Reorder reminder software
Buyers receive a reminder before a part's expected reorder window, with the last run size and finish already filled in.
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Customer Retention App for Machine Shops
A customer retention app reminds a buyer when a part is due for reorder, flags a new drawing revision and shares design guides that help engineers spec parts the shop can run well. SIZ Group builds retention apps for machine shops that turn finished jobs into the next purchase order.
01
How one-time jobs slip away from a machine shop today
A machine shop often wins a job from a single drawing and then loses the account when the buyer moves on. The part runs for a quarter, the purchasing agent files the paperwork and nobody thinks about the bracket again until the next crisis. The shop's own records know the part, the material and the last run size, but no one looks at them until a rush order lands.
The gaps are easy to name. Reorders depend on a buyer remembering who made the last part, drawing revisions reach the estimator but not the account owner, and supplier packets get rebuilt from scratch for every program. Each one is a missed chance to win a repeat run with a timely note.
- Reorders depend on the buyer remembering who made the last part
- Drawing revisions reach the estimator but not the account owner
- Supplier packets are sent again from scratch for each new program
- Lapsed buyers are never contacted once a job closes
02
What the marketing manager needs this customer retention app to prove
A marketing manager at a shop should be able to see which accounts have a part due for reorder in the next month, which have a revision pending and which have gone quiet after a single run. Those three lists are the core of the retention work, and the app earns its place when they are accurate every week.
The second test is whether the messages create work for the estimator. A reminder that brings in a quote request is valuable. A reminder that brings in twenty questions about tolerances the shop never agreed to is a cost. We would test the message wording with the estimating team before anything goes to a customer.
03
Building the first release around reorders and revisions
The first release should cover the reorder reminder, the revision alert and a simple account view. The reminder uses the last run size, the material and the finish, and it sends the buyer a one-click request for a fresh quote. The revision alert tells the account owner when a buyer uploads a changed drawing, so the conversation starts with the right person.
Content and supplier packets can follow in a later phase. Design guides for engineers, such as notes on wall thickness for thin-walled housings or deburring expectations for threaded holes, help buyers spec parts that the shop can run efficiently. Those are worth building once the reorder flow is proven.
- Reorder reminder with last run size, material and finish filled in
- Revision alert to the account owner when a new drawing arrives
- Account view showing open quotes, last ship date and reorder status
- Design guides and supplier packets added in a later phase
What you get
Key features
Revision alerts
A changed drawing from a known buyer goes to the account owner at once, so the conversation starts before the estimator is busy.
Machine shop repeat orders
Open quotes, last ship date, reorder status and payment standing sit on one screen for each buyer.
Design guides
Short notes on thin walls, threads, finishes and tolerances help engineers spec parts the shop can run well.
Supplier qualification packet
A buyer requests a current qualification packet in one step, and the shop sends the approved version from its own records.
04
Fitting in with the CRM, ERP and email tools in use
Machine shops usually hold customer records in an ERP or job system and send mail through Mailchimp or HubSpot. The retention app reads account, part and last run data from that source and writes back each message and reorder, so the history stays whole.
QuickBooks or a similar ledger shows which accounts pay on time, which matters when the marketing manager decides whom to invite into a supplier program. The app displays that standing beside each account and holds any reminder for a late-paying buyer until someone has reviewed it.
05
What drives cost and timeline, and how to keep it under control
A first release that handles reorders and revisions starts at $4,500. Each extra account segment, message type or integration is priced as its own line before work starts.
Every figure is agreed on paper before a line of code is written. Dates follow the scope both sides sign off, and any new message type goes through the same review as the first one, which keeps the app pointed at repeat jobs.
06
Measuring whether the retention work pays back
Track repeat orders from accounts that received a reminder, the number of revision alerts answered within a working day and the share of quote requests that come from the reorder button rather than a cold email. Those measures tie the app to revenue the shop can see in its own records.
Compare repeat orders before and after launch, using the shop's own job history rather than a published benchmark. That shows which messages earn more effort and which ones can be retired.
Will buyers see reminders from this customer retention app as pushy?+
They will if the messages are generic. Every reminder is tied to a part the buyer actually ordered, and each one includes a simple way to decline or pause. Relevance keeps a purchasing agent reading, and silence after a no is respected.
Can the app send a reminder for a part that is still in production?+
No. The reminder checks the job status first and waits until the current run ships. That prevents a buyer from being asked to reorder a part the shop is still making.
How do you choose which buyers get the design guides?+
We group buyers by the part families they order, so an engineer who buys thin-walled housings receives notes on wall thickness and not on bolt patterns. The grouping rules are agreed in the scoping call and can be changed later.
What does the marketing manager need to run this day to day?+
A weekly list of reorders due, revision alerts waiting for an answer and accounts that have gone quiet. The app keeps those lists current, and the manager decides which ones to act on.
Do we need a separate email platform?+
Not necessarily. If you already use Mailchimp, HubSpot or a similar tool, we connect the app to it. If you do not, the reminders can be sent from the shop's own domain through a transactional email service.
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Let's make it happen
Turn one-time buyers into repeat accounts on a free scoping call
Tell us your part families, typical reorder gaps and the mailing tool you use, and we will map the first reminders on the call.