Stop Guessing on Weld Yields and Lead Times Get Crystal-Clear Visibility into Your Shop Floor Operations
Imagine slashing material waste by 25% and cutting project delays by 40% with dashboards that pull real-time data from your CNC machines, inventory systems, and field reports—no more chasing shadows across your fab shop.
Join 150+ fabrication shops driving <span class="gradient">20-30% efficiency gains</span> with AIQ Labs
The "Shop Floor Blind Spots" Problem
Scattered Data from CNC Machines, ERP Systems, and Field Welding Reports
Delayed Material Lead Times Eating into Deadlines
Unseen Weld Defects and Scrap Piling Up from Faulty Plasma Cuts
Overloaded Workforce Schedules Causing Burnout
Inaccurate Job Costing from Manual Tracking Errors in Sheet Metal Bending and Assembly
Supply Chain Disruptions Hiding in Supplier Silos for Structural Steel and Fasteners
Custom-Built Dashboards That Fit Your Fabrication Workflow Like a Perfect Jig
We've engineered solutions for over 50 fabrication shops, integrating shop floor data with field ops to deliver ROI in under 90 days
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, running a custom fab shop means juggling blueprints, machine logs, and on-site changes without a clear view. You're probably thinking, 'Another dashboard? We've seen those cookie-cutter ones that don't touch our unique processes.' Here's the thing: we build yours from the ground up, tailored to your exact setup—whether it's tracking laser cut yields or monitoring powder coat curing times. No templates. Just a unified system that connects your ERP, IoT sensors on mills and lathes, and mobile updates from the crew. It's like having a digital foreman who never sleeps, giving you actionable insights to keep projects humming and profits solid.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Field-Tested Gains for Your Fab Shop
Real-Time Production Visibility
Real-Time Production Visibility: See exactly what's happening on the floor—from CNC spindle speeds to welder arc times—machine uptime hits 95%, scrap drops 22% as you catch issues like misaligned tolerances before they waste steel beams. No more flying blind during rush jobs on bridge girders; decisions are data-driven, keeping your bids competitive for commercial builds.
Smarter Resource Allocation
Smarter Resource Allocation: Track labor and materials in one glance, optimizing shifts to avoid overtime spikes by 30% on rebar detailing projects. For instance, when a big structural steel order comes in, you forecast needs accurately using inventory levels for plates and angles, preventing the chaos of rushed supplier calls mid-project during peak construction season.
Faster, Informed Decision-Making
Faster, Informed Decision-Making: Actionable insights mean quoting jobs 40% quicker with precise cost projections for custom HVAC ductwork. Imagine spotting a bottleneck in your bending brake early via live feed data—adjust on the fly, deliver ahead of schedule for high-rise installs, and win repeat contracts from satisfied general contractors.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ's dashboard, we were losing hours every week reconciling shop logs with our ERP for beam fabrication runs. Now, with real-time views of our CNC queue and material stocks for I-beams and channels, we've cut lead times from 10 days to 6 on custom orders, and our error rate on structural brackets dropped to under 2%. It's like finally having eyes on every corner of the shop floor during tight deadlines."
Mike Harlan
Operations Manager, SteelForge Fabrications Inc., specializing in commercial steel structures
"Our team was buried in spreadsheets tracking weld inspections across three job sites for piping systems. The custom setup they built integrates our field tablets with the main dashboard— we've reduced rework by 35% on stainless steel welds and caught a faulty batch of aluminum extrusions before it shipped to the site. ROI was clear in the first month after implementation."
Sarah Ruiz
Shop Supervisor, Apex Metalworks LLC, focused on industrial piping and fabrication
"I was skeptical about another tool, but this one's built around our plasma cutting workflow for sheet metal enclosures. Visibility into job progress helped us hit 98% on-time delivery last quarter for electrical panel assemblies, up from 82%. No more surprises with client deadlines on modular construction projects—it's transformed how we run the floor."
Tom Becker
Owner, Precision Fab Co., experts in custom metal enclosures for construction
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Mapping
We dive into your shop's operations, mapping out pain points like data gaps in your routing software or field reporting lags. Together, we pinpoint the KPIs that matter most, from cycle times to defect rates.
