Machine Shop Estimating Software - Animation Domination from Kentech Inc.

The developers at Kentech Inc. continue to push out our new ANIMATION DOMINATION informational videos ... and last week released (2) new animation covering KipwareCYC® - Cycletime Estimating Software and KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Job Costing and Estimating Software.

You can check out these new animation videos through the links below ... or on our YouTube Channel here : KTSoftware.

KipwareCYC® 

Machining CycleTimes Estimating Software

KipwareQTE® 

Machine Shop Job Costing and Estimating Software

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

New Release : Enhanced Scrap / Re-Work Calculations for KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Estimating Software

Like it or not ... scrap and re-work is an integral part of the machine shop life. The importance of including the cost of scrap and re-work is essential when creating your cost estimates and quotations. Version 13.0.0 of our KipwareQTE® has been released and includes some very easy but powerful enhancements to the scrap calculations and formulas of the software.

We have included new inputs into the ESTIMATE INFORMATION tab where users enter their estimate reference information. New inputs and fields include :

1. Scrap Percentage ... where users can enter a percentage of the total estimate base quantity they would like to include for scrap or re-work.
2. Costs Associated with Scrap ... where the user can select which areas / costs are to be associated with the scrap or re-work. For example ... they can select to include only manufacturing costs such as material and tooling in the scrap cost calculations. Full options include material, tooling, labor and all non-machining costs.

These inputs and fields are quite simple ... but make it very easy to include the often over-looked scrap or re-work costs that are associated with real life on the real machine shop floor. Like the many other "real world" features included in KipwareQTE® ... like perishable tooling costs ... scrap and re-work cost inclusion will insure that your estimating and quoting with Kipware® is assisting with not only winning more work ... but winning more profitable work.

Version 13.0.0 with the new and enhanced scrap / re-work feature is shipping standard as of 08-04-14 with KipwareQTE®.

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

Guidelines for Calculating Machining Hourly Rate

We tout this fact all the time in our marketing ... at Kentech Inc. we are MACHINISTS ... we cut chips, we programmed, we ran shop floors for years ... then we became software engineers and designers and built software products we saw were lacking during those years. What we refer to as Real World Machine Shop Software. 

As a result, many of our clients come to us to take advantage of that experience ... especially those just starting out. Since quoting and estimating is one of the first tasks a new shop needs to get right ... we get asked quite a lot of questions about these areas. Our KipwareCYC® ( machining cycletime estimating software ) and KipwareQTE® ( cost estimating / quoting software ) titles are two of our most popular titles. One of the "hot" topics we encounter during online presentations of these titles is often concerning the cost to charge for a machining or a shop rate. So we thought it was a good time to add a blog post with some guidelines we feel are simple enough ... but important enough ... that can get you to an accurate figure.

Since many shops will utilize an hourly rate as a basis for charging for machining time, this post is dedicated to some helpful guidelines on how to calculate that machining hourly rate. Below are some points we consider important when calculating the hourly rate for a particular machine. The areas requiring calculations include :

Equipment – Cost Per Hour of Operation ... a common formula :
(machine purchase cost + expected lifetime maintenance cost) / expected hours of operating life.

Direct Labor Cost per Hour ... a common formula :
(total annual labor costs + taxes + benefits + paid time off) / (total annual hours worked – breaks and training time)

Overhead Cost Per Hour  :
Any costs not directly involved in machining a part is overhead. These include costs for administrative staff salary, equipment, furniture, building lease, maintenance and office supplies. Calculate the annual costs of these, then divide by total labor or machine hours for the year. This will be your overhead cost per hour

Once the above costs are calculated … you can use the formulas and guidelines below to arrive at either a
“general” shop hourly rate or an hourly rate based on a specific piece of equipment.

