability and run profitability. We couldn’t do that before. We can get into a more granular level than we could ever previously,” praised Karpen.
40 Hours/Week Saved
Before Acumatica, nearly every operational process relied on paper forms, handwritten notes, and manual data entry. Production tickets, batch records, shipping paperwork, and inventory updates all required employees to transfer information between paper documents and spreadsheets. Karpen states, “Now, all that is either automatic or generated in the system. The amount of paper we’re generating is minimal.”
Rather than spending time maintaining spreadsheets and entering data, employees can focus on higher-value activities that support the company’s growth. “We have literally saved 40 hours a week minimum — a whole job,” says Karpen. “We’re able to redeploy a person where we need them.”
Empowering Employees
The transition to Acumatica has been embraced across the organization, with employees quickly recognizing the value of having greater access to information and tools to support their work. “The team was excited early on, and they’ve embraced it from the perspective of, ‘Wow, I like what this can do,’” says Karpen.
Rather than resisting change, users have actively sought new ways to leverage the system. Karpen adds, “People have smiles on their faces at the end of the day because they know they have what they need, and it’s making their job easier.”
Budget Confidence
Arris’ fixed-fee implementation gave CentraPac confidence from the start. Karpen explains, “I want fixed fee because, one, it holds them accountable, and two, I know what my real spend is going to be.” With a clearly defined budget, the company could move forward without the uncertainty that often comes with ERP projects.
The approach also reinforced trust between the two teams. Rather than losing unused implementation hours, CentraPac was able to apply that investment toward ongoing support, extending the value of the partnership beyond go-live.
“Jeff came back to us and said we still have time and dollars against this project, and they were able to roll that over into a support contract. He didn’t have to do that, and he did, so that to me is pretty impressive as well,” says Karpen.
Looking Ahead
With its core processes now running on Acumatica, CentraPac is planning the next phase. Future initiatives include automating productivity measurement across the production floor, giving the company greater insight into operational performance. As Karpen explains, “We’ll be able to track how we’re running against goals and measure our productivity and efficiency.”
Working alongside Arris, CentraPac continues to expand its use of Acumatica while pursuing new opportunities to improve productivity and efficiency. The ongoing partnership has been just as valuable as the implementation itself.
As Karpen reflects, “We feel so fortunate that we found them. I would wholeheartedly recommend Arris to anyone looking to implement an ERP system on the manufacturing side of the world. They know what they’re doing, they listen, and they can get it done.”