Manufacturers, fabricators and industrial suppliers
Business consulting for manufacturers and fabricators.
Many manufacturers are not short on work. They are short on hours. Quotes take days to put together, orders get retyped from email into two systems, and nobody is sure what the floor can promise by Friday. We work out where your shop loses the most time and money, then build the systems that fix it and stay on to support them. We meet in person across northwest Houston, and by video call anywhere else.
Who is this for?
- Metal fabrication and machine shops
- Custom and contract manufacturers
- Industrial suppliers and distributors
- Oil and gas equipment makers
- Plastics and parts makers
- Food and packaging producers
Established businesses in Houston and beyond. Don't see yours? Tell us how your business runs.
Where it hurts today
Where do manufacturers lose time and money?
Mostly between the office and the floor: quotes that take too long and never get a follow-up, purchase orders keyed in by hand, schedules that live on a whiteboard, and invoices that wait until someone has time. The machines are rarely the problem. The paperwork around them is.
Quotes that take days
Every quote means digging up material costs, past jobs and shop time. Slow quotes lose work, and quotes with no follow-up lose even more.
Orders retyped by hand
Purchase orders arrive by email and PDF and get keyed into your system, sometimes twice. Every retype is a chance for a mistake.
Nobody sure what can ship when
When the schedule lives on a whiteboard or in one person's head, promising a date to a customer is a guess.
Customers calling for order status
Status calls pull people off real work, and the answer often means walking the floor to find out.
Invoices that wait
Jobs ship but invoices go out late, and chasing payment falls to whoever has a spare minute.
Know-how walking out the door
Setups, fixes and the way things are really done live with a few experienced people, and new hires take a long time to learn them.
Curious what this costs you? Put your own numbers into the free hidden cost calculator.
What we can build
What can a consultant build for a manufacturer?
Systems that take the paperwork off your people: faster quoting with follow-up, order entry without retyping, a schedule the office can see, status updates for customers, and invoicing that goes out when a job ships. We start with the one that costs you the most and connect it to the tools you already use where they allow.
Quotes out faster, and followed up
A quoting template built on your own costs and past jobs, and a follow-up on every open quote until the customer decides.
Orders entered once
Details from purchase orders read and entered for you where possible, with a person checking anything that touches money.
A schedule everyone can see
One shared view of what is running, what is next and what is late, so the office can give customers a real date.
Customers kept up to date
Order status sent to customers at the key steps, so fewer people have to call and ask.
Invoices out when the job ships
Invoices created when work is marked done, polite reminders on a schedule, and an easy way to pay.
Shop know-how people can find
Setup notes, fixes and procedures gathered in one place your team can search, instead of in a few people's heads.
How an engagement works
How does working with us work?
Three steps, in order: Find, Prove, Scale. It starts with a short conversation, and each package has a fixed scope and price agreed in writing before any work starts. You own what we build for you once it is paid for.
1. Find
We walk the path from quote to paid invoice with you, in person or by video call, and give you a written list of what is costing you the most, in the order to fix it.
2. Prove
We set up one fix, such as quote follow-up or order entry, and measure it on your own numbers for a few weeks. You only go further if it earns it.
3. Scale
What works is rolled out across the business, connected to the tools you already use, and your team is shown how to run it. Monthly Support keeps it working after that.
Packages that usually fit:
Common questions
Questions manufacturers ask us.
How much does a business consultant cost for a small manufacturer?
There is no single price, because it depends on the scope. After a short conversation you get a written quote with a fixed scope and price for your shop, and nothing starts until you agree to it. Most start small, with a Readiness Assessment or a Pilot Project on one problem, so the first step is a modest one.
Do we need a new ERP system first?
Usually not. We start from the systems you already use, even if that is spreadsheets and email, and check what they can connect to. If a new system would truly help, we say so and help you pick one before building anything on top of it.
Can you speed up our quoting?
Often, yes. Slow quotes usually come from hunting for costs and past jobs. A template built on your own numbers, plus a follow-up on every open quote, is a common first fix. We look at how you quote today before promising anything.
Will this change how the shop floor works?
Only where it helps. Most of the work is in the office: quotes, orders, schedules and invoices. Where the floor is involved, such as updating job status, we keep it as simple as a tap or a scan and show your team how it works.
Do you come on site?
In northwest Houston, yes: we can meet you in person at the shop. Anywhere else we meet by video call, and much of the setup happens remotely around your shifts.
Keep reading
Tell us where your week slips.
A short conversation is enough to see which fix is worth doing first. You get a straight answer from the person who would build it, and a written quote before anything starts.