General Machine Shop Hourly Rate ... a common formula :
Average overall shop rate = (average machine cost per hour + labor and overhead cost per hour) x markup

Machine Specific Hourly Rate ... a common formula :
(specific machine(s) cost per hour + labor + overhead cost per hour) x markup

Somewhat simplified ... and usually a work in progress as factors may change. It is important to gather all the figures in the formulas above as best you can ... as accurate as you can ... and to keep tabs on any factors that may change along the way.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

You can check our all our Real World Machine Shop Software at our website :

www.KentechInc.com

It's Not Always Rocket Science

If you have visited our website ...  www.KentechInc.com ... at all you'll recognize the saying that is the title of this blog post. It is the mantra here at Kentech Inc. ... born from the decades of living and surviving on the machine shop floor ... from living and working in the "real world". When we talk with customers or conduct online demos with clients for our software ... they emphatically agree. But for those with whom we cannot connect directly ... we wanted to take a post to outline our visions and software design philosophy in depth ... to explain why we feel and what we mean by " ... it's not always rocket science."

Is this you with your CAD/CAM or MRP / ERP software?

For most machine shop and CAD/CAM software developers today ... it seems that the flashier the pictures and the more complex the user interface ... that would equate into the most innovative software. For most users of these products however ... the experience is best described as trying to get a drink of water from a firehouse. It's all just overkill .... there is just too much "fluff" there ... most of it is lost or never used ... and the bottom line results are never realized.

Take CAD/CAM for example ...

No one can deny that CAD/CAM is a great tool ... no doubt ... and most of the designs we use in the world every day would not be possible without at least the CAD portion of CAD/CAM. But one fact is clear to anyone living in a production world ... if a machine shop puts every job through the CAD/CAM system ... through the CAD/CAM programmer ... they are inevitably losing money. The simple part programming ... the programming actually done in 95% of shops in the real world every day ... does not require a CAD/CAM system ... nor a CAD/CAM programmer. Giving additional chip makers the capability to quickly and easily create G code programs for these simpler workpieces ... gives the shop a much higher level of efficiency ... faster finished part output ... and in the end a better bottom line. It's a simple fact. Of course not every workpiece can be accomplished with a simple programming tool ... those complex jobs will still require something equivalent to a CAD / CAM system ... but with other chip makers handling the simpler programming ... the "CAD/CAM guy" has more freedom and more time to devote to the complex programming tasks ... and the work flow and finished output is greatly enhanced.

Innovation is not always the most complex solution.

OR take MRP/ERP systems for example ...

Again ... no one can deny that these complex systems have their place ... and can positively effect a companies bottom line. The problems we encounter is that there a way too many "features" ... and as a result they are either missing the important "real world" features ... or these features are so under-developed the results they produce do more harm than good. It seems the developers are so concerned with the number of bells and whistles ... they never adequately develop the truly needed features. For example ... quite a few of the big $$$ MRP and ERP systems denigrate machining cycletime to a simple user input ... no auto-calculations ... just a field for a user input. WHAT ??  Anyone living in the real world knows that building a cost estimate based on an inaccurate time to machine the part is a recipe for lost profits. And anyone living on the shop floor knows that consistency and accuracy along with the ability to insure that cutting parameters used in cycletime estimates can be reproduced on THEIR shop floor .... is the key to machining profitability.

KipwareCYC® ( cycletime estimating ) and KipwareQTE® ( cost estimating ) are applications devoted to the tasks for which they were developed. Proven in-the-trenches for over 2 decades ... helping our clients around the world to not only win MORE work ... but win MORE PROFITABLE work. And after all isn't that the key ... winning work that is profitable ... not having the shop busy producing parts that are losing money.

Kipware® =  a more logical approach

Using real world tools like Kipware® conversational or Kipware® business software is the equivalent of turning down the flow of the firehouse ... more of that water can be captured and used for it's intended purposes.

CLICK HERE for more information on Kipware® software

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

New Release : Expanded Cutting Database for KipwareCYC® - Machining Cycletime Estimating Software

Kentech Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Version 6 of our KipwareCYC® - Machining Cycletime Estimating Software.

We completed a major overhaul and upgrade of KipwareCYC® in 2012-2013 that created a source code base and foundation designed and built for the future. Now we have the ability to concentrate on new features and innovation to build on that strong foundation.

We are pleased to be able to address some of our users requests beginning with the expansion of our Cutting Parameter Database module. Users now have DOUBLE the capacity to add user defined sub-categories and cutting parameters for each individual machining operation. 

