notes that labor costs increased substantially, driving the company to balance compensation adjustments with productivity improvements and pricing discipline. The message is direct: in today’s environment, retaining quality employees requires competitive pay, but sustaining the business requires matching that investment with operational efficiency. Technology has become a major lever in that efficiency effort. Sapphire has implemented automation in parts of its plant where control systems can remove variability and improve repeatability. At the same time, leadership recognizes that advanced robotics in metal finishing still faces barriers in certain processes, particularly where movement complexity and visionbased handling are required.The company is pricing robotic solutions now, with the expectation that broader adoption will become more cost-effective as vision and AI-enabled robotics advance. Perhaps the most transformational operational step has been the implementation of an ERP system that has materially changed how the company works. Sapphire describes itself as virtually paperless, with one identifier sheet traveling with material while everything else is managed digitally through tablets used by employees throughout the plant.This system supports time tracking, process documentation, photo and video capture, and consistent work instructions that reduce reliance on tribal knowledge. For a process-driven manufacturing environment, this kind of documentation and repeatability is a competitive advantage, particularly as the business scales. The ERP platform used to enable this operational shift is Steelhead Technologies, which Sapphire credits as a strong partner in its transition to a modern, dataMORE SAVINGS MORE PROTECTION CHEMEON eTCP® POWDER CHEMEON.COM n 775.782.8324 CHEMEON eTCP® Powder offers cost-saving shipping, visual coating confirmation, and hex-free corrosion protection for aluminum and light metals. REACH, RoHS, WEEE and SVHC compliant n MIL-DTL-81706B and MIL-DTL-5541F 76 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 13, ISSUE 02
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