Should You Take That Rush Job? One of your best customers calls with a special request. They have a job that they need completed as soon as possible. Their project is already behind schedule, and they need a particular product to move forward. If you can finish the job, you’d be doing them a big…
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With an aging workforce and health care costs continuing to rise, it’s no wonder why many industries are looking for proven ways to save on employee health benefits. Since healthy employees cost you less, increase shop productivity, and statistically stay with their current employer longer, why not consider a wellness plan? A company wellness plan…
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Three Leading Causes of Bottlenecks (And How Job Scheduling Software Can Help) Has another bottleneck slowed your shop’s production? There are few things more detrimental to a shop’s success than a bottleneck. It creates havoc up and down the production line and could cause you to miss deadlines with multiple customers. A bottleneck could even…
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Three Challenges Solved with ERP Software There’s one thing you can always count on being a job shop owner — change. Over the last two decades, North America manufacturing has struggled to regain the strength it once had in the 90s. Job shops took a big hit in the early 2000s with more and more…
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How to Maximize Your Small Shop’s Resources to Get Big Results with Job Tracking Software Do you often find yourself competing for business against bigger shops who have greater resources? Perhaps you’re a small shop with dreams of becoming a large one. Or maybe you are happy with your current size, but would like to…
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What To Do When Your Customers Aren’t Happy With Your Turnaround Time Your shop isn’t using shop scheduling software. And so it has happened again. You missed a customer’s deadline. And to compound problems, you have more jobs in the production queue that are already behind schedule. You can tell from conversations with your customers…
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There are many great aspects to being a small shop. One is that it’s easier to manage and control your shop’s processes when you only have a handful of employees, work stations, and products. Another is the shop atmosphere and culture. Often, smaller shops have more relaxed and casual environments than larger shops, which may…
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It’s that time again. A new year is here. That means millions of Americans are making resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, pursue a new hobby, or change their life in some other meaningful way. And some people are even looking for ways to improve their machine shop productivity. Make 2017 your best year yet!…
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At Shoptech, we developed the E2 Shop System because we are familiar with the challenges that shop owners face. Our founders grew up in a shop, learning firsthand about the tools needed to efficiently manage a job shop. Working together to solve problems on the shop floor is the foundation of the Shoptech Community. The…
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In December 2015, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, also known as the PATH Act. The bill’s purpose was to strengthen certain deductions and credits and also to make a few temporary deduction opportunities permanent. Among the included tax breaks was the Section 179 deduction opportunity for businesses that invest in new…
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With the calendar recently flipping over to November, many shops are preparing for their least favorite time of the year – downtime. But this slow time may also be the perfect time to implement new shop software. Nearly every shop in every industry has some period of downtime. Some industries experience downtime in the summer…
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A machine or other piece of equipment is only as valuable as the person operating it. You know that better than anyone. You can invest all the money in the world in a new piece of machinery. However, if the operator doesn’t know how to use it properly, you won’t get the maximum potential return…
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The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) was held September 10th through 15th in Chicago, and a team of Shoptech employees was fortunate enough to attend. For 31 years, IMTS has been one of the industry’s largest annual gatherings of manufacturers, suppliers, and technology providers. Every year, the show presents a wonderful opportunity for Shoptech to…
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If you’ve recently decided to explore software options for your machine shop, that could be a wise decision. The difference between a successful shop and a shop that’s just barely making it is that the successful shop has a process that maximizes efficiency and eliminates waste. Software is often the engine that drives that process….
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Last month, we wrote about millennials and how they will soon dominate the workforce in nearly every industry, including manufacturing. As discussed in that article, if you don’t have a plan to appeal to and manage to the millennial mindset, you could have a tough time replacing retiring workers, filling demand, and growing your business….
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Another graduation season has passed. In many shops, that means a fresh influx of new graduates from high school, trade school, and community college. If you have openings due to retirement or growth, there’s a good chance you’re filling those jobs with younger workers. Whether they’re aware of it or not, today’s graduates are part…
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Quickbooks is the leading business accounting software platform for a reason. It’s easy-to-use, simple to learn, and compatible with a wide range of devices, platforms, and other software. If you use Quickbooks to manage your shop’s accounting process, you have plenty of company. As great as Quickbooks is, though, it can’t do everything your shop…
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How do you manage your shop schedule? Do you use scheduling software? Or do you have a simpler system, such as a whiteboard, a spreadsheet, or maybe even a bunch of post-it notes on the shop wall? If you have resisted the urge to invest in scheduling software, now may be the time to reconsider….
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There’s one constant in every machine shop – change. You can have the most detailed plans and processes in the world, but if you can’t facilitate change, you’re going to have difficulty being successful in the manufacturing world. Nowhere is the ability to adapt more important than in your scheduling process. If your shop is…
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Your ERP software can make all the difference between delivering on-time and being profitable versus missing customer deadlines and losing money. And it’s not just enough to have ERP software. You also need the right software for your shop, and you need to utilize it to its fullest capabilities. The good news is you…
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You see an email come through from a new customer. They have a job they need filled, and it’s a big one. They want to know what your best price is, as they’re in the process of collecting quotes from a few different shops. You need to give them your most competitive price because you…
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It’s that time again. You have openings on your floor to fill. And to make matters worse, one of your largest customers is ramping up their production, which means you need all the skilled labor you can get. Needing help is a good sign because it means you’re busy. However, if you’re like most shops,…
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How often are you hitting your customer’s delivery deadlines? One-hundred percent of the time? Ninety percent? Less than 80 percent? If hitting deadlines are a problem for you, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Many machine shops struggle with the challenges of meeting customer demands. And let’s face it – customers can be pretty demanding. They…
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It’s almost over. In just under three months, another year will be in the books. How has your shop fared this year? Have you met – or even exceeded – your goals? Or has it been more of the same? Have you barely met customer quality and deadline demands? Have you struggled to move product…
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Do you feel like your machine shop is in a rut? There’s plenty of work and you and your team are always busy, but still, you never seem to get ahead. It feels like there’s always a cash crunch looming or there’s always a crisis that you have to deal with. Sometimes you may even…
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If you are a current customer with a support question, please email shoptech-techsupport@ecisolutions.com directly.
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