CNC utilization dashboard
Machine groups, open quotes, late jobs and scrap cost for the whole shop, updated as the floor records each event.
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Manager Oversight App for Machine Shops
A manager oversight app shows a general manager the open quotes, machine utilization, late jobs and scrap cost for the whole shop on one screen. SIZ Group builds these for machine shops, starting with a conversation about your quote book and floor.
01
Why a machine shop's oversight depends on the quote book and the floor
A general manager at a machine shop carries the quote book, the floor and the cash flow in one head. A large quote for a turbine housing needs a margin check, the five-axis mill needs a maintenance window and the bank wants to see receivables. Each of those depends on numbers that sit in separate places, and the manager often learns about a problem only when a customer calls to ask where a job is.
The shop's rhythm also matters. A quote that waits three days for a decision can lose its material price, and a machine that sits idle on a Friday afternoon is capacity nobody gets back. An oversight app keeps those moments visible, so the manager acts while there is still time to change the outcome.
02
How customers search, compare and decide, and what the manager sees
Buyers of machined parts usually compare three shops on lead time, price and whether the shop can show its quality records. They often ask for a quote from several shops at once, and the one that answers first with a clear price and a realistic date frequently wins. The manager needs to see how many quotes are open, how old they are and which ones are above the approval limit.
That view changes the work. A manager who can see that twelve quotes have been waiting more than two days can reassign the estimating time, call a buyer or approve a price without digging through an inbox. Win rate by part family then becomes a number the manager can actually act on.
03
Sign-off checks the general manager runs before this manager oversight app launches
Open the app and the manager should read, in one glance, how each machine group is loaded over the next two weeks, which jobs are drifting toward a missed ship date and what scrap cost has piled up this month. Anything slower than a glance means the screen is still organized around the data, not the decision.
Quotes above a set value should land with the manager, showing margin, material and lead time together. The answer flows back to the estimator and the buyer without a second email. A late job appears on the same screen with its cause, its owner and a suggested new date.
What you get
Key features
Quote approval workflow
Quotes above the agreed margin or value route to the right manager with the material, lead time and history attached.
Late job alerts
A job at risk of missing its ship date raises an alert with the cause, the owner and a suggested new date for the customer.
Monthly shop review
Quote win rate, machine loading and scrap cost by part family, exported for the leadership meeting in one file.
04
Rules, records and access that shape the build
Oversight data is sensitive, and the rules depend on the work. Shops that handle export-controlled or defense work need the app to limit who can see drawings and pricing by role and by nation of access, and to keep an audit trail of changes. Where that does not apply, the simpler rule is to restrict pricing and margin to the managers who own those decisions.
Scrap and rework records often end up in a customer audit file, so they should stay attached to the job and the machine that produced them rather than sit in a monthly spreadsheet. We confirm the retention period with you before the first record is loaded.
- Pricing and margin visible only to roles that approve quotes
- Drawing access limited by customer and, where required, by nation
- Scrap and rework records kept with the job and the machine
- Audit trail for every approval, price change and late-job note
05
Where the build budget goes and what keeps it steady
The starting point is $4,500 for a single-site build with a short list of views. Oversight apps tend to grow because every manager asks for a different report, so we begin with the three or four screens the general manager opens each morning and add the rest by request.
Each new report or integration arrives as its own quote, written down before anyone builds it. That turns a new chart into a visible decision rather than a surprise on the next invoice.
06
Rolling it out so the managers actually use it
Oversight only works when the managers check it every morning. We would run the first version alongside the existing morning meeting for a stretch of real use, then let the meeting run from the app's screen. Each manager should own one view, so the data has a clear person accountable for keeping it right.
The floor team needs to feel the benefit too. When an operator sees that a status entry leads to a faster answer for the customer, the entries become more complete. Share one or two of those outcomes at the weekly review so the habit sticks.
- Run the new view beside the morning meeting until the numbers match
- Give each manager one view and one named owner for its data
- Share one outcome from the app at the weekly review
- Review the approval limits each quarter with the finance lead
Will this manager oversight app show our margins to the whole team?+
No. Pricing and margin are visible only to the roles that approve quotes, and the rest of the team sees the status of a quote without the numbers behind it. We set those roles together during the scoping call.
How do we start if our machine data is mostly on paper?+
We start with the status entries the floor can make quickly, such as running, idle, down or in setup, and build the views on those. Paper records can be entered for the first weeks to set a baseline, then the floor takes over.
Can the app connect to our existing job or accounting system?+
It can, as long as that system exposes the quote, job and invoice data the views need. The connection method gets settled on the call, and we pick a live link or a scheduled export according to what your system allows.
Who maintains the app after launch?+
Support after launch covers fixes, new machines and report changes. Each change is quoted before it is built, so the general manager can plan the monthly spend in advance.
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Let's make it happen
Put your quotes, machines and late jobs on one screen
Walk us through how quotes get priced and approved and how the floor is scheduled, and we will sketch the manager view with you on the call.