For Custom Fabrication Shops

Stop Losing High-Value Leads To Generic CRM Nightmares

You're probably thinking, 'Another tool to learn?' Let's be honest, off-the-shelf CRMs force you into rigid boxes that don't fit your shop's fast-paced quoting and custom order cycles. We build a lead management system that's custom-coded for your fabrication workflow, cutting lead response time by 40% and boosting conversions on those complex steel frame projects.

Join 150+ businesses with streamlined lead pipelines

Respond to RFQs in under 2 hours, not days
Prioritize leads based on project complexity and profitability
Integrate seamlessly with your CAD software and ERP

The "Fragmented Lead Flow" Problem

RFQs for Custom Steel Fabrications Get Buried in Email Inboxes Amid Project Bids

Inaccurate Lead Qualification Wastes Time on Unfeasible CNC Milling Jobs

No Seamless Integration with CAD Software and Raw Material Inventory Systems

Seasonal Demand Spikes for Structural Components Overwhelm Manual Tracking During Peak Construction Seasons

Lost Follow-Ups on Inquiries for Bespoke Welding and Assembly Services

ROI Blind Spots from Untracked Lead Sources Like Trade Show Booth Visits or Subcontractor Referrals

Our Custom CRM for Lead Management

We've engineered AI-powered CRMs for over 50 fabrication shops, turning chaotic inquiries into predictable revenue streams.

Why Choose Us

Here's the thing: your fabrication shop isn't like a cookie-cutter retailer. You're dealing with bespoke metalwork, tight deadlines, and clients who need precise quotes for everything from aluminum enclosures to structural beams. We don't slap together templates. Instead, we craft a lead management CRM from the ground up, tailored to your exact needs—like auto-pulling material specs from your inventory database to speed up quoting. It's flexible, scalable, and built to handle the unpredictability of custom orders. No more fighting software; this is your workflow, amplified.

What Makes Us Different:

AI-driven lead scoring that factors in project scale and material requirements
Seamless integration with tools like SolidWorks and your shop floor ERP
Real-time dashboards tracking leads from initial RFQ to signed contract

Why This Transforms Your Shop

Faster Quote Turnarounds

Imagine slashing your RFQ response time from days to hours for urgent bridge girder fabrications. Our custom system auto-fills quote templates with lead data, pulling in current steel prices from suppliers and your shop's real-time capacity from ERP. Shops using this see a 35% uptick in won bids, especially on time-sensitive custom jobs like modular building components.

Smarter Lead Prioritization

You're probably thinking, 'How do I know which leads are worth the laser cutter setup for precision aluminum extrusions?' We build in AI that scores prospects based on fabrication feasibility from CAD uploads, budget signals from bid histories, and historical conversion rates for similar rebar projects. This means your team focuses on high-ROI projects, like that repeat client needing 500 precision parts for HVAC enclosures, boosting close rates by 28% within the first quarter.

Streamlined Workflow Ownership

Ditch the subscription trap for generic tools. Our solution gives you full ownership—no more juggling apps that break during peak production runs on large-scale steel framing orders. It's a unified system that evolves with your shop, from tracking aluminum sheet inquiries for roofing panels to forecasting demand for welding services during infrastructure booms, saving you 15 hours a week on admin while scaling with your growth.

What Clients Say

"Before AIQ Labs, our leads from trade shows were piling up in spreadsheets, and we'd miss follow-ups on big structural steel orders for commercial builds. Now, the custom CRM flags urgent RFQs automatically, integrating with our inventory for real-time steel availability checks, and we've closed three major contracts worth over $500K in the last quarter that we would've lost. It's like having an extra estimator on the floor during crunch time."

Mike Harlan

Shop Manager, Precision Fab Works – Specializing in Structural Steel for Commercial Construction

"We were using a generic CRM that couldn't handle our custom part quoting for aluminum enclosures—too many fields didn't match our workflow with SolidWorks files. AIQ built us something that integrates directly with our CNC software and pulls inventory data, cutting lead qualification time in half from 4 hours to 2 per RFQ. Last month alone, it helped us prioritize a $150K aluminum fabrication job for industrial shelving that turned into a repeat client with quarterly orders."

Sarah Ruiz

Operations Director, Metro Metal Crafters – Experts in Custom Aluminum Components for Manufacturing Facilities

"Honest talk: our old system choked during busy seasons with all the enclosure inquiries for site-specific modular units, leading to overlooked deadlines. This custom setup scores leads by material needs like galvanized steel and urgency based on project timelines, so we're not chasing dead ends on incompatible specs. We've seen a 40% drop in wasted quoting hours over six months, and our team's actually excited to log leads now instead of dreading the backlog."

Tom Becker

Owner, Apex Custom Fab – Leader in Modular Enclosures for Construction Sites

Simple 3-Step Process

Step 1

Discovery and Mapping

We dive into your shop's lead flow— from phone inquiries about custom brackets to online RFQs for beam fabrication. Together, we map out your unique pain points, like syncing with inventory for real-time material availability.

Step 2

Custom Design and Build

Using advanced AI frameworks, we construct your CRM from scratch. It's not a template; we code in features like predictive scoring for high-margin projects, ensuring it fits your workflow like a perfectly cut steel plate.

Step 3

Integration and Launch

We wire it into your existing tools—ERP, CAD, even field tablets for on-site quotes. Then, we train your team and launch, with ongoing tweaks to handle evolving needs like new welding techniques or seasonal surges.

