Christchurch-based CNC Solutions is making every post a winner by using the Empower Workshop Productivity & Scheduling Software app to rev up productivity and performance.
Laine Etwell, director of CNC Solutions Ltd in Rolleston says: “We are a metal and sheetmetal fabrication business. We offer a full CAD design and prototyping service to clients who require it. We have moved into new facilities and the business continues to grow significantly and ballpark revenue is $4 million annually at present.”
Etwell says that the business had no staff on jobs reporting for two years while also having few workshop staff.
“During this time we had no idea of job times, jobs took the time they took and each month we hoped we had made money.
“In 2019, we invested in tablets on the workshop floor and the Empower Workshop Productivity & Scheduling Software App. We also invested in two 50-inch TV screens presenting our job schedule and our jobs, tasks, staff and times in real time, as they occurred on the workshop floor.
“I worked for engineering businesses previously, some of which had good and some of which had poor processes, systems and reporting. When I started CNC Solutions, I had a good understanding of why it is essential to have and use good processes, systems and reporting. Using the Empower Software App we run rings around many engineering firms we compete with which have no scheduling software and only manual processes and systems which provides limited, late and inaccurate job status and labour time and labour cost reporting.”
Etwell says CNC Solutions schedules all its jobs on Empower so all production is planned, the software factors for existing capacity and calculates when each new job will start and finish. This enables the company to give clients an accurate completion date when they place their orders.
“I estimate that jobs take 20% minimum less time at 20% minimum less labour cost using technology of tablets on workshop floor and the Empower Software App. This enables us to have more competitive quotations in the marketplace and allows us to maximise job profit.
“Our operations manager Graham monitors all jobs on the 50 inch TV screens and his PC whilst production is in progress and he immediately investigates any overruns or potential overruns with workshop staff involved for future learning and continuous improvement. I undertake all invoicing, so I job cost every job to ensure I investigate any overruns for future learning and continuous improvement.
For more information or to discuss the technology call Sean O’Sullivan on 027 228 4211.