For example : The number of sub-categories under Rough Milling for example has been expanded from (5) to (10) ... allowing for greater flexibility, speed and accuracy in the cycletime estimating module. This new expansion combined with the already UNLIMITED database capacity of the Cutting Parameter Database gives KipwareCYC® a new and more powerful layer of accuracy and flexibility. Each main machining operation now can have up to (10) sub categories. The (2) user defined machining operation also now have this expanded sub-category capability.

Previous versions allowed for (5) Sub-Categories under each Main Category.

This feature has been expanded to (10) in Version 6.

Version 6 is now shipping with this expanded database feature standard.

Version 5 users also have the ability to import their current ... older style databases ... into Version 6 with just a click of a single button ... making for a quick and easy UPGRADE.

For additional information on KipwareCYC® and all our machine shop software titles ... 

please visit our website at www.KentechInc.com

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

Software Version Numbers ... And The Story They Tell

Although there is no "law" in the software industry pertaining to Version Numbering ... nor what convention requires following ... most major software developers follow the "standard" system of X-Y-Z or Major.Minor.Patch.

Most often you will see software with version numbers such as 3.1.2 or 5.1.0. As mentioned above the FIRST digit is the MAJOR version number ... SECOND digit is MINOR version number ... and THIRD digit is the PATCH or sometimes referred to as the BUILD version number. So what does it all really mean?

MAJOR version numbers change when something significant is rolled out ... new features ... major enhancement ... etc.

MINOR version numbers change when minor changes are made to a release ... minor feature release ... the title basically stays the same with some minor feature enhancements.

PATCH version numbers change when a bug fix or patch is released to repair or correct a bug for a previous version that has been released to the public.

What Story Can Version Numbers Tell to the Consumer?
As far as a consumer is concerned ... version numbers can go beyond just indicating what "model" of the software they are about to purchase or that is in their possession. Version numbers also tell the life story of that software title. As a consumer ... what could they mean for you? Some examples :

(1) Low MAJOR version numbers probably indicate that not a lot of work or enhancements have been developed for the title. If the title has been on the market for say 5-6 years and the major version is still 1 or 2 ... that means there has been less than 1 major release every 2-2.5 years. Not much movement there. Either not many new ideas or not much interest in moving forward.

(2) High MINOR version numbers most likely also means that there are no new ideas on the table. Development has been devoted to slight improvements in the product but no new cutting edge ideas have been developed that would trigger a major release. Again ... the length of time the title has been on the market and the MINOR version number will work together to indicate this inside story.

(3) High PATCH version numbers can tell a deeper tale. Obviously ... if the patch version numbers are high the title has had a lot of issues and the developers have had to release multiple bug fixes and patches to fix those issues. Sure they may be fixing the issues ... but it doesn't project an air of confidence in either the development or the testing.

Just a note on BETA testing as well. BETA testing is performed on a software title prior to release to the public. This is the general way smaller software companies put a title out there so BETA users can use it and report back bugs or other issues that need to be corrected. Smaller developers use this method because most likely they don't have the staff to perform in-depth BETA testing in-house ... or perhaps they are creating software outside the realm of their market experience. In our business ... non-machinists developing software for the machinist. In reality ... the longer the title is in BETA testing ... the bleaker the outlook for a quality product release. Is it because the design is all wrong to begin with? Too many bugs causing release delays? Can't get the features right? Whatever the reason ... long periods of BETA testing usually indicate issues that will follow the title to release and beyond.

How About Kentech Titles and Development?
Here at Kentech Inc. we do follow the Major.Minor.Patch version numbering system. We invite you to take a look at the version numbers for our software titles ... and see the reflection of the pace of our general development .... the pace of ground-breaking major releases ... and the number of patches or builds that accompany those releases. Below is a listing of some of our MAJOR titles ... their life span and version numbers.

KipwareM® - Conversational CNC Programming Software for Milling
Initial Release Date : 1999
Current Version Number : 16.1.0

KipwareT® - Conversational CNC Programming Software for Turning
Initial Release Date : 2001
Current Version Number : 17.0.1

KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Job Costing and Estimating Software 
Initial Release Date : 1996
Current Version Number : 12.3.2

KipwareCYC® - Machining Cycletime Estimating Software
Initial Release Date : 2007
Current Version Number : 5.2.3

In addition ... here are couple of links that outline our development and releases for the years 2013 and 2012 where you can get a quick report on all the releases for that calendar year.

