Cost estimating software, in a nutshell, helps your machine shop send out estimates or quotes that are consistent and have the right profit margin for your shop. Being able to do this with software makes your life, and the life of your estimator, much easier. Using cost estimating software in an ERP system can help…
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We’re going to continue to see the impact from COVID-19 for a long time. Your shop has probably already had to make changes, and you may have to make more. As long as you’re making changes in your shop, it may be time to think through some improvements you’ve been considering. These improvements can be…
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Having great customer relationships is always important. Change is constant, so it’s important for your customers to know that they can count on your shop. The two steps to making strong customer relationships are communicating and building trust. Communicate Changes At the beginning of the pandemic, you probably received many emails about what various companies…
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Manufacturers are familiar with OSHA guidelines. OSHA exists to keep shops and employees safe. Now that there’s a new problem, OSHA and the CDC have come out with guidelines for employers to follow. Not all of these guidelines apply to manufacturers and it can be hard to sift through all of the information to find…
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Whether your shop needs to hire more employees, or it’s reopening, you’ll want to prepare for some changes. The best way to make sure your employees succeed in their job is if they know what they need to do. You’ll need to teach new employees what your shop expects and returning employees might need a…
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You want every job that your shop ships out to be the best. However, that can be difficult unless your shop has quality software. Quality software makes it much easier to ensure that all pieces fit your shop’s standards, and track anything related to that goal. For these four shops, E2’s quality software was exactly…
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Depending on your location, it may be time to reopen your business. Reopening your shop probably feels like things are going back to normal. While some things will be familiar, other things in your shop will have to change. There are several principles that shop owners can apply. By keeping these things in mind, you…
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Everyone is looking for answers because this pandemic is uncharted territory. Decision Makers are doing their best with the information they have, but it’s hard to come up with the best solution if you don’t know the options. There are best practices for running a shop during the pandemic, and you can apply them to…
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The way you run your shop is only as good as the information you have. If you don’t know what jobs make money for your shop, then you can’t take more jobs like them. If the numbers you’re relying on are inaccurate, you won’t be able to run your shop as well as you’d like….
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Manufacturing is in the middle of a change. The Silver Tsunami has already begun as more and more Baby Boomers are retiring. Manufacturers are also dealing with the skills gap, where it’s difficult to get new employees with experience. Manufacturers are getting squeezed from both sides, so training has become even more important for new…
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Whatever else is going on in the world, people still need to buy certain things. For example, medical supplies are in high demand. People are doing their best to keep their everyday lives running as well. That means that even if your shop makes things that aren’t in high demand, there’s probably still a need…
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Many people end up managing a machine shop because they started it. When they started, their shop was small. However, as their shop grew, they hired more people until they were doing more managing than they were working the machines. For others, they came into a management position more directly. No matter how you got…
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No shop wants to have scrap material. It is possible to sell or recycle scrap, but it’s better not to have it in the first place. Reducing your shop’s scraps can raise your bottom line and improve the flow of work on your shop floor. Quality Control One of the easiest ways to reduce scrap…
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One of the most popular reasons to get ERP software is to have tracking software in the shop. Tracking software impacts many different areas of the shop, sometimes in unexpected ways. Good tracking software can improve estimating, deadlines, and the shop’s bottom line. Estimating A large part of estimating is the knowledge of how long…
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A job can’t run without materials. That necessity is part of why purchasing and ordering are so important, but they can have an even bigger impact on your shop. It’s critical your shop has a program for purchasing and ordering that can keep up. Otherwise, you could be spending too much money and sending out…
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As we welcome 2020, we also take one last look back at 2019. Below are our top 10 blog posts from last year. It looks like many people wanted to make their shops more efficient, figure out scheduling, and improve their shop overall. Then again, who wouldn’t? Let’s get started with the tenth most popular…
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Every journey starts with a single step. When you’re trying to improve your shop, it’s easier to start with small changes and goals. This is kaizen in a nutshell. Kaizen literally means “continual improvement”. When used at work, there are 5 key principles to kaizen: know your customer, let it flow, go to Gemba (or…
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Who would have thought that keeping old records would save the day? For Dan Rozwadowski at Eagle Grinding and Plating, those scanned-in records helped save a customer and get them more business. Sharing Knowledge Recently more and more Baby Boomers are retiring and they’re taking knowledge with them that was never written down. This is…
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Keeping employees around and working at the top of their game has always been important, but as more employees retire, it becomes more important to keep the younger ones around. Motivated employees stay longer with a company and work harder. So, the question becomes how to motivate your employees. There’s more than one answer to…
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These days there are more options than ever for customers of manufacturers. In order to bring in new customers, you have to make your shop stand out. Of course, you can improve your percentage of jobs delivered on time and lower your percentage of rework, but customers are looking for something a little more personal….
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As anyone who’s ever worked in a group knows, communication is key. It’s no good telling someone to use the press brake if they bend the material in the wrong place. It’s even worse if someone tells you there’s enough sheet metal for a job, but they were looking at the wrong numbers, and you…
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As it gets closer to the end of the year, accounting savvy manufacturers will be thinking about how to maximize their tax deduction under Section 179. Not accounting savvy? No problem. Section 179 is essentially part of tax law that allows manufacturers to write off their purchase price for qualifying equipment and/or software that they…
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Many people have the idea that manufacturing has left the US. While it is true that many plants have been moved offshore to other countries, manufacturing as a whole is still alive and well in the US. In fact, it’s getting stronger. Manufacturing is Getting Stronger Far from dying away, manufacturing in America is growing….
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Google isn’t just a way to answer your questions. It can also be a marketing tool for your job shop. Because Google is such a popular search engine and advertiser, it’s a great idea to take advantage of its tools. Using Google effectively makes it easier for customers to find your shop, and some of…
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No one is really ready when disaster hits their shop. However, the more you can prepare before a disaster hits, the better off you’ll be if one does happen. If you have a plan in place, then you don’t have to try to figure out what to do in the middle of a disaster. You…
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