Why We're Different

We build from code, not no-code hacks, so your CRM scales with shop growth without crashing during high-volume orders
True ownership means no vendor lock-in—you control the system, updating it for specific fabrication challenges like alloy sourcing
AIQ Labs engineers focus on ROI, delivering measurable wins like 30% faster lead conversion, unlike assemblers piecing together fragile tools
We integrate deeply with industry-specific software, avoiding the superficial links that break when your ERP updates
Our solutions are field-tested in real shops, ensuring they handle the grit of fabrication—from dusty shop floors to precise tolerances
No subscription chaos; we create a single, owned asset that eliminates the 20+ tools most shops juggle
We prioritize practical outcomes, like auto-generating quotes based on current mill prices, over flashy but useless features
Built by former manufacturers who get the frustration of mismatched software in a hands-on environment
Custom AI models trained on your data alone, respecting the proprietary nature of your fabrication processes
Ongoing support from builders who iterate based on your feedback, not rigid vendor roadmaps

What's Included

AI-powered lead scoring tailored to fabrication project complexity and profitability
Automated RFQ intake from email, web forms, and trade show uploads
Real-time integration with CAD tools for instant design feasibility checks
Custom dashboards tracking lead status from inquiry to production handoff
Predictive analytics for demand forecasting on custom parts like enclosures and frames
Mobile access for field reps to update leads during site visits
Automated follow-up sequences based on client response patterns
Inventory-linked quoting that pulls current material costs and availability
Compliance-ready tracking for regulated fabrication jobs in construction
Exportable reports for ROI analysis on lead sources like industry expos
Voice-enabled lead entry for quick shop floor logging
Scalable architecture to handle growing order volumes without slowdowns

Common Questions

How does this custom CRM handle the unique quoting needs of a fabrication shop?

In custom fabrication, quotes aren't simple—they involve material specs, tolerances, and shop capacity. We build your CRM to auto-populate quote forms with data from your inventory and CAD systems, factoring in variables like steel grade or aluminum thickness. For example, if a lead inquires about 100 custom brackets, it pulls real-time pricing and flags any supply chain delays. This cuts manual entry by 50%, letting your estimators focus on value-add details. We've seen shops reduce quote errors from 15% to under 2%, directly boosting your win rate on competitive bids. It's all coded to your exact workflow, no forcing square pegs into round holes.

What makes this different from off-the-shelf CRMs like Salesforce for my shop?

Off-the-shelf options are built for broad industries, so they bog down fabrication shops with irrelevant fields and poor integration with tools like SolidWorks or your ERP. Our custom CRM is engineered specifically for you—think lead scoring that weighs project ROI based on welding hours or material waste, not just generic demographics. We avoid the bloat; instead, it's a lean system that syncs RFQ data directly to production schedules. One client, a steel fabricator, ditched Salesforce after integrations kept failing during peak seasons. With us, they now handle 200+ leads monthly without a hitch, owning the whole setup without endless subscriptions.

How long does it take to build and implement this lead management system?

Timeline depends on your shop's complexity, but most fabrication clients see a working prototype in 4-6 weeks, with full rollout in 8-10 weeks. We start with a deep dive into your current lead flow—say, how RFQs come in via email or portals—then build iteratively. Testing happens in your environment, like simulating a rush order for structural beams. Post-launch, we provide hands-on training for your team, ensuring quick adoption. A recent project for an aluminum shop went live in 7 weeks, and they were processing leads 30% faster within the first month. We're ROI-driven, so we prioritize speed without cutting corners on robustness.

Can this integrate with our existing shop management software?

Absolutely—integration is our specialty. Whether you're using Epicor for ERP, AutoCAD for designs, or something custom for inventory, we create secure, two-way APIs that keep data flowing seamlessly. For instance, a new lead for custom panels triggers an availability check in your stock system, updating the quote in real-time. No more double-entry that leads to errors on the shop floor. We've connected to over 20 manufacturing tools, handling everything from barcode scanners to CNC machines. One fabrication shop integrated ours with their legacy system in just two weeks, eliminating the manual handoffs that were costing them hours daily.

What kind of support do you provide after the CRM is built?

We treat it like your own asset, offering ongoing support to keep it sharp as your shop evolves. That includes monthly check-ins for the first quarter, then quarterly reviews to tweak features—like adding AI for predicting seasonal spikes in enclosure demands. If a new material sourcing challenge arises, we update the system without downtime. Our team, with roots in manufacturing, understands field-tested needs, so support is practical: remote access for quick fixes, plus on-site if needed for complex setups. Clients report 99% uptime, and we've helped one shop adapt their CRM for a major expansion, scaling leads from 50 to 300 per month without issues.

How do you ensure data security for sensitive fabrication leads?

Security is non-negotiable in fabrication, where leads often include proprietary designs or client specs. We build with enterprise-grade encryption, role-based access (e.g., estimators see quotes, but not full client financials), and compliance with standards like ISO 9001. Data stays on your servers or secure cloud you control—no third-party risks. For example, we anonymize sensitive CAD attachments until verified. Regular audits and AI-driven anomaly detection catch issues early. A defense contractor client praised our setup for passing their strict audits, ensuring leads for custom armor plating stayed locked down while streamlining their pipeline.

Ready to Get Started?

Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.