2013 Development Report :
http://kentechinc.blogspot.com/2013/12/yearly-development-report-wow.html

2012 Development Report :

http://kentechinc.blogspot.com/2012/12/wow-what-year-heres-what-we.html

Conclusion ...

We are proud of our achievements ... many have been ground-breaking in our particular market sector. And we are proud to lay out those achievements for all to observe. In both this BLOG and in our software titles and version numbering system as well.

I hope that this short article has assisted you in becoming a little more of an educated consumer pertaining to your software purchases. Because at Kentech Inc. we live with the motto made famous by a local New England clothing store ... "An educated consumer is our best customer."

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

BETA Release - Chinese Version of KipwareQTE®

KipwareQTE® is going to China !!

Kentech Inc. is pleased to announce the BETA release of the Chinese Version of KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Job Costing & Estimating Software. Thanks to the efforts of our new VAR in China ... Randy Gu ... we have finalized the creation of the Chinese interface for KipwareQTE® and are in final BETA testing as of February 25, 2014.

Final release is scheduled by the end of March with other titles to follow as available.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

New Video - Machining Cycletime Estimating with KipwareCYC® from Kentech Inc.

No matter what you are using to produce your cost estimates and quotations ... if you are not realistically estimating your machining cycletime ... you are still GUESSTIMATING. Basing your labor charges on quesses or pie-in-the-sky cutting parameters that result in inaccurate machining cycletimes will still produce inaccurate cost estimates and lost profits.

Since 1986, over 25+ years, our proven-in-the-trenches cycletime estimating software ... KipwareCYC® ... has been providing accurate and fast machining cycletimes that insure that the KEY FACT to successful cycletime estimates is achieved. What is the KEY FACT to accurate cycletime estimates ... THAT THE MACHINING CONDITIONS AND PARAMETERS USED IN THE ESTIMATE CAN ACTUALLY BE REPRODUCED ON YOUR SHOP FLOOR.

Book knowledge ... theoretical speeds and speeds ... fancy speed and feed calculators ... don't do ANY GOOD if those parameters cannot be reproduced on YOU SHOP FLOOR. The numbers sound and look good ... are easy to obtain with those fancy calculators or speed and feed software ... but if they are not being used on your shop floor your estimated time vs. actual time will not be accurate and your cycletime estimates will not be accurate. The result ... longer actual cycletimes and lost profits.

Why and How is KipwareCYC® different?
Check out this past post that lays it all out in detail :
http://kentechinc.blogspot.com/2013/07/accurate-machining-cycletime-estimating.html

Click the image or link above to explore the How's and Why's of
ACCURATE CYCLETIME ESTIMATING

With a New Year upon us and all the possibilities that lay ahead ... are you ready to
STOP GUESSTIMATING and START ESTIMATING ??

We created a new training video that illustrates the process of creating a machining cycletime estimate using our KipwareCYC® application. Why not give it a look?

Click the image above to view this new KipwareCYC® Video Presentation

Click the image above to schedule a live, online demonstration of our KipwareCYC® software.

Click the image above to visit our website and view additional information on KipwareCYC®

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

New Video - Machine Shop Cost Estimating with KipwareQTE®

Since 1986, for over 25+ years, KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Job Costing and Estimating Software from Kentech Inc. has been assisting manuafacturers of all sizes not only WIN MORE WORK ... but WIN MORE PROFITABLE WORK !!

With a New Year upon us and all the possibilities that lay ahead ... are you ready to
STOP GUESSTIMATING and START ESTIMATING ??

We created a new training video that illustrates the process of creating a cost estimate and quotation using our KipwareQTE®. Why not give it a look?

Click the image above to view this new KipwareQTE® Video Presentation

Click the image above to schedule a live, online demonstration of our KipwareQTE® software.

Click the image above to go to our website and get additional information on KipwareQTE®

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

Our View on Using G Code Programs to Estimate Cycletime

Oftentimes when we are demonstrating our KipwareCYC® - Machining Cycletime Estimating Software to clients and ask : "How do you currently estimate cycletime?" ... the answer we often receive is "I create a G code program and then get the run time from that.

