This past year has been hard on small businesses. The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council partnered with TechnoMetrica to survey small businesses and find out what impact software on the cloud had on their businesses. Their cloud software helped a large majority in various ways. The two biggest ways it helped them were by keeping their shops open…
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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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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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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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5S is a method for organizing workspaces and entire shops to be more efficient, effective, and safe. 5S started in Japan as part of the Toyota Production System, and it’s one tool used in lean manufacturing. However, you don’t need to implement lean manufacturing or know anything about the Toyota Production System to use 5S…
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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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We’ve all heard that technology can make our lives better, but it can be hard to know, specifically, what technology to use. There are plenty of examples of technology that can be used in a job shop. Some things, however, work better than others. Below are five examples of technology that can do wonders for…
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Whether you’re changing a process in your shop or implementing new software, there are specific ways to address change in every kind of shop. For instance, just because some things work well for repetitive manufacturers, doesn’t mean they’ll work well for a job shop. You need strategies that work with your shop’s operations. Below are…
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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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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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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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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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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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You sit down at your computer and see a familiar sight. It’s another email from another frustrated customer. They want to know when their job will be complete. When will it ship? What’s taking so long? How much longer? Do these questions sound familiar? Are you getting complaints from customers about your long turnaround time…
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In 1989, Stephen R. Covey published his landmark management book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It was an instant success and has gone on to sell more than 15 million copies in 38 languages around the world. If you haven’t read it, you should. It’s an easy read and is packed with useful…
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Expansion. It’s a word that’s a double-edged sword for many shop owners. On one hand, expansion is a sign of growth. That’s a good thing. Expansion can allow you take on more business, offer new products, and generally scale your business. On the other hand, expansion takes capital. It can be expensive, especially if the…
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Ernest Hemingway once wrote about losing money that it, “happens at first very gradually, and then all at once.” If you run a shop that’s losing money, you probably know what he meant. Small losses slowly accumulate, turning into big losses. Eventually, there’s nothing left to lose. Far too many shop owners get stuck in…
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Raise your hand if this sounds familiar. You come home from a long day at the shop. Your kids are all over you. They’ve been waiting anxiously for your arrival. Your spouse has dinner on the stove and has a million things to tell you about his or her day. You all sit down for…
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There are lots of ways to increase your company’s value. You can grow sales. You can pay down debt. You can implement job shop software to make your shop more efficient. You can even upgrade your machinery and facility. However, one of the best ways to grow your bottom line and increase the value of…
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Every business wants to grow, but sometimes it feels like only a select few have figured out the formula for how to do it. The truth is there isn’t one single formula for achieving growth. Rather, there are a lot of different things you need to focus on. Putting out high quality products helps because…
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What’s the most valuable asset in your shop? Your equipment? Your employees? The building itself? Those are all pretty valuable, but chances are good that there’s one other asset your shop couldn’t do without. It’s your customers. Specifically, it’s your relationship with those customers, especially the ones who send the most business to your shop….
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There’s one surefire way to make your job shop more profitable this year – by becoming more efficient. Eliminating waste and getting more production out of your team is a guaranteed formula for increased profitability. Greater efficiency is easier said than done, though. That’s especially true when you’re juggling a wide range of customer demands…
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