Customer Spotlight: Rottler Manufacturing
When ERP Customization Concerns Sparked a Search for a New System
Founded in 1923, Rottler Manufacturing is a third-generation, family-owned company known for building high-quality CNC machines for the automotive, performance racing, and mining industries. With machines still operating from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s—and a customer base that spans from small machine shops to Caterpillar dealers—Rottler’s operations demand both long-term reliability and operational flexibility.
As the company continued to grow, Rottler began questioning whether their existing ERP system could scale and adapt to their evolving needs. There was a concern that Rover might not be customizable enough to support increasing complexity, future initiatives, and continued growth. Based on that assumption, Rottler proceeded down a familiar path for many manufacturers: evaluating and planning for a new ERP system.
That search ultimately led them to Microsoft Dynamics, where licenses were purchased and implementation planning began. However, as Rottler took a closer look at their actual requirements, it became clear that Dynamics would not meet their expectations without significant customization, added cost, and operational compromise. Core workflows and industry-specific processes would need to be reworked to fit the system—introducing complexity rather than enabling growth.
As Rottler re-engaged with the Rover and Zumasys teams, the assumption that Rover couldn’t evolve alongside the business was put to the test.
Balancing Legacy, Growth, and Modern Operations
Rottler designs and manufactures 20–25 CNC machine models that support a wide range of functions, including porting, honing, surfacing, and seat-and-guide machining. Their EM100 series supports large engine blocks used in mining equipment, serving customers ranging from small machine shops to large Caterpillar dealers.
Despite the technical complexity of their products, Rottler has maintained a close-knit culture that values employees and long-term relationships. Monthly employee lunches, birthday celebrations, and a strong sense of ownership reflect a company that balances tradition with forward-thinking innovation.
That balance also shaped how they approached technology decisions.
Evaluating an ERP Change
Before Supply Chain Manager, Materials Manager, and IT lead Khalid Saeed joined Rottler, the company had already begun pursuing a Microsoft Dynamics ERP implementation. Licenses had been purchased, planning had started, and significant costs had already been committed.Khalid brought extensive ERP experience to Rottler, including nearly 15 years at Ingersoll Rand, where he served as an ERP implementation transition lead for Oracle across North America and Europe. With that background, he took a step back to evaluate whether switching ERPs was truly the best path forward.
At the same time, Khalid began re-evaluating Rover following its acquisition by Zumasys—looking not only at the software, but at the team, roadmap, and ability to address Rottler’s specific operational needs.
Why Rottler Stayed with Rover
After working closely with the Zumasys team, Rottler made a decisive move: they scrapped the Microsoft Dynamics project entirely, despite more than $60,000 already invested.
The decision came down to confidence in the partnership.
Rather than forcing Rottler to adapt its processes to rigid ERP workflows, Rover was customized to support how Rottler actually operates. Pain points were addressed directly, product enhancements were delivered, and the system evolved alongside the business.
As Khalid explained, Rover became a system that works for the business—not the other way around.
Operational Improvements Across the Business
Since committing fully to Rover, Rottler has seen improvements across nearly every department:
- Streamlined operations across purchasing, production execution, warehousing, and sales order entry
- Enhanced reporting through Rover BI dashboards, giving teams real-time visibility without manual report building
- Accounting efficiency, including a restructured general ledger and the elimination of manual GL entries
- Dramatically faster month-end close, reduced from several days (and sometimes a full week) to just 15–20 minutes
These changes not only improved efficiency but reduced friction for users across the organization.
Continuous Improvement Through Partnership
Rottler’s ERP journey didn’t stop at implementation. Over the past two years, Rover and Zumasys have continued to deliver enhancements aligned with Rottler’s growth plans, including:
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A new warranty management function
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Mobile warehouse devices and applications enabling real-time receiving without paperwork
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A coding and estimation system for the sales team, fully integrated into Rover to reduce errors and eliminate disconnected quoting tools
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A customer portal that will allow customers to pay invoices, view completed work, and order consumables online