Having lived and worked on the shop floor for over 25+ years ... this answer blows us away. But we do understand why they're looking for a better cycletime estimating solution.

Our belief has always been that it's a fine line between obtaining an accurate machining cycletime for an estimate ... and going over the line with both overkill and investing a tremendous amount of time in something that may never lead to results. Creating a G code program ... even though a CAD/CAM package ... and then obtaining a run time off of that G code program is DEFINITELY overkill ... which is why they are seeking a better solution.

Using a G code program for cycletime is a good alternative if you have a job that is currently running or has run on your shop floor and you want to know the cycletime. But for estimating ... we disagree strongly.

KipwareCYC® was designed after years spent creating machine justifications for clients looking to purchase new CNC equipment. Clients wanted to know an accurate run time for their parts on the equipment we were proposing to sell them for production. So ..... if the client decided our machine was it ... that cycletime better be correct.

KipwareCYC® was designed to utilize a perfect blend of time, effort, user input and application calculated data. BUT ... I don't want to go on and on here telling you the how's and why's. Instead ... if you are in the market for a quality cycletime estimating solution ... log on http://www.kentechinc.com/livedemo.shtml. There you can request a date and time that is convenient to attend a live, online demonstration and let us show you how KipwareCYC® can create accurate cycletime estimates for your quotes ... with a minimum of effort.

Let's get that bottom line growing in the coming New Year.
Wishing All a Happy and Prosperous New Year !!

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Reason #5 - TOP 10 Reasons - WHY KIPWARE®? - Real World Estimating

#5 In our Series of the TOP 10 Reasons ... WHY KIPWARE® is :
Real World Estimating

Let's face the facts ... quoting and estimating is the LIFEBLOOD of your business. Period. End of story.

If the jobs don't come in ... or if they come in and your shop is losing money on them ... the shop is on the road to ruin. Sorry ... it's the fact.

Having lived and cut our teeth on the shop floor and in the real world ... we developed KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE® to insure that shops using them not only win work ... but win profitable work. And since 1990 ... shops of all sizes have profited from our design, our development and our experience built into KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE®.

KipwareCYC® was born from the experiences of creating machine justifications while working as an Applications Engineer for a major Japanese machine tool builder. Companies came to us and wanted to know the age old question ... How long is it going to take to machine our parts on your machine? Based on the cycletime estimates I created ... they would either purchase the machine or walk away. If they purchased the machine ... life only got tougher. Now we had to make that cycletime stick ... in the real world. Just like shops do in the real world every day. That experience is built into KipwareCYC® ... and it has been more than proven-in-the-trenches over the years.

As a Manufacturing Engineer in a high production, large volume machine shop ... I had to insure that the cost estimates I presented to our clients were realistic and accurate. An error of even a small amount of say $.25 ... over 10,000 parts ... meant a loss of $2,5000. No small chunk of change ...as I'm sure you know. That's why KipwareQTE® includes things that most cost estimating software don't even think of ... like perishable tooling as one example. Sure you need to drill 25 holes in each part ... is anyone including the cost of the drills when estimating? Real world features and experience like this are built into KipwareQTE®.

If your thinking about your quoting and estimating process ... and all the MRP and ERP talk has got you seeing $$$ signs and "features" you know you'll never use ... we invite you to give KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE® a look. And as you look ... I'm gonna bet you will find yourself more than once saying, "Boy that makes sense."

That's KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE® - Quoting and Estimating for the REAL WORLD.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Reason #7 - TOP 10 Reasons - WHY KIPWARE®? - Quotation Tracking

#7 In our Series of the TOP 10 Reasons ... WHY KIPWARE® is :
Quotation Tracking

The design and development of our KipwareTRK® - Quotation Tracking and Analyzing Software ... is sort of a microcosm of Kentech Inc.. The concept of tracking and analyzing your cost estimating and quoting ... the lifeblood of any job shop ... is an idea that everyone agrees is essential ... but one that hardly anyone really concentrates on. Quotation tracking and analyzing is usually a side note while the main concentration is just to get the quote out the door.

