5 Key Benefits of Job Shop Management Software

Job shop management software is typically synonymous with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. But there are lots of types of software that help you manage your job shop that help by increasing efficiency, eliminating manual and administrative work, reducing human error, understanding shop capabilities, and so much more. Whether you’re managing the front office or the shop floor, modern software solutions can be a real game-changer:

• With job shop management software, shop owners gain efficiencies that enable them to grow their shop
• Software can help eliminate the need for administrative or manual tasks
• Shop owners have more control over how they scale their businesses
• With data analytics, shops can see where they’re earning money and where they’re losing it to make future decisions that maximize profitability
• With a seamless connection between your digital processes, you can work faster and smarter

Paperless Parts integrates seamlessly with industry-leading ERPs and CRM platforms, making the connection between your shop floor analytics and the front office seamless. Let’s dive into each of the 5 key benefits of having modern software technology at your fingertips to manage your job shop:

Increase Efficiencies

Using modern software solutions to manage your job shop won’t just save you time, but will do much of the work for you, eliminating many of the clicks it would typically take. Paperless Parts actually gets you 80% of the way there by uploading your files into the platform. From there, it is much faster to deliver consistent and accurate quotes, and eliminates the need for manual data entry and the use of Excel.

Reduce Manual Work

Relying solely on humans to drive your systems with manual data entry can lead to routing errors, payment term problems, incorrect part number entries, pricing mistakes, and general scheduling confusion. Paperless Parts relies on automation, rules, and data to prevent duplicative work, administrative tasks, and eliminate human error.

Gain More Control

Paperless Parts’ Workflow feature gives all stakeholders the visibility and context they need to move quotes along in an informed way, enabling synchronized coordination across the sales, estimating, and management teams. The feature streamlines the process with end-to-end communication to identify and eliminate potential bottlenecks that prevent fast turnaround on quotes. Workflows are completely customizable to an organization’s processes and can support any size team.

Increase Profit Margins

Paperless Parts unlocks data and analytics that manufacturers have never had access to, and certainly can’t retrieve from their ERP systems. Analyze multiple layers of data to optimize the front office, prioritize quotes, and price work effectively. Look at win rates by material type, part complexity, and even by workcenter. Analyze what is happening in your business to truly understand when and why you are winning or losing jobs to make smarter business decisions. See how your business is performing over time to continually improve operations.

ERP systems were initially designed to manage and run inside the 4 walls of your shop. They help with planning and scheduling, but are not designed to drive sales. On their own, they are very cost-driven and lack pricing and CRM functionality. Paperless Parts is built as a sales tool to help manufacturers win more business, so when integrated with an ERP system to manage your shop, you’ll be equipped to drive revenue and efficiency that boosts profit margins.

Work Faster

As a job shop, you know that buyers expect parts fast. This is a result of resources being short and chronically on back order, compiled with society’s shift towards expecting things faster and faster.

With 2D & 3D CAD viewing and geometric search, Paperless Parts lets you view all file formats without having to pay for native CAD software licenses. View both PDF and 3D CAD files from any device to understand everything about the part or assembly you are quoting. Geometric search lets you know when you’ve made exact or similar parts in the past, reducing duplicate quoting efforts and increasing consistency across a team of estimators.

With integrations to your CRM and custom notes fields, you can access valuable data on your customers, such as past quotes sent and order revenue, to ensure you always have the right context when quoting. All tribal knowledge on customers is stored in one place for quick searchability. Once quotes are sent, see when they are viewed by customers so your sales team can quickly follow up.

When it comes to choosing between your ERP system and modernizing your quoting process, you don’t have to select one over the other. Modern ERP systems are incredibly powerful tools, but these tools need to be kept sharp. The best and most cost-effective way to make your ERP system work for you in the most beneficial and optimized way is to seamlessly integrate with a secure, cloud-based, and modern quoting solution. Paperless Parts is job shop management software built by manufacturers, for manufacturers. It complements your current ERP solution and allows you to quote faster, manage your RFQs more efficiently, and win more business.