Published May 10, 2012 | 
Gardner Manufacturing Company, a custom sheet metal fabricator, weld shop and paint facility, based out of Horicon, Wisconsin, is now using Costimator, exclusively, to be more consistent with their estimating and quoting.
Gardner manufactures a wide range of parts including electronic enclosures, sheet metal brackets, weldments, bus bars and virtually any sheet metal part that can be fabricated from steel, aluminum, or stainless steel. Typical industries they serve include energy, military, electronics, heavy equipment, and medical.
Published May 4, 2012 | 
When OEMs are trying to reduce costs and maximize profits… estimating is not a matter of ”prescience”… it requires manufacturing knowledge.
For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to attain, maintain and excel profitable growth, “cost reduction” needs to be at the forefront of the minds of more engineers — as opposed to guesstimating or leaving it to rest on some sort of assumption.
Design engineers, for example, focused and well-knowledged on designing parts, need estimating tools or cost estimators, by their side, to help influence their selection of lower-cost part features.
Published April 25, 2012 | 
Check out the article recently published in ”The Fabricator” Magazine: ”The Problem with Estimating Using Paper and Pencil”
Dan Davis, ”The Fabricators” Editor in Chief, talks about how “Job estimating shouldn’t be a guessing game”!
Our team provided some feedback for Dan to use in this article about estimating issues for metal fabricators.
Published April 18, 2012 | 
Measuring estimating success, as it relates to sales, should really include a program to identify more factors than just the cost or price of parts or products offered by manufacturers. Of course, the cost or price is usually a significant indicator in why the order may be awarded in the first place.
Identifying the combined success, of a cost estimating program and sales departments efforts, is another level usually considered, but do these two areas alone show enough for management to review for true company success or should more factors be considered for an effective program?
Published April 10, 2012 | 
“Prior to implementing Costimator® we were facing a lot of challenges in terms of consistency and efficiency of our quotes,” says Shane Goerzen.
Sr. Design & Tech Support Supervisor, Shane Goerzen from Kitchen Craft, a cabinetry manufacturer located in Manitoba, Canada, shares how Costimator, cost estimating software, has helped them maintain and enhance their targeted profits.
Published April 5, 2012 | 
Consistent quotes or lack thereof can be a major problem for estimating, quoting and sales.
In some cases, it’s a roller coaster ride adding and cutting margins trying to offset estimating deficiencies. On the other hand, when using cost estimating software, it can be like a “locomotive” enabling consistent results coupled with accuracy, speed, confidence and much more…
Published March 29, 2012 | 
Many of the world’s largest and most successful manufacturing organizations utilize estimating software and/or outsourced estimating services to identify part cost reduction opportunities for procurement.
Industries of all types need to analyze their estimating process in order to minimize their costs, identify least-cost suppliers, and calibrate their pricing structures. The purpose is to improve profit margins.
Published March 23, 2012 | 
MTI Systems, developer of Costimator®, cost estimating and quoting software, strives to help our customers be the best they can be –ensuring maximum customer satisfaction.
As part of our ongoing support and maintenance agreement we offer two free group-based training classes per year.
Sign up today for our next session: May 9-10, 2012 (Limited seating)
Published March 14, 2012 | 
With the right tools… it’s easy to estimate parts at their true value.
Begin by reviewing the part(s) design and by selecting a method for comparing the cost — at the design level. There are several software programs on the market. Some compare part features while other estimating tools enable algorithmic approaches to should costing. Another well-known and widely accepted estimating practice is parametric estimating. This method allows Continue reading
Published March 7, 2012 | 
Aaron Harrison, Manager of Product Estimating, shares how Costimator makes a difference at United Gear & Assembly, Inc. based out of Hudson, Wisconsin.
“ Since we’ve taken on Costimator, and used it, we’ve doubled the size of our company.” - Aaron Harrison, United Gear and Assembly, Inc.
Find out more…visit their case study page: “Cost Modeling Feature Grants Company Unprecedented Flexibility – Doubling Business” also, listen to Aaron Harrison, Continue reading
Published March 2, 2012 | 
One way to reduce waste for lean manufacturing is to minimize the handling of materials and parts. Efficiencies can equal cost savings, which can lead-to higher profits, or better yet, a strategically powerful way to be more competitive!
When manufacturers lack efficient material and part handling processes, accountants increase overhead rates to account for labor expense. Overhead rates are applied to the complete job instead of charging costs individually, for example, rent, lighting, insurance, etc. Continue reading
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 blue-tooth. 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? Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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 — Certification Matters!
Beyond certification… check out the cost books available for download, as well as their posting of events, and many other manufacturing related topics among their links section. Continue reading
Published February 1, 2012 | 
(West Springfield – January 31, 2012) – 2012 marks the 30th year of operation for MTI Systems Inc., 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, Continue reading
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. 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: Continue reading
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. Continue reading
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 manufacturers, job shops, and OEMs bolster the bottom line with effective cost estimating methods. Continue reading