Lost in all the CAD/CAM hype ... lost in all the MRP and ERP hype ... is the concept that even the most expensive software applications with all their pretty pictures and big price tags ... does no good if you can't implement it or if it doesn't fit in your shop. The design and development of all our Kipware® applications are driven by our real world shop floor experiences. Kipware® is not the most expensive option ... doesn't have the prettiest of pictures ... but the real world design and features make them essential tools in any machine shop.

We recently posted here in our BLOG an in-depth article on the how's and why's of quotation tracking that brought out a lot of the reasons of why this is such an essential practice. You can read that blog post here : http://kentechinc.blogspot.com/2013/07/quotation-tracking-why-its-essential-to.html

Our Reason #7 of the TOP 10 Reasons - WHY KIPWARE®? ... ties the fact that quotation tracking is such an essential practice ... with the fact that KipwareTRK® is one of the only packages on the market to helps shops implement that practice !! The mere fact that we designed and built KipwareTRK® says tons about who we are ... what we do ... and WHY you should consider Kipware® for your shop. Our shop floor experiences ... the things we saw lacking in the REAL WORLD ... the things we saw that were overkill in the real world ... the things we saw that were a detriment to productivity in the REAL WORLD ... these are the things that have led to our Kipware® product line.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Accurate Machining CycleTime Estimating - The Key

No matter what system you utilize to create your cost estimates and quotes ... everything starts with an accurate machining cycletime estimate. The phrase ... "Oh, that should take about two and a half minutes to machine." ... is doing more harm to your bottom line than you are probably even aware. This type of guesstimating ... especially when it comes to machining cycletime ... is throwing the whole cost estimating process that comes down the line into question.

If the machining cycletime estimate is not correct ... you could be winning work ... but unprofitable work. And that's just what your shop doesn't need ... wasting time manufacturing parts that are losing you money. Taking machine time and employee energy away profitable work.

So what is the KEY to accurate cycletime estimating?

Having lived and "grown up" on the shop floor ... we realize that the MAIN KEY to accurate cycletime estimating is to utilize the cutting conditions and parameters that can actually be reproduced on your shop floor ... with your equipment.

It doesn't do any good to estimate using an RPM or SFM and feedrate that your shop floor can never duplicate ... or utilize a method of machining that your shop floor would never follow or duplicate.

Sure cycletime estimating software that has feature recognition and auto-determines the method of machining will get you a time quickly and get that estimate done quickly ... but what good is it if your shop floor would never machine the part using the method the software determined?

Cycletime estimating software that boasts thousands of materials and speeds and feeds is expensive and seems powerful and complete ... but if your shop floor can't duplicate that "book knowledge" speeds and feeds ... what good is it?

So Kentech's KipwareCYC® software is different? How?

It certainly is ... and I'm glad you asked.

First : 
KipwareCYC® is a database driven application ... utilizing a user-defined database for machine specifications ( max RPM, rapid rates, tool change time, etc. ) and user-defined cutting parameters ( speeds, feeds for various materials and machining operations ). This insures that the calculated times accurately reflect what happens on your shop floor ... the key to accurate cycleltime estimating. You create the database and input YOUR specifications and cutting parameters.

Second : 
Using the various outputs and travelers available from KipwareCYC® ... the more you use the software, the more accurate it becomes. For example : the Routing Sheet that is automatically created from KipwareCYC® provides the operator / set-up personnel with a complete list of cutting parameters and times for each operation as the part moves through the shop. This means he has a targeted RPM, feedrate and time for each operation. If any of those factors cannot be achieved ... a report back to the estimate creator will result in an adjustment to the database information ... perhaps a revision to the SFM or feedrate or chip load used for a specific machining operation. Next time ... the RPM and feedrate will be more accurate. So the more you use the software ... the more accurate it becomes.

Ugh ... Entering ALL that database information !!!
Actually ... a couple of points that may have crossed your mind. First ... we do ship KipwareCYC® with installed database information for common machines, materials and cutting parameters. But again ... this is just to get you started ... you really need to make the database information your own. Here is what we recommend.

