Customer Story
How Big River Rubber & Gasket captured 20%+ more sales with 10X ERP
After a difficult ERP transition left Big River Rubber & Gasket with unreliable inventory, duplicated orders, and inaccurate reporting, the company turned to 10X ERP to restore operational confidence, support complex fabrication, and improve service across the business.
Increase in sales captured and reported
From contract to Launch on 10X ERP
The previous ERP took 18 to 24 months to implement.
Active item numbers managed
Results are specific to Big River Rubber & Gasket and will vary by business.
Story at a glance
Company facts
- Company
- Big River Rubber & Gasket
- Headquarters
- Owensboro, Kentucky
- Industry
- Industrial distribution and custom fabrication
- Products
- Rubber, hose, belting, gasket, conveyor and safety products
- Catalog
- 36,000+ active item numbers
- Sales team
- 6 outside sales representatives
- Previous ERP
- A legacy rubber products system (30+ years), then its Windows successor
- Found 10X ERP through
- A peer referral in the RAGCO buying group
- Implementation
- 5 months from contract to Launch
The challenge
- Duplicated orders and unreliable inventory information
- No dependable workflow for building and costing custom gaskets
- Sales and cost reports that produced conflicting results
The results
- Sales reported 20%+ above the prior average two months after Launch
- Launched in 5 months, versus 18 to 24 months for the previous ERP
- Fewer duplicate orders and more dependable customer invoicing
- Real-time visibility across orders, inventory, purchasing, and customer accounts
- More work completed without replacing every vacant position
10X saved us.
01Overview
Company overview
Big River Rubber & Gasket is a specialized industrial distributor and custom fabricator headquartered in Owensboro, Kentucky. The company supplies rubber, hose, belting, gasket, conveyor, safety, and related industrial products, with capabilities ranging from stocked components to highly customized fabrication.
Big River differentiates itself through responsive customer service, extensive product knowledge, and an experienced team. Supporting that service requires the company to manage more than 36,000 active item numbers, custom fabrication, consignment locations, Vendor Managed Inventory programs, and orders received by phone, email, website, and six outside sales representatives. The company needed an ERP capable of accurately reflecting how its operation works.
02The challenge
The previous ERP could not support operational complexity
After using a legacy rubber products system for more than three decades, Big River moved to the Windows successor product. The company expected an easier transition because the systems were related. Instead, the implementation took approximately 18 to 24 months, followed by months of operational disruption once the new system was live.
The road to 10X ERP
Previous ERP
- 30+ yearsLegacy rubber products system
- 18 to 24 monthsImplementing the Windows successor
Expected to be easier because the systems were related.
- Once liveMonths of operational disruption
10X ERP
- The switchPeer referral through the RAGCO buying group
Visited member companies and saw 10X ERP in operation.
- 5 monthsContract to Launch on 10X ERP
Versus 18 to 24 months for the previous ERP.
- Two months after LaunchSales 20%+ above the prior average
Big River is not a traditional catalog distributor. Custom fabrication is central to its operation, requiring the company to manage bills of materials, custom products, and units of measure such as square inches and linear feet. The previous ERP could not consistently support those requirements or provide reporting the team trusted.
Key operational challenges included:
- Duplicated orders and unreliable inventory information
- No dependable workflow for building and costing custom gaskets
- Material quantities that did not update accurately during fabrication
- Sales and cost reports that produced conflicting results
- Periods when customer invoices and supplier payments could not be processed
- Purchasing signals that failed to identify replenishment needs
- Limited visibility into true product cost and profitability
- Consignment inventory that could not be configured successfully
03The solution
An ERP built for specialized distributors
Big River was introduced to 10X ERP through a peer referral within the RAGCO buying group. After visiting other member companies and seeing the platform in operation, the team gained confidence that 10X could support the workflows its business required.
The Big River team entered the evaluation knowing exactly where the previous system had failed. 10X answered those questions with working solutions for custom units of measure, fabrication, reporting, inventory, and purchasing, while demonstrating the product knowledge and engagement the team wanted from a long-term ERP partner.
