Costimator® Helps Kitchen Craft Quote Faster

(West Springfield – May 11, 2012) - (West Springfield, MA) MTI Systems, Inc. has announced today that since implementing the company's Costimator software, Kitchen Craft, LLC. (Winnipeg, Manitoba) has been able to dramatically improve the quoting turnaround times in their cost estimating process.

"Prior to implementing the estimating software program, we were facing a lot of challenges in terms of the consistency and efficiency of our quotes," said Kitchen Craft Shane Goerzen, Sr. Design & Tech Support Supervisor at Kitchen Craft. "We had been using home-grown estimating software that had become cumbersome to maintain and evolve over time and determined that what we were doing in-house wasn't working effectively anymore."

"Between the accessibility for our employees and the speed of the program, we're saving time and money."

Kitchen Craft has been manufacturing semi-custom cabinetry for kitchens, bathrooms, offices and throughout homes all across North America since 1972. Recognized as one of the leaders in its industry, Kitchen Craft offers a variety of products and a wide range of makes and models in order to best meet their customers' specific needs. In 2002, the company began operating as a subsidiary of MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc. and has dramatically expanded their product lines to include custom and modular cabinetry. In order to keep up with the increased demand for estimates, Kitchen Craft purchased Costimator software and as a result, have seen significant improvements in their estimating process.

"The biggest benefit for us has been the 'Cost Modeler' feature," said Goerzen. "Instead of taking months to develop cost models and train individuals across the organization, we're doing things faster and more consistently. Whereas in the past we'd measure cabinets up against a standard measure, we now have the ability to calculate and cross-reference those measures according to the product and in turn – allows us to make more accurate estimates."

In addition to improving turnaround time, Goerzen found that Costimator was easier for Kitchen Craft employees to use.

"It used to take up to six months to train estimators," he said. "Now, a layman estimator can hit the ground running. Instead of thumbing through price guides, they're now handling some or our more intricate, detailed jobs in minutes. Between the accessibility for our employees and the speed of the program, we're saving time and money."

Read their Case study – "Quoting Turnaround Times Reduced for Kitchen Craft" for more information on how this cost estimating software helped to boost their ability to quote faster and more accurately.

Costimator was originally developed in 1982 and was designed to serve as a platform to make cost estimating easier for manufacturing, fabrication and mechanical assembly companies by calculating cycle time, as well as the cost of manufacturing a part or assembly based on the capabilities of the equipment and their shop rates. Over the years, the software evolved and has expanded its capabilities to include meeting the needs of a wide variety of OEMs – ranging from the defense & aerospace industries, to medical, electronics, automotive and consumer product manufacturers.

About MTI Systems Inc.

MTI Systems provides cost estimating software and services for the manufacturing industry, serving both suppliers and OEM's. Costimator has been implemented worldwide since 1982. For more details: MTI Systems, 1111 Elm Street, Suite 6, West Springfield, MA 01089, Ph. 413-733-1972, [email protected]