Published February 22, 2012 | 
My Honda Odyssey has many features that make my life easy. Accidentally, I just figured out how to advance the music album in the hard drive system without touching the dashboard or using bluetooth. Who would’a thunk all you have to do is hold the “+”button down found on the steering wheel.
What does this have to do with software or even estimating?
Learning how things work, and of course remembering them for effective use, can make a significant difference in performance. Highly effective software, similar to high-tech devices and gadgets, typically have many efficient time-saving tricks. Lacking the knowledge to use things efficiently can appear to the user that the product is time-consuming and thus foster opinions alluding to poor performance. In reality, however, it may not be the fault of the software.
Published February 13, 2012 | 
MTI Systems, Inc, cost estimating software developer for manufacturers, announces record results for 2011, its 29th year in business.
Sales milestones for 2011:
Costimator software implementations in 2011 were completed in over a dozen countries throughout the world including: Netherlands, China, Canada, Portugal, USA, Mexico, Turkey, Israel, Indonesia, Italy, Germany and Poland.
For additional milestone information read complete press release: “MTI Systems Announces Record 2011 Sales Growth”
Published February 7, 2012 | 
McNally Industries, LLC, selects Costimator® to better streamline their cost estimating process, increase estimating speed, and enhance the accuracy of their quotations.
Based out of Colorado, McNally Industries is a full-service manufacturer that provides product design, testing and build-to-print manufacturing services. The company serves a wide variety of organizations and industries, but is perhaps best known for its work with the United States Department of Defense. They are also the world’s largest prime contractor for hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical systems, producing complex, precision-machined components for critical defense and aerospace applications.
Published February 2, 2012 | 
The Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis (SCEA) has a wealth of information for manufacturing –specific to cost estimating.
Their professional cost estimating certification program includes the following motto…
Train, Attain, Sustain — Certifcation Matters!
Beyond certification… check out their downloadable cost books, their posting of events, and many other manufacturing related topics among their links section.
More about SCEA
The Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis is the premiere non-profit organization dedicated to improving cost estimating and analysis in government and industry and enhancing the professional competence of its members.
Published February 1, 2012 | 
(West Springfield – January 31, 2012) – 2012 marks the 30th year of operation for MTI Systems Inc., (http://www.mtisystems.com) the leading provider of innovative cost estimating software solutions for manufacturing. The company’s flagship product, Costimator, has been implemented by over 1,400 companies in 22 countries since 1982.
Founded in 1982 as Manufacturers Technologies, the software company pioneered the development of a PC-based cost-estimating program and quickly became known for its “Costimator®” Computer-Aided Cost Estimating System.
Published January 25, 2012 | 
Recently, MTI Systems, Inc. announced a program to assist colleges and other educational institutions with the delivery of their manufacturing instruction – specific to areas pertaining to estimating.
This manufacturing program initiative provides a classroom software license of Costimator® enabling a more complete and focused delivery of cost estimating topics by instructors to all of their engineering and manufacturing career-minded students. It also helps to specifically prepare students, who may interview and apply to work at manufacturers currently using the Costimator®, cost estimating, quoting and process planning software system.
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK: Continue reading
Published January 19, 2012 | 
MCG mind for metal, a Portugal based company, shares their interest and experience in using Costimator cost estimating, quoting and process planning software for their estimating and quoting needs.
Click on “Cost Estimating Software, Costimator, Gives Metal Industry Giant MCG-Portugal a Shot in the Arm” to hear and read more about what Pedro and Carlos reveal in their case-study.
Their Challenge:
The company’s quoting process was severely hindered
Published January 12, 2012 | 
Manufacturing regrowth and the talent required to help U.S. manufacturers regain momentum has recently been reviewed in this report: ”Boiling point? The skills gap in U.S. manufacturing“.
The Deloitte Consulting LLP and the Manufacturing Institute conducted the study for this report, posted on www.themanufacturinginstitute.org, which investigates some of the challenges manufacturers face.
Listed below are questions this report seeks to address and provides an overview of some of the issues facing manufacturers today.
Published January 4, 2012 | 
Check out the recently published article “Solving the Manufacturing Costing Equation”
Patrick Waurzyniak, Senior Editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine talks about how contract manufactueres, job shops, and OEMs bolster the bottom line with effective cost estimating methods.
Pat asked us for our feedback about why suppliers need to be more effective in their estimating and why OEMs need to find ways to more competitive in their delivery of products to consumers by purchasing parts for less.
Listed below are snippets of what we said: Continue reading
Published December 30, 2011 | 
OVERVIEW: Signup and attend this web-based seminar to Learn How OEMs use Costimator to Improve Supplier Pricing
DETAILS: In less than 30 minutes we will first provide a quick overview — covering the 5 basic steps of estimating using Costimator and before we focus on the main topic (above), we will also share some of the included manufacturing data and show examples of some of the standard reports. Continue reading