TruPart Manufacturing Streamlines Quoting To Power Precise, Growth-Oriented Pricing

Challenge

TruPart Manufacturing provides precision cutting, laser and waterjet cutting, laser engraving, sheet metal fabrication, product assembly, 2D and 3D design and plating. Established in 1972, TruPart is located in Ventura, California and owned by Shane Prukop, a third-generation fabricator, who bought the business from his grandfather, the founder, in 2013.

As a long-standing business, TruPart was constantly assessing its internal processes and identifying areas for improvement. For instance, the company recognized its human resources could be better maximized with the right support. As the business owner, lead integrator and head estimator – among other roles – Shane was no stranger to wearing multiple hats. However, with a small staff, it was unreasonable to task one person with both running the business and managing all quoting. Yet it was difficult finding someone to fill in as head estimator given the role requires someone with significant experience.

Shane knew that TruPart’s quoting process needed improvement – it was time-consuming and laborious. To run a quote, Shane relied on three different types of software, several Excel spreadsheets and QuickBooks for analytics. Even with multiple systems, Shane would still have to manually share information with engineers, who would assess the manufacturability of a part and then the accuracy of the quote. This disjointed process made it difficult to turn around quotes quickly – with some taking days or even weeks. This longer lead time hurt customer service, given today’s buyers expect immediate gratification. It also cost the business extra money, as TruPart was spending $250 per quote based on overhead.

In addition to inefficient quoting, Shane was burdened by an unwieldy pricing process. Annual repricing was a best practice for TruPart, ensuring that long-term jobs remain profitable and fair over time. However, Shane was overwhelmed by paperwork – his part directory consisted of 20 physical folders that took up his entire desktop. Searching for the information needed for repeat pricing required more time and effort than it should.

As a cutting-edge, tech-driven leader, Shane knew that the best way to maximize his staff was to support them with the right technology. He also understood that by automating just one process in the shop, TruPart could positively impact its business in a big way. To streamline quoting and free up his employees for more strategic work, Shane sought out a quoting software with the latest integrations that would give him a leg up on his fellow forward-looking competitors.

Solution

Shane researched myriad software solutions over the course of 10 years. He struggled to find a system that was well-rounded, polished and offered a suite of capabilities that addressed TruPart’s need from every angle. Shane wanted a software vendor that would be a true business partner and that would work to affordably and specifically address TruPart’s manufacturing needs.

Over the years, TruPart worked with three different software vendors, each of which lacked quality customer service and a solution that was user-friendly. In the case of one vendor, Shane’s team still struggled with the learning curve even one year in.

After these poor experiences, Shane finally discovered Paperless Parts and recognized it was the best fit for TruPart’s business. TruPart selected Paperless Parts’ Paperless Quoting platform for its high-quality user interface and for the excellent customer service the company offers. “Paperless Parts is so user-friendly, it’s a no brainer,” said Shane. “It made other TruPart employees want to try quoting.” By automating quoting, Paperless Parts helped TruPart create a totally paperless environment.

Results

Paperless Quoting has enhanced TruPart’s quoting process end to end, making it more efficient, accurate and profitable. “It took chaos and focused it into a laser-precise beam,” said Shane. “We have 40-50 different processes and can change prices in real time and still feel confident our quotes will be accurate. It’s intuitive and cost-efficient.”

Paperless Quoting’s geometric engine has made TruPart’s quoting and pricing more accurate than ever. Using the geometric features, the Paperless Quoting platform can power precise costing based on TruPart’s capabilities and actual cutting times. What’s more, the geometric engine was able to analyze parts based on TruPart’s manufacturing processes to identify potential issues or areas that require special tooling. Rather than having to physically find engineers and other employees to discuss each part, Shane could simply highlight features or measurements and communicate with his team through the platform. When it came to repeat pricing, Shane could easily reference the ITAR-compliant parts library that came with the Paperless Quoting platform. This directory of parts eliminated the need for stacks of paper folders and made pricing easier and faster. As a result, the entire quoting process was expedited. Rather than taking 10 or more steps to complete a quote, TruPart can achieve an accurate 5-minute quote. Weeks-long wait times were reduced to same-day satisfaction for customers.

“Paperless Parts is our partner. We are working together to build a better America.”

TruPart customers also appreciated the digital quotes they received from the company, which included 3D renderings of each part and a purchase order option. In addition to impressing customers, this integration created a revenue opportunity for TruPart. “Having the same software for quoting and purchase orders was nonexistent up until we implemented Paperless Parts,” said Shane. Using the Paperless Quoting digital quotes, TruPart could share a quote that outlines three pricing options. Based on lead time, there would be a markup for expediting charges. Many customers were happy to pay more to get parts faster, with just the click of a button.

The ease of Paperless Quoting, and the accuracy of the quotes it delivered, increased the confidence of TruPart users. Even the most veteran employees preferred the automated process to its manual predecessor. In no time, engineers were using the platform to quote thousand-dollar jobs, which freed up Shane to focus on other priorities. As the CEO, he was able to invest more time into the company, from building better processes, to developing new business strategies in-house. He was able to take on bigger and more interesting customers with unique part needs.

Shane even used Paperless Quoting to support his vision for the company. With the built-in analytics function, he could see the metrics that mattered most in a single dashboard. With one click, he could gauge the health of the business – from win rates to number of jobs – and determine an informed go-forward strategy. This holistic view allowed Shane to retire QuickBooks.

Most important to Shane was Paperless Parts’ top-tier customer service. If Shane ever had a question or issue with the software, he would reach out to the Paperless Parts support team and always hear back the same day. What’s more, if the Paperless Quoting platform lacked a capability that TruPart needed, Shane would let Paperless Parts know, and it would often be resolved in the next biweekly software update.

“Paperless Parts is our partner,” said Shane. “We are working together to build a better America. If we want more American business, manufacturing companies need to achieve a certain level of efficiency. COVID-19 has shone a light on this challenge, and how companies need to reduce overhead costs. Paperless Parts helps make this possible because they charge what the average, blue-collar American can afford. Paperless Parts is for us.”

“It took chaos and focused it into a laser-precise beam. We have 40-50 different processes and can change prices in real time and still feel confident our quotes will be accurate. It’s intuitive and cost-efficient.” – Shane Prukop, CEO