If your shop is having scheduling problems, it’s common to assume that they are because of the scheduling department. That may be true sometimes, but there are many other reasons your scheduling department may be having trouble. Those reasons might come from different departments in your shop. Below are the four most common sources of concern for your scheduling department from other areas. Purchasing Sometimes, scheduling problems can come from purchasing….
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When you boil it down to essentials, a successful job shop sends out its jobs on time and makes money on every job. Getting to this point can be difficult, especially if your shop uses paper to track everything. It’s hard to know if you made money on a job if you don’t know how…
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On the surface, low volume, low-value RFQs from unfamiliar customers may seem like a waste of time for your machine shop. They’re too small to bring in as much profit as larger orders, and you don’t want to take time to figure out a quote for a new job. However, these jobs can be a…
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The Human Resources department in a job shop can often be overlooked. However, with all of the changes that 2020 has brought, it’s become more important than ever to handle employee changes smoothly and understand what employees are thinking about their jobs. If you want to keep your employees, get great new employees, and improve…
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In the US, most high school students are told they need to go to college to get a good career, but that isn’t always true. Trade school is an excellent way for students to begin a great career in manufacturing. A manufacturing career can take a person up the corporate ladder, let them grow their…
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If you haven’t yet reached the deduction limit for section 179, there are less than two months to make your purchases. You don’t want to leave money on the table. There have been a few changes to this section of tax law for 2020 to continue to help businesses. This article gives a quick overview…
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Safety is crucial in a machine shop. No one wants any injuries in the shop. Injured workers can also cost the shop money and time. Injured workers will have medical costs and admin costs for the shop to process the necessary paperwork. If an employee needs to take time off because of an injury, then…
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With social distancing in effect and travel cut down, more and more people are turning online to find what they need. That includes manufacturing customers. If you have a website, you may not have had many visitors to it before, but that has likely changed. Your shop’s website can be a way to convince people…
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When your shop is trying to hire qualified candidates that are also good employees, apprenticeships can be invaluable. In a recent survey done by Thomas, they found that shops with apprenticeship programs were less impacted by the lack of skilled labor. In addition, in companies they surveyed, more than half of their apprenticeship programs were…
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2020 has hit hard. As manufacturers reopen and continue to find ways to keep their employees safe and their machines running, efficiency and improvements become even more important. Technology can help any job shop become more efficient and keep it running. Below are three ways ERP software can assist a shop post-lockdown to run even…
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When your job shop is looking for potential employees, it can be hard to know what to tell people about your shop. Do you focus on the industries you work in? How many new machines you have? The answer, as it turns out, is at a more basic level than that. Industry Week did a…
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No one wants a crisis to happen. However, preparing for a crisis instead of ignoring the possibility can save your shop money. Preparing plans for various crises takes time, but it’s worth it in the time and money those plans will save you when a crisis happens. As 2020 has shown us, huge problems can…
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When choosing ERP software, it’s important to consider support. Most vendors will have phone lines available for support, but there are times when different methods are better. Sometimes it’s best to make answering your question a group effort. Shoptech’s E2 Customer Community truly is a community of Shoptech customers that allows them to come together…
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This has been a tough year for everyone, and that provides more opportunities for difficulties to crop up at work. Some people are having new or stronger mental health issues, while others are just doing their best to make it through a pandemic. Whatever the reason, there are more circumstances that could mean you need…
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Every year, the first Friday of October is MFG Day. MFG Day is a time for shops to show off what they can do, and for curious people to learn more about them. Like with so many other events this year, MFG Day 2020 is going to look a little different. Fortunately, the people behind…
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When buying new ERP software, training and support are some of the most important parts of deciding which company to buy from. You need effective training to be able to use the software you just bought. In addition, a responsive support team is important for when you have questions after you start using the software….
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Every shop wants to keep its top employees for as long as possible. However, since these employees are so good at what they do, they’re the ones who will have the easiest time getting a job somewhere else. With this in mind, it’s helpful to make sure your shop checks in with your employees periodically….
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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software encompasses many things. You probably know it can help you run your entire job shop, but what exactly does that mean? In general, ERP software helps your shop operate more efficiently and gives you the data you need to run it better. Specifically, it can help improve your job shop…
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Over the years, ERP software has been changing to help fit its users’ needs. Most recently, those needs have made software that is safe, accessible, and smart. Imagine being able to hold all of the information you need to run your shop in the palm of your hand, and access it from anywhere. What if…
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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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If you are a current customer with a support question, please email techsupport@shoptech.com directly.
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