Let's say today you receive an RFQ for a 316 stainless part that requires some turning. You gather the machine specs for the lathe you're going to use and grab the normal cutting parameters the shop uses for 316 stainless. One additional point here ... most shops use a common insert that works well for them for specific machining operations ... there really isn't a need for a dramatic, all encompassing speeds and feeds database with info you'll probably never use ... let's keep it simple and keep it real. So you enter that data and now ... 316 stainless is done !! Next time you get an RFQ the info is all there and ready to go. With this system ... you are building the database as you are preparing quotes and winning work !!! It's a win -win ... with long term benefits.

So ... the moral of the story is?
No matter how you are arriving at your machining cycletime estimate ... the one certainty is to insure that it is utilizing the cutting conditions and parameters that can actually be reproduced on your shop floor ... with your equipment.

If you are looking for a software application what will insure that key ... we invite you to check out our KipwareCYC - Machining CycleTime Estimating software HERE.

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

Quotation Tracking -- Why It's Essential to Your Business

Regardless of how or what you use to produce your quotations ... once they are delivered ... what next?

As essential as producing an accurate cost estimate and delivering it in a timely manner ... the "what next" is just as or perhaps even more essential to your business's bottom line. Having a tool that can help you understand ... really understand ... your quoting and estimating process can mean the difference between winning work and winning profitable work ... or simply spinning your wheels, losing money without even realizing it or just plain ole losing out to the competition.

And we are not just talking about following up on your quotes with your customer ... we're talking about really getting under the hood and inspecting your quoting and estimating process in detail.

Having lived and grown up on the shop floor ... Kentech Inc. has created a variety of real world machine shop software applications to address the needs we actually experienced during those years "in the trenches". Their designs are easy-to-learn and easy-to-use because they are stripped of all the clutter and useless functions no one ever uses. Their purpose is not to be the most expensive or to have the prettiest pictures ... their purpose is to enable and empower our users to solve the real world issues their shop faces every day.

Our KipwareTRK® - Quotation Tracking and Analyzing Software fits that mold exactly. KipwareTRK® is a powerful tool that will allow you to really get under the hood of your quoting and estimating process to get answers to questions like :

• Which quotes need to be followed up on?
• Which follow-up method works the best?
• Why are we winning work? ... Why are we losing work?
• Why are we winning more aluminum work and less stainless work?
• Why are we losing milling work but winning turning work?
• What industry is most of our work coming from?
• What quantity range do we most commonly win ... or lose?
• In what price range are we most effective?
• ... virtually just about any question you have can be answered with KipwareTRK®

Because KipwareTRK® is user defined ... it's capabilities are virtually limitless. What do we mean by "user defined"?

In KipwareTRK®, the user has the capabilities to completely set-up the software and it's criteria's. First ... the user can define up to (16) main criteria categories. Some examples might be :

• Industry
• Quantity Awarded
• Result
• Follow-Up Status
• Material
• Reason for Acceptance
• Type of Machining
• ... or anything else the user decides.

Next ... the user has the ability to define an unlimited number of sub-categories under each one of the (16) main criteria. Some examples might be :

• Under Industry : Aerospace, Prototype, Energy, etc., etc.
• Under Quantity : 1-50, 51-100, 101-150,  etc., etc.
• Under Result : Quote Awarded, Quote Delivered Late, Quote Too High,  etc., etc.
• Under Follow-Up Status : Email Required, Phone Call Required,  etc., etc.
• Under Type of Machining : Mill-Turn, Grinding, Milling, Turning, Waterjet, etc., etc.
• Under material : Steel, Tool Steel, Aluminum, etc., etc.

Because each one of the (16) main categories can have an unlimited number of sub-categories ... the power and detail available in KipwareTRK® is expanded exponentially.

But what happens with all that data?

Combine all that information with powerful sort ... filter ... and graphing tools ... and KipwateTRK® allows you to view and analyze your quoting and estimating process in ways never before imaginable. KipwareTRK® really allows you to get under the hood ... inspect the details ... and adjust your approach to quoting and estimating to insure that process extends beyond just delivering the quotation.

Make sense?

We invite you to explore KipwareTRK® in greater detail ... watch the video presentation ... or arrange for a live, online demo at the KipwareTRK® page of your website here : http://www.machineshopsoftware.com/KipwareTRK.html.

Did we mention that KipwareTRK® can also be used to track product through the shop? ... well that's a story for another post ... or can you visualize the possibilities?

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.