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 each step in a job will take. Sometimes, these estimates are spot-on and sometimes they aren’t. The best way to tell if the estimated times are correct is to time how long each step takes. However, no one wants to stand on the floor with a stopwatch, and no one wants to have someone timing them with a stopwatch. The solution is ERP software.
With E2, employees can scan their badge and clock in on a job within a few seconds. Once the job is done, it’s just as quick for them to clock out of it. With this software, estimators can have accurate times for every step of every job. They can compare one step across several jobs to find a good average for how long something takes. More accurate estimates make scheduling your shop easy, and it means you’ll meet your deadlines.
Deadlines
Meeting deadlines is crucial for any shop. Your customers want their order on-time and perfect. Sometimes those deadlines are reasonable, and other times customers need a rush job. For KSM Stainless Steel Fab Ltd, every job is a rush job. They needed software that would give them accurate, real-time job-tracking. They found it in E2.
As Lisa Burgess, President and Owner, said, “Because nearly everything we do is custom and is requested and then expected so quickly, we field daily calls from our customers asking the status of their project. With E2, it takes just seconds to answer those questions.” Not only are they able to meet their crazy deadlines every time, but KSM is also able to answer their customers’ questions quickly and accurately. This means that their great customer relations are improving and that they’re able to get back to work more quickly, which also helps the shop’s bottom line.
The Bottom Line
Shops exist to make money, and if they’re able to make more money, that’s even better. Every shop owner wants their shop to do its best work and make as much money as they’re able to. There are many parts to improving a shop’s bottom line. However, one of the biggest pieces is improving job performance. HTS Coatings found that E2 was able to dramatically improve their job performance.
Before they found their solution, Ashley Hunsaker, CFO, noticed their shop doing as well as they’d thought it should. As she said, “There was no real employee accountability. We were busy with work but had employees not living up to their full production potential which was wasting time and money.” Using E2, they were able to turn this around. Using E2’s reports, they created a program that tracked and detailed time and accuracy for each employee and job. At the end of the month, if an employee saved the company money, they would receive a bonus. As you could imagine, this really inspired their employees to work quickly yet accurately. Once this program was in place, HTS Coatings’ revenue increased by 57% in less than 6 months. Those were the kind of results they were hoping for.
If your shop wants to improve estimating, deadlines, the bottom line, or even all three, an ERP system is the way to go. Job tracking and time tracking can transform your business and give your shop the opportunity to take on more jobs. Don’t hold yourself back. Contact our sales department today and learn how an ERP system will help your shop.
