Stop Losing Fabrication Jobs to Scheduling Mix-Ups Streamline Appointments with Custom AI Booking
Imagine cutting no-shows by 40% and filling your shop's schedule without the chaos of overlapping shifts or forgotten client pickups. We're here to build that for you.
Join 150+ fabrication businesses with seamless, 24/7 scheduling
The "Scheduling Bottleneck" Problem
Manual calendars cause double-booked welding bays for structural steel projects, delaying entire production runs by 2-3 days
Field teams overlooking scheduled site visits for precise measurements on custom HVAC ductwork installations
Client no-shows for picking up pre-fabricated rebar assemblies, clogging yard storage and increasing rust risk from exposure
Inaccurate lead times triggering rushed setups on CNC plasma cutters for sheet metal parts, spiking overtime costs by 20-30%
Siloed systems between shop floor ERP and sales CRM, causing lost urgent orders for custom boiler plate fabrications
Seasonal surges in commercial build-outs overwhelming paper-based booking, missing deadlines on precast concrete subcontracts
Our Tailored AI Booking System – Built for Your Fabrication Workflow
We've engineered solutions for over 50 manufacturing shops, turning chaotic schedules into precision operations that drive ROI.
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, off-the-shelf booking apps are like using a generic blueprint for a custom steel frame – they bend under pressure and never quite fit. At AIQ Labs, we build your appointment system from the ground up, integrating it directly with your shop management software, inventory trackers, and even field apps for on-site measurements. You're probably thinking, 'How does this handle our variable job sizes?' We train the AI on your historical data – think past lead times for plasma cutting or assembly – to predict and slot bookings perfectly. It's flexible, scalable, and yours to own, not some rented template that breaks when your workflow evolves.
What Makes Us Different:
Why This Custom Fit Transforms Your Shop
Maximize Shop Floor Efficiency
Maximize Shop Floor Efficiency: No more idle CNC mills waiting on delayed appointments for aluminum tooling. Our system optimizes slots based on your actual throughput – like 4-hour cycles for precision machining – cutting downtime by up to 25% and letting you handle 15% more custom orders without expanding your welding crew.
Boost Client Satisfaction and Repeat Business
Boost Client Satisfaction and Repeat Business: Automated reminders via text or voice ensure clients show up for pickups of fabricated truss components, reducing no-shows by 40%. Imagine a general contractor getting a ping about their site-delivered steel beams – they arrive prepared, rave about your reliability, and line up the next phase of their high-rise project.
Cut Administrative Overhead in Half
Cut Administrative Overhead in Half: Your team spends less time chasing quotes and more on core tasks like MIG welding setups. The AI handles initial bookings, conflict checks with shop calendars, and rescheduling around press brake maintenance, freeing up 10-15 hours weekly for value-add work such as prototyping new enclosure designs.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ, our shop was chaos with overlapping bookings – we'd have two teams queued for the same CNC router slot on plywood templates. After their custom integration, we've slashed conflicts by 70%, synced it with our MRP system for real-time material checks, and our crew's wrapping shifts without the usual overtime grind."
Mike Harlan
Lead Welder and Scheduler, Precision Metals Fabrication Inc.
"I doubted AI for scheduling, but it now auto-books field visits for on-site measurements of custom piping fittings without any hassle from me. Last quarter, no-shows dropped from 25% to under 5% for our stainless steel orders, landing us three repeat gigs on industrial plumbing installs – ROI was immediate."
Sarah Kline
Production Coordinator, Custom Alloy Fabricators LLC
"Our legacy Excel sheets buckled under summer bridge repair rushes. AIQ's tool forecasts delays from rain or steel supplier backlogs – we've boosted on-time deliveries to 95% from 72% this year, especially for girder shipments, and the team's not burning out on crunches anymore."
Tom Reyes
General Manager, Riverside Structural Fabricators
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Mapping
We dive into your current workflow – from quoting custom parts to scheduling assembly – to identify pain points like frequent reschedules during peak building seasons. This ensures the system is built around your exact needs.
Custom Design and Build
Our engineers craft the AI booking engine, integrating it with your tools for seamless data flow. We test it against real scenarios, like booking a full-day CNC run without overlaps.
Deployment and Optimization
We roll it out with training for your team, then monitor and tweak based on live data – ensuring it adapts as your shop scales up fabrication volume.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does this integrate with my existing shop management software?
We start by mapping your current setup – whether it's something like JobBOSS or a custom ERP – and build two-way API connections for real-time data flow. For instance, when a new custom bracket job is quoted, the system automatically suggests available slots based on your CNC queue. No more manual entries that lead to errors. We've done this for shops with legacy systems, ensuring minimal disruption, and it typically takes 4-6 weeks to fully integrate. The result? A unified view where bookings reflect actual shop capacity, reducing overcommitment by 30% right away. You're in control, and we provide ongoing support to keep everything humming.
Can the system handle variable job lengths in fabrication?
Absolutely. Unlike rigid templates, our AI analyzes your past data – say, average times for TIG welding versus sheet metal forming – to create flexible slots. If a job balloons due to design changes, it auto-adjusts downstream bookings without chaos. We've built this for a shop handling everything from prototypes to large-scale assemblies, where jobs can swing from 2 hours to 2 days. Clients see fewer delays, and your team gets accurate forecasts. Setup involves feeding in 6-12 months of historical logs, and the system refines itself over time, often improving accuracy to 90% within the first quarter.
What about security for sensitive client blueprints and schedules?
Security is non-negotiable in fabrication, where IP like custom designs is gold. We encrypt all data end-to-end, using role-based access so only authorized crew see schedules tied to specific projects. Compliance with standards like ISO 27001 is baked in, and we conduct regular audits. For example, in a recent build for a structural fab shop, we added watermarking for shared files and audit logs for every booking change. No breaches in our deployments, and you own the system, so no third-party risks from cloud rentals. We walk you through it during onboarding to ensure it fits your protocols.
How much does a custom booking system cost for a mid-sized fab shop?
Costs vary by complexity, but for a typical 50-employee shop with moderate integrations, expect $25,000-$45,000 upfront for design, build, and launch – far less than years of subscription fees and lost productivity. We focus on ROI: One client recouped their investment in 4 months by filling 20% more slots and cutting admin time. No ongoing licenses since it's yours; just optional maintenance at $500/month if needed. We provide a detailed quote after discovery, breaking down value like time savings (e.g., 15 hours/week) against the build. It's an asset that pays dividends, not a recurring expense.
Will my team need training to use the new booking system?
We keep it simple and intuitive, designed for shop-floor users who aren't tech wizards. Initial training is 2-4 hours, covering basics like booking a plasma cut job or checking conflicts via the mobile interface. We use familiar analogies, like comparing the calendar to your shop whiteboard, but smarter. For a recent rollout at a metalworking firm, 90% of the team was up to speed in one session, with quick-reference guides for edge cases like rush orders. Post-launch, we offer a 30-day support window for tweaks, ensuring adoption is smooth and everyone sees the benefits fast – no steep learning curve holding back your workflow.
What if our fabrication needs change seasonally?
Flexibility is core – we build the system to adapt without rebuilds. For seasonal spikes, like summer construction booms, the AI scales capacity predictions using your data patterns, auto-expanding slots or prioritizing urgent subcontracts. One client in HVAC fabrication uses it to handle 2x volume in peak months, with rules for overtime alerts. Updates are modular; if you add a new laser cutter, we tweak integrations in days, not months. It's like reinforcing a bridge for heavier loads – sturdy and adjustable. We monitor performance quarterly to proactively refine, keeping your operations ahead of the curve.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.