Stop Overstocking Raw Materials and Missing Deadlines on Custom Jobs Custom Inventory Forecasting Built for Your Shop Floor
Imagine cutting excess steel inventory by 30% while ensuring you never run out during a rush fabrication order. That's the reality for shops using our tailored AI systems—no more guesswork, just precise predictions tied to your unique project cycles.
Join 150+ businesses with optimized stock levels and faster project turnarounds
The "Fabrication Forecasting" Problem
Guessing 16-gauge steel sheet needs for variable custom structural orders leads to scrap piles of offcuts and storage headaches in crowded fab shops
Seasonal construction slowdowns in winter leave you with excess inventory of Schedule 40 PVC pipes and brass fittings that sit idle for months, tying up yard space
Unpredictable client revisions on steel fabrication jobs cause rush orders and premium shipping costs for missing 6061-T6 aluminum alloys needed for load-bearing beams
Manual tracking of raw material usage like rebar and concrete additives across multiple job sites results in overordering and tied-up capital in remote warehouse lots
Supply chain delays for custom-machined fittings hit hard when you can't forecast accurately for peak manufacturing runs of HVAC ductwork assemblies
Welding consumables like E7018 electrodes get wasted because generic forecasts ignore your shop's specific project mixes of pipe welding and structural steel joins
Our Tailored AI Forecasting Solution
We've helped fabrication shops like yours cut inventory costs by 25% on average, drawing from years of building field-tested AI for manufacturing workflows
Why Choose Us
Here's the thing—you're probably thinking off-the-shelf software can't handle the chaos of custom fabrication, from one-off steel beams to batch runs of custom brackets. Let's be honest, those generic tools treat every shop the same, ignoring your unique mix of client specs, material variances, and job site demands. At AIQ Labs, we build your inventory forecasting system from the ground up. It's custom-coded to analyze your historical order data, project timelines, and even external factors like construction permit delays. No cookie-cutter dashboards. Just a flexible tool that integrates with your CAD software, ERP, and supplier portals, predicting exactly when you'll need that next shipment of titanium tubing. Think of it like a master blueprint for your stockroom—precise, adaptable, and built to scale with your growing shop.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Real ROI on Your Inventory
Slash Overstock and Free Up Cash
Picture this: instead of tying up $50K in unused 304 stainless steel sheets for a slow winter bridge project, our custom system predicts demand down to the square foot using BIM data integration, cutting excess by 30% and boosting your working capital for new CNC machines or skilled welders within the next quarter.
Prevent Stockouts on Tight Deadlines
When a big-box retailer rushes a custom electrical enclosure order for a warehouse fit-out, you won't scramble for last-minute 80/20 aluminum extrusions. Our forecasts, tuned to your fabrication workflows, ensure materials arrive just in time via optimized routing, reducing project delays by up to 40% and keeping your on-site crews welding and assembling without downtime.
Streamline Supplier Orders for Efficiency
No more haggling with steel suppliers over minimum orders of I-beams that don't fit your bridge fabrication rhythm. Get automated alerts for optimal reorders based on real-time job site pulls, saving 15-20 hours a week on manual checks and negotiating better terms like volume discounts on precise tonnage predictions for the upcoming fiscal year.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ, we were drowning in extra 4/0 copper wiring after a mild commercial construction season—lost about $12K in write-offs on unused spools. Their custom forecast nailed our needs for the next big solar panel mounting fab job, pulling from our ERP data, and we've cut inventory holding costs by 28% in just four months. It's like having a crystal ball for the shop floor that actually understands panel racking tolerances."
Mike Rivera
Operations Manager, Precision Metalworks Inc.
"Custom jobs mean everything changes overnight, like when a client revised specs on a high-rise curtain wall, and our old spreadsheet method left us short on ASTM A36 galvanized steel twice last year, delaying two major installs by weeks. AIQ built this forecasting tool that pulls from our job bids, AutoCAD files, and learns from past overruns on cladding panels. Turnaround time improved by 35%, and the team loves the real-time alerts on mobile for site adjustments."
Sarah Chen
Inventory Lead, BuildForge Fabrication
"We handle a lot of one-offs for commercial HVAC custom parts, like variable air volume boxes, and predicting consumables like Lincoln Electric flux was a nightmare with our diverse weld schedules. After implementing their system six months ago, we reduced emergency orders from weekly to monthly, saving around $8K annually on rush fees for titanium alloys. It's practical, integrates with our Mastercam CAM software seamlessly—no fluff, just better flow for the night shift."