Custom Design and Build
Using your input, we craft a dashboard tailored to your workflow—integrating sensors from your fab equipment and mobile inputs from crews. It's tested against real scenarios, like a high-volume ductwork run, to ensure it fits like a glove.
Deployment and Optimization
We roll it out with hands-on training for your team, then monitor and tweak based on live data. Over the first 30 days, we refine for peak performance, delivering insights that boost your throughput right away.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How do your dashboards handle data from our existing shop equipment?
We start by assessing your setup—think CNC mills, plasma tables, or welding rigs with IoT sensors. Our team builds secure, two-way integrations that pull live data without disrupting operations. For example, in a recent fab shop project, we connected their ERP to machine controllers, delivering real-time uptime stats that cut unplanned downtime by 28%. It's all custom-coded for reliability, so you avoid the integration headaches of generic tools. Setup takes 4-6 weeks, with testing to ensure it matches your workflow, like tracking cut yields on aluminum extrusions. You're in control, owning the data flow end-to-end.
What makes these dashboards different from off-the-shelf options like Tableau?
Off-the-shelf tools are great for basic charts, but they don't grasp the nuances of a fab shop—like correlating weld cycle times with material thickness or flagging tolerances in real-time from your lathe feeds. We custom-build yours to fit exactly, using advanced frameworks for scalability. No templates; it's tailored, say, to monitor powder coating throughput across shifts. Shops using our systems report 35% faster insights, because we eliminate manual tweaks. Plus, you own it—no recurring fees eating into your margins. We've seen clients ditch three subscriptions for one unified view, saving $15K annually while boosting on-time deliveries.
How quickly can we see ROI from a custom dashboard?
Most fab shops see payback in 60-90 days. Take a client with structural steel work: their old process involved weekly manual logs, leading to 15% overages in material use. Our dashboard provided instant visibility, reducing scrap by 22% and speeding quotes by 40%. We focus on high-impact KPIs like job costing accuracy, which directly hits your bottom line. Implementation is phased—discovery in week one, prototype by week four—so you get early wins. Long-term, it scales with growth, preventing costly bottlenecks as you take on bigger contracts. It's practical, field-tested ROI, not hype.
Can the dashboard integrate with our mobile field reporting?
Absolutely, and it's a game-changer for distributed fab ops. We connect it to apps on crew tablets or phones, capturing updates like on-site measurements or assembly tweaks directly into the main dashboard. For a recent project with modular building components, this integration synced field changes with shop schedules, cutting revision loops by 50%. Data flows securely via APIs, updating KPIs like progress against blueprints in real-time. No more email chains or lost notes—it's all centralized. We train your team for quick adoption, ensuring even foremen without tech backgrounds can use it effortlessly during installs.
What kind of security do you build into these dashboards for sensitive fab data?
Security is non-negotiable in manufacturing, especially with proprietary designs and client specs. We use enterprise-grade encryption for all data in transit and at rest, compliant with standards like ISO 9001 for quality traceability. Role-based permissions mean only authorized eyes see details, like bid pricing or custom alloy formulas. In one deployment for a shop handling aerospace parts, we added audit logs tracking every access, helping them pass rigorous supplier audits. Our systems are hosted on secure clouds with failover redundancy, so downtime never hits your production visibility. It's built tough, like your best weld—reliable under pressure.
How customizable are the dashboards for our specific fabrication processes?
As custom as your shop's blueprints. We don't do one-size-fits-all; instead, we map your exact processes—whether it's pipe bending for HVAC or laser etching for signage—and build interfaces around them. For a client specializing in ornamental metalwork, we created widgets for tracking intricate weld patterns and finish inspections, pulling from their specific tools. You dictate the layout, alerts, and metrics, like setting thresholds for bend radii or surface prep times. Iterations happen collaboratively, with prototypes tested on real jobs. The result? A tool that feels like an extension of your team, driving decisions that align perfectly with your ROI goals.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.