28 problems precision engineering firms bring us, each with the cause, what it costs and what we build to fix it.
CNC machining RFQs sit in the inbox for days because one estimator prices every drawing. We build an RFQ intake and quote drafting tool that uses your history.
Parts machined to a superseded drawing revision mean scrap, remakes and an unhappy customer. We build revision control that ties each job to the right issue.
Machine shops lose hours hunting mill certs for cert packs and audits. We build material traceability that links every bar and plate to its certificate and job.
First article inspection reports mean ballooning drawings and retyping measurements. We build FAI tooling that balloons, takes readings and builds the report.
CNC jobs quoted at one cycle time and run at another quietly lose money. We build job tracking that feeds actual spindle and setup times back into quoting.
CNC machine loading done on a whiteboard hides clashes until a job is late. We build a loading board that knows each machine's capability, setups and due dates.
Proven CNC programs edited at the control never make it back to the server. We build program control so repeat jobs start from the last good run.
Machine shops run out of inserts and end mills mid job while other tools gather dust. We build a tool crib and reorder system linked to what the schedule needs.
Subcontract machining call-off schedules change weekly and get missed in spreadsheets. We build a tool that reads each release and shows exactly what changed.
Machined parts away at platers, anodisers and heat treaters disappear from view until they are late. We build tracking for every outside process and return.
CNC in-process checks written on paper sheets are hard to read, easy to skip and hide drift. We build tablet check sheets that flag trends early.
Machine shops track gauge calibration in a spreadsheet nobody updates. We build a gauge register linking each gauge to its certificate and the jobs it checked.
Machine shops fall behind on rejections and 8D replies because the evidence is scattered. We build a complaints log that gathers it and drafts the response.
Subcontract engineering buyers ring daily for order updates because they cannot see progress. We build a customer order status view fed by the shop floor.
Customer free issue material gets mixed with your own stock and nobody can account for it. We build tracking for every free issue bar, casting and forging.
CNC machines sit idle for reasons nobody records: waiting for material, tools, first off approval. We build stoppage logging that shows where spindle time goes.
CNC setter skills live in the supervisor's head, so shifts are planned around guesses. We build a skills matrix linked to machines, jobs and training records.
Machine shop dispatch waits on hand typed C of Cs, labels and cert packs. We build dispatch paperwork generated from the job record, checked before it goes out.
Subcontract machining customers each run a supplier portal for orders, ASNs and invoices. We build one inbox that collects them and tracks each task.
Machine shops rarely know which part types, materials and customers they win quotes on. We build a quote register that shows win rate and loss reasons.
Machine shops quote lead times from habit, then miss them when the order lands. We build a capacity check that shows machine load before a date is promised.
CNC scrap and rework go in the bin without being counted, so causes repeat. We build scrap logging at the machine that costs each part and shows the pattern.
Paper route cards get lost, soaked in coolant or signed out of order, and the job record goes with them. We build digital route cards with operation sign off.
CNC daily checks on coolant, lubrication and air get skipped or ticked without looking. We build machine check lists on tablets that record readings and faults.
Machine shop fixtures and soft jaws get lost or reused, so repeat jobs start with a search. We build a fixture register linked to parts and locations.
Machine shops order bar one job at a time and cut it without a plan, wasting offcuts. We build material planning that groups orders and produces saw cut lists.
Precision engineering firms answer long supplier questionnaires from scratch each time. We build an answer library that drafts replies from your own evidence.
CNC drawing queries on tolerances and missing details get lost in email and parts are made on assumptions. We build a query log tied to jobs and drawings.