Tom Hargrove
Shop Foreman, Apex Custom Alloys
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Workflow Mapping
We dive into your shop's operations—reviewing past fabrication logs, supplier patterns, and project variability—to understand your exact needs. This ensures the AI is tuned to your reality, not some generic model.
Custom AI Model Development
Our engineers build and train the forecasting engine using your data, incorporating factors like material lead times and custom order spikes. We test it against real scenarios, like a sudden bridge repair rush, for accuracy.
Integration and Launch
We connect it to your tools—ERP, inventory trackers, even weather APIs for outdoor job impacts—then train your team. Go live with ongoing tweaks to keep predictions sharp as your business evolves.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does your forecasting handle the variability of custom fabrication orders?
Great question—custom jobs are the heart of what we do. Our AI doesn't just look at averages; it analyzes your specific order history, including one-off specs for things like custom ductwork or ornamental iron. We incorporate variables like client revision rates (say, 15-20% typical in construction) and job durations. For instance, if your shop often sees last-minute changes on gate fabrications, the model weights that heavily. It's all trained on your data, so it gets smarter with each project. We've seen shops reduce forecast errors from 25% to under 5% within the first quarter. No generic assumptions here—it's built for your workflow, ensuring you order just enough sheet metal without excess.
What data sources do you use to build the forecasting model?
We pull from wherever your shop lives and breathes data. That includes your ERP records for past material usage, project management tools for job timelines, and even CAD outputs for precise cut lists. External factors? We layer in things like regional construction permits or weather patterns that delay outdoor work and spike indoor fab needs. You're probably thinking about privacy—we keep it all in-house, compliant with standards like GDPR if needed. For a typical fabrication shop, this means starting with 12-24 months of your invoices and inventory logs to train the model. The result? Predictions that feel intuitive, like knowing exactly how many MIG wires you'll burn through on a busy month of custom enclosures.
How long does it take to implement this for our fabrication shop?
From kickoff to live forecasts, we're talking 6-8 weeks for most shops your size—practical and not disruptive. Week one is discovery: we map your processes, like how you track steel coil usage across welders. Then 3-4 weeks building and testing the AI against real scenarios, such as a hypothetical rush on custom brackets. Integration follows, hooking into your systems without downtime. Finally, a week of training so your inventory clerk can use it effortlessly. We've done this for shops with 50+ employees juggling multiple sites, and they were forecasting accurately by month two. It's field-tested to minimize shop floor interruptions—no big bang launches here.
Can this integrate with our existing tools like AutoCAD or our ERP?
Absolutely, integration is our bread and butter. We build two-way connections so data flows smoothly—pulling design specs from AutoCAD to predict material needs for a custom staircase, or pushing forecasts into your ERP like SAP or even simpler ones like Fishbowl. No brittle APIs that break; we code robust links that handle the messiness of manufacturing data, like incomplete job entries. For example, if a design changes mid-project, the system updates inventory predictions in real-time. Shops we've worked with report 80% less manual data entry after setup. If your tools are older, we even handle legacy exports via secure CSV automations. It's all custom, so it fits your exact stack without forcing new subscriptions.
What kind of ROI can a fabrication shop expect from this?
ROI is where it gets exciting—and tangible. Most clients see 20-35% reductions in inventory carrying costs within the first year, translating to $20K-$100K saved depending on shop scale. Take overstock: instead of warehousing $30K in unused pipe fittings post a slow season, you order smarter. Add in avoided rush fees—say, $5K saved on expedited aluminum for a delayed job—and it compounds. We track metrics like stockout incidents (down 40% typically) and cash flow improvements. One shop recouped our fee in six months by optimizing titanium orders for aerospace custom parts. It's ROI-driven: we focus on your pain points, like minimizing scrap from forecast mismatches, ensuring every dollar spent builds equity in your operations.
Is the system scalable if our shop expands into larger custom projects?
Yes, scalability is baked in from the start. We design the AI to handle growth, whether you're adding a second shift for bigger structural steel runs or expanding to new materials like composites. The core model adapts—start with forecasting for 10 jobs a month, scale to 50 without rebuilding. Cloud-based architecture means it grows with your data volume, processing thousands of line items from expanded ERP feeds. We've scaled systems for shops that doubled output in a year, maintaining 95% forecast accuracy. No hitting walls like with rigid software; it's flexible, with modular updates for new workflows, like integrating drone surveys for site-specific fab needs. Your investment evolves with you.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.