What Big River runs on
With 10X ERP, Big River gained:
- Custom units of measure for square inches, linear feet, and other specialized products
- Fabrication and bill-of-material workflows for custom gasket production
- Accurate sales, cost, and margin reporting
- Real-time inventory, order, purchasing, and account visibility
- Centralized operational data available from one screen
- Operational dashboards for faster decision-making
- Mobile access for outside sales representatives
- Built-in documentation, AI assistance, and in-system access to support
- Configurable picking and quality control workflows
- A foundation for expanding Vendor Managed Inventory
With 10X, someone can bring me a problem, whether I have dealt with it before or not, and I feel confident that I can figure it out before they leave. You cannot do that with a lot of systems.
04The results
Reliable data, faster decisions, and renewed confidence
Accurate reporting revealed the true level of sales activity.
After two full months on 10X ERP, Big River reported sales running approximately 20% to 25% above its prior average. The team believes the difference reflects both business performance and sales activity that is now being recorded and reported correctly.
More reliable orders improved the customer experience.
Accurate order processing reduced duplicate orders, while dependable invoicing helped restore the service experience Big River is known for. Customers began telling the team that things were getting better and work was being completed again.
Employees accomplished more with a leaner team.
Employees can quote orders, check inventory, trace purchasing activity, and review order status without navigating disconnected tools. Big River is completing more work without replacing every position that became vacant.
Mobile access made outside sales more proactive.
Outside sales representatives now use tablets to review open orders, monitor account activity, and enter orders in the field. Real-time dashboards help them act before month-end rather than waiting to investigate missed billing or shipment activity.
An intuitive platform strengthened employee confidence.
Built-in documentation, AI assistance, dashboards, and direct access to the 10X team help employees resolve questions quickly. The platform is easier to understand and has been embraced across the organization.
Results are specific to Big River Rubber & Gasket and will vary by business.
Because of 10X, our customers are seeing better invoicing, fewer duplicate orders, and they are a lot happier.
05Before and after
Before and after 10X ERP
| Before 10X ERP | After 10X ERP |
|---|---|
| Fabrication workflows could not support Big River’s requirements | Fabrication and bill-of-material tools support custom production |
| Custom units of measure were difficult to manage | Flexible units of measure connect square inches, linear feet, and full-sheet inventory |
| Duplicated orders and unreliable inventory data | Centralized order and inventory information employees can trust |
| Conflicting sales, cost, and margin reports | Real-time reporting provides clearer sales, cost, and profitability insight |
| Invoicing, purchasing, and supplier payments were disrupted | Connected transactions support dependable billing, purchasing, and replenishment |
| Employees spent time investigating and correcting system problems | Intuitive workflows, documentation, and AI assistance speed problem resolution |
| Outside sales lacked current order and account visibility | Tablet access gives representatives real-time information in the field |
Compared with our previous conversion, implementing 10X was completely different. I kept wondering, ‘Should I be doing something?’ because the 10X team was handling it.
06What’s next
Built to support what comes next
Big River is continuing to expand its use of 10X ERP. The company is configuring Vendor Managed Inventory for additional customer accounts and completing the labeling needed to support the program. It has also begun using picking and quality control tools adapted to its workflow so the team can see who has each ticket and when an order is ready for inspection.
The team is also exploring new AI capabilities at a measured pace, beginning with read-only functionality before moving toward workflows that can use PDF documents to initiate system transactions. With accurate information, more efficient workflows, and better visibility for office and field employees, Big River is positioned to strengthen customer service and continue growing without adding unnecessary operational complexity.
- In progress
Vendor Managed Inventory for additional customer accounts
Completing the labeling needed to support the program.
- Rolling out
Picking and quality control tools
Adapted to its workflow, so the team can see who has each ticket and when an order is ready for inspection.
- Exploring
New AI capabilities, at a measured pace
FirstRead-only functionalityThenPDF documents that initiate system transactions
I could not wait to get home and start using the 10X system. It is so exciting, and I am still excited to see where this company is going.
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