Costimator® Offers Total Process Improvement for Gardner Manufacturing Company

(West Springfield – June 1, 2012) - For years, MTI Systems, Inc. has touted its Costimator cost estimating software as a program dedicated to improving cost-estimating and quoting for manufacturers, both suppliers and OEMs. As it turns out, Gardner Manufacturing Company in Horicon, WI has discovered that this software can be something even better that just a cost estimating platform – They're saying Costimator software is a total process improvement.

"We had become used to doing things the old fashioned way – like using hand-written routings," said Robert Marschke, Estimating Engineer at Gardner Manufacturing. "Our enterprise resource program (ERP) needed a true estimating program to enable estimates based on manufacturing time and to better gauge the cost of various parts."

"It's not only helping us manage our quotes and estimates better -- It's flat out giving our customers better prices."

Gardner Manufacturing has provided custom sheet metal manufacturing in a variety of industries ranging from energy, military, electronics, heavy equipment, and medical. The company's 160,000 square foot, Wisconsin based facility features a robust array of manufacturing capabilities, including a sheet metal fabrication shop, weld and paint shop.

In 2007, Gardner Manufacturing began its search for new estimating software when it became apparent that the demand for estimates and quotes had outpaced the company's ability to provide them. Mired in time study charts and converting data, the team found itself struggling to maintain consistency and keep pace with the requests. Costimator became an instant difference-maker; improving Gardner's quote output and their overall decision-making process.

"Costimator is a complete game changer for us," said Marschke. "With this software we can view multiple estimates at the same time, improving our decision-making process making it more analytical instead of relying on guesswork. It's not only helping us manage our quotes and estimates better -- It's flat out giving our customers better prices."

Read more in their Customer Success Case study – "Gardner Manufacturing Gains Total Process Improvement".

In an industry where transparency can be an issue, the Costimator quoting software provides the ability to translate complex data into easy to understand information and has provided an unexpected advantage over their competition.

"The ability to deliver our customers with a breakout of data is a tremendous advantage," he explained. "It puts us in a unique place in that we're able to provide a special kind of transparency to the customer. While it helps makes our decision making easier, it does the same for our customers. There isn't a price in the world that you can put on trust."

"At the end of the day, Gardner hasn't found software that comes close to what Costimator can do," he concluded. "It's not only helped solve our existing problem, but it's impact throughout the periphery of our business has been profound and afforded us the opportunity to capitalize on a lot of unforeseen opportunities. It's a total process improvement."

About MTI Systems Inc.

MTI Systems provides cost estimating software and estimating services to manufacturers worldwide, serving both suppliers and OEMs. Since 1982, Costimator cost estimating software has been implemented at over 1,300 companies with over 10,000 trained users. For more details or to register for a free demonstration using Costimator contact: MTI Systems, 1111 Elm Street, Suite 6, West Springfield, MA 01089, 413-733-1972/ 413-733-1972 or visit www.mtisystems.com.