Rootstock announced that Structural Technologies has completed the first phase of implementing Rootstock ERP as part of its 2030 Vision strategy. The project is the latest phase the firm has embarked on, which also includes implementing Workday across roughly 3,500 employees.
Structural Technologies is modernising its technology stack; it has already invested in Salesforce and Workday and wanted to update its ERP solution for its manufacturing operations. The decision was obvious: Rootstock is built on the Salesforce platform and has a certified integration with Workday.
While other systems might integrate with Salesforce, the benefits of a system on the same platform were obvious. No other ERP systems were considered seriously, once Rootstock was identified as the obvious choice.
Rootstock also proved that it would be able to integrate with Structural Technologies’ homegrown engineering system. That integration eliminates manual work that was a necessity with the previous ERP solution. The linkage between the two systems gives Structural Technologies better visibility across the whole production process.
It is now able to monitor inventory management better, plan better and make decisions faster using data that is up to date.
Matt Young, CIO of Structural Group, explained, “Our previous ERP was over three decades old and simply couldn’t support the complexity and scale of our current manufacturing needs. Rootstock was chosen for its comprehensive set of capabilities and seamless collaboration with Salesforce Sales Cloud, which we’ve used for years.
“Rootstock also has a certified Workday integration, which we will leverage as we deploy Workday Financial Management to unify our solutions, ensuring smooth data flow and enhanced efficiency.”
Implementing Rootstock
Rootstock Professional Services conducted the implementation. With a phased approach to the overall project, Structural Technologies is switching out elements of the architecture by taking advantage of the integration capabilities of the Salesforce platform.
Rootstock ERP replaced the purchasing and inventory components of COINS (Construction Industry Solutions), while COINS is still used for finance. Rootstock also replaced manual processes across sales and manufacturing operations, enabling a more modern and integrated operation.
Integrations were the biggest challenge during deployment, not only with the legacy ERP solution but also with the engineering system. Rootstock collaborated closely with the project team, assisting with the change management where needed, of deeply embedded internal processes. Rootstock delivered on-site “hyper-care” and used iterative problem-solving techniques to overcome the challenges.
Strong internal commitment and a very hands-on approach supported change management, which Rootstock supported closely with training and collaboration. Structural Technologies did not, however, retain all embedded processes, with Rootstock helping to make several changes, including:
- Modernised manual systems using Rootstock ERP’s automated capabilities.
- Added labour tracking to improve cost accuracy.
- Achieved better accuracy in inventory forecasting.
- Began with single-operation work orders, with phase two expanding to multi-operation and real-time labour capture.
Another major challenge, firms often face with implementations is data migration. Rootstock revealed that ”Master data migration was accomplished using tools natively available on the Salesforce Platform. Engineering data for specific item types was migrated via PLM integration.”
The system is now live and uses work orders. These enable the company to calculate labour and material costs more precisely. Overall, despite these challenges, the project only took six and a half months to complete.
Young added, “The Rootstock implementation went remarkably well. From the outset, their team took a deep dive into our business challenges, ensuring the ERP was tailored to fit our needs. The go-live was seamless—exactly the kind of smooth transition every company hopes for.
“Together, we kept our teams engaged and tackled technical challenges head-on. Rootstock’s expertise, responsiveness, and collaborative approach kept this project on track, and we’re excited to build on this strong foundation in the next phase.”
The benefits
It is still early days for the project, and Rootstock was unable to provide quantitative metrics. This is partly because the transformation is continuing with the integration of Workday and Rootstock, where Workday will provide the finance element, replacing COINS.
However, Structural Technologies has reported the following benefits already:
- Eliminated manual processes (Excel and paper).
- Gained real-time visibility across operations, helping to improve pricing, margins and planning.
- By digitally capturing work orders and labour, they’ve enhanced the accuracy of the cost of goods sold (COGS).
- Enabled real-time forecasting and reporting.
Looking forward to Rootstock and Workday
The next phase of the project involves integrating Rootstock ERP and Workforce Financial Management. Once completed, Structural Technologies will gain deeper financial insights and even greater efficiencies.
It also plans to expand work order capabilities, enhance overhead cost tracking, and further automate manufacturing processes. In addition, it plans to roll out MRP to further enhance its planning capabilities.
Rick Berger, CEO of Rootstock Software, commented, “Structural Technologies’ successful go-live is a testament to how a well-executed ERP implementation can modernize manufacturing operations without major disruption. Their ability to transition from a decades-old system to a cloud-first ERP—without missing a beat—demonstrates both the strength of our technology and the dedication of their team.
“Structural Technologies took a strategic, forward-thinking approach, building a technology stack that aligns with both their current and future needs. With this foundation in place, they are well-positioned to scale, automate, and drive efficiency across their product lines. We’re honored to support their ongoing transformation and look forward to the next phase of our partnership.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
This is a significant implementation for Rootstock. It also sees it combine again with Salesforce and Workday, which could open many other doors for the company. Salesforce already has a significant presence in the Manufacturing sector, and Workday, in combination with Rootstock, can provide a complete ERP solution for larger enterprises.
It will be very interesting to see a full case study of the Structural Technologies Vision 2030. It seems ambitious, but it is being approached systematically without the risk of a big bang replacement. It is a complex project where they appear to have clear definitions of the steps they intend to take to achieve that vision.
This is both sensible and should minimise the risks taken during the process. It will likely take up a lot of internal resources to complete, but it appears that they have the latitude to allocate this.
In the longer term, it should carry another benefit, and that is cultural. Over time, the organisation will become experienced at change management, and it should become embedded within the organisation, enabling it to continue with transformation as new technologies emerge that deliver benefits.
Historically, manufacturing firms implemented ERP solutions and often just left them, without reinvesting. With modern SaaS solutions, it would be remiss of any organisation to ignore the new features that are rolled out frequently, but do not have the same upgrade issues that legacy systems had.
