In a sheet metal shop the day starts with DXF files from customers: which thickness, which grade, how many parts from which plate, and does it need bending and welding? Quotes are worked out by hand from a cutting-time guess, while plate stock and offcuts sit on a rack nobody fully knows. In the system we build, a quote is calculated from cutting time, material and number of bends, and an approved quote becomes a job order. The operator sees the next nesting plan on a tablet, plates used and offcuts are booked back into stock when cutting finishes, and the delivery note is ready at dispatch.
Problems we see in sheet metal shops
- Loss-making quotes given without a cutting-time estimate
- Offcuts that never show up in stock
- No idea where a job is waiting between laser, press brake and welding
- Rush orders wrecking the machine queue
Modules
Quote calculation
Pricing by material, thickness, cutting length, number of holes and bends.
Job orders and routing
Job order flow across laser, press brake, welding and coating operations.
Plate and offcut stock
Plates by grade, thickness and size; offcuts stored with their dimensions.
Machine queue
Per-machine queue, drag-and-drop priority and estimated finish time.
Operator screen
Technical drawing, nesting output, start/stop and scrap entry on a tablet.
Dispatch and costing
Actual cost per part, delivery note and proof of delivery.
How it works day to day
- 1
The customer file arrives and the quote is prepared from cutting time.
- 2
The approved quote becomes a job order and material is reserved.
- 3
The planner places the job in the laser queue.
- 4
The operator starts and stops cutting and bending on the tablet and enters scrap.
- 5
Parts are dispatched and the job order closes with its actual cost.
Integrations
Off-the-shelf software or custom-built?
When off-the-shelf is enough
For a one-laser shop with few customers, a general stock and accounts package plus an Excel quote template can be enough at first.
When custom software pays off
For shops with several machines, subcontract workload and offcut tracking, a system built around your quoting logic and operation routes makes profitability visible job by job.
How the budget is built
We launch the workflow that saves you the most time first, then add modules based on real usage. The full scope below is calculated with 20 screens and 9 modules; the final price follows a free discovery call and a written scope.
Maintenance and improvements (optional): €450 / month. Hosting, SMS, WhatsApp and app store fees are listed separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is cutting time calculated automatically from the DXF file?
Cutting length and hole count are read from the file or from the nesting software’s report, and the time is calculated from your machine speed table.
Can operators use the tablet on the shop floor?
Yes. The interface is designed with large buttons and simple screens that work with gloved hands.
Will it work with our existing ERP?
Accounts, stock and invoicing can stay in the ERP while job order and production data are synchronised through an API or database transfer.
Can our old quotes and customer records be migrated?
Customers, material cards and past quotes are imported from Excel or an ERP export.
