Stop Losing Hours Chasing Down Shop Floor Invoices Automate Your Billing and Reclaim Your Week
Imagine slashing 15-20 hours per week on manual invoicing, turning those wasted cycles into real ROI for your fabrication projects. No more delayed payments from missed weld certifications or forgotten material receipts.
Join 150+ fabrication shops boosting cash flow with seamless AI automation
The "Shop Floor Billing" Problem
Manual data entry from dusty shop logs and handwritten weld tickets leads to billing errors on custom metalwork projects, like miscalculating labor hours for plasma cutting
Delayed approvals for subcontractor invoices slow down fabrication project timelines
Lost paperwork from field measurements and site surveys causes disputes over custom part pricing, such as rebar lengths for concrete pours
Tracking variable costs for CNC machining runs, including tool wear and scrap rates on milled aluminum components, eats into your profit margins
Month-end invoice rushes for structural steel deliveries pull foremen away from critical assembly line oversight, like monitoring robotic welders
Inaccurate inventory ties in billing for raw materials like sheet metal coils lead to overstocked warehouses, tying up capital in idle steel stock
Our Custom AI Invoice Automation Built for Your Shop's Reality
We've powered invoice systems for over 50 fabrication shops, integrating directly with tools like Procore and QuickBooks to handle the chaos of custom orders.
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, your fabrication shop isn't a cookie-cutter operation. You're dealing with one-off steel fabrications, variable labor hours on welding jobs, and invoices that need to match exact blueprints. That's why we don't slap on generic software. We build a tailored AI system that scans shop floor docs, auto-matches them to your project specs, and pushes approvals through your team's mobile workflow. No more sifting through stacks of paper receipts after a long shift. Here's the thing: this isn't just automation—it's a field-tested lifeline that fits your exact processes, from initial cut lists to final shipment billing.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Time Savings That Hit Your Bottom Line
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Invoice Chasing
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Invoice Chasing: You're probably thinking about all those late nights reconciling shop time sheets from MIG welding stations. Our system automates the grunt work, pulling data directly from your CNC machines and ERP logs to generate invoices instantly. That means your billing team spends less time on spreadsheets and more on quoting new custom jobs, like structural frames, boosting overall productivity by 30% or more within the first quarter.
Achieve 5x Faster ROI Through Reduced Errors
Achieve 5x Faster ROI Through Reduced Errors: In fabrication, one missed decimal on a material invoice for galvanized steel can cost thousands in disputes with general contractors. We use AI to verify quantities against your CAD drawings and BOMs, cutting error rates by 90%. Shops like yours see payback in under 3 months, with efficiency gains that let you take on 20% more projects, such as HVAC ductwork, without adding headcount.
Streamline Cash Flow for Quicker Project Wins
Streamline Cash Flow for Quicker Project Wins: Field-tested for the unpredictability of manufacturing runs, like variable lead times on custom forgings, our automation speeds up payment cycles by 40%. No more waiting on approvals while your crew idles on the shop floor during downtime on press brake setups. This quantifiable boost means steadier revenue, helping you scale from small custom parts to full structural steel contracts within 6 months.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ Labs, our shop was buried under invoice piles from custom pipe fittings and flange orders—lost hours every week tracking down signatures from welders on the floor. Now, the AI handles it all, integrating with our nesting software, and we've cut our billing time in half. Last quarter alone, that saved us $12K in overtime while ramping up stainless steel runs."
Mike Harlan
Lead Fabricator, Precision Metalworks Inc., a custom pipe and structural fabrication shop in Ohio
"Dealing with variable costs on aluminum extrusion fabrication was a nightmare; invoices never matched the actual TIG weld hours or material yields. Their custom system integrates our shop software perfectly with our inventory scanner. We're invoicing 3 days faster now, and our cash flow's finally predictable after years of headaches on bridge component jobs."
Sarah Kline
Operations Manager, FabTech Solutions, specializing in aluminum structures for infrastructure projects
"I was skeptical about AI in our dusty fabrication environment with all the grinding dust from steel plate work, but this setup scans our handwritten logs from laser cutting ops without a hitch. Reduced errors on I-beam orders by 80%, and my team's back to focusing on builds instead of paperwork. ROI hit in two months flat, letting us bid on larger commercial builds."
Tom Reyes
Owner and General Manager, Apex Custom Fab, a steel fabrication firm serving commercial construction in Texas
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Workflow Mapping
We dive into your shop's daily grind— from receiving raw steel to final quality checks— to map out exactly how invoices flow in your custom fabrication process. This ensures our build matches your reality, no assumptions.
Custom AI Design and Integration
Our engineers craft the AI tailored to your tools, like linking to your CAD system for auto-pricing based on cut lengths. We test it against real shop scenarios to guarantee it handles the variables of manufacturing runs.
Deployment and Hands-On Training
We roll it out shop-wide, training your foremen on mobile approvals. Ongoing tweaks keep it sharp as your projects evolve, delivering sustained efficiency without the usual integration headaches.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does this automation handle the variability in custom fabrication costs?
In custom fab shops, costs can swing wildly based on material grades or rush welding jobs. Our AI is trained on your historical data to dynamically adjust invoices—pulling real-time prices from suppliers and factoring in labor variances from your time-tracking tools. For instance, if a steel order shifts from standard to galvanized mid-project, it auto-updates the billing without manual recalcs. We've seen shops reduce disputes by 75% this way. Setup involves a quick audit of your past invoices to fine-tune the model, ensuring it fits your workflow like a well-fitted glove on a fabricator's hand. And it's all custom-coded to integrate seamlessly, no clunky add-ons.
Will this work with our existing shop management software like Procore or Epicor?
Absolutely, we specialize in deep integrations for construction and manufacturing tools. Unlike superficial connectors that break, we build custom APIs that sync invoice data bidirectionally—say, pulling job site progress from Procore to trigger partial billings on fabrication milestones. For Epicor users, we've automated the flow from shop floor inventory to invoice generation, cutting data entry by 80%. The process starts with mapping your current setup, then coding tailored links that handle specifics like lot numbers for custom parts. It's field-tested to withstand the rigors of daily shop use, ensuring your systems talk without the usual headaches.
What's the typical timeline for implementing this in a mid-sized fab shop?
For a shop with 50-200 employees handling custom metalwork, we aim for full deployment in 6-8 weeks. Week 1-2: We map your processes, like how invoices tie to CNC schedules. Weeks 3-5: Build and test the AI against sample runs, integrating with your tools. Weeks 6-8: Train your team and go live with monitoring. It's phased to minimize disruption—no shutting down the weld line. Shops often see partial wins, like auto-data capture, within the first two weeks. We're ROI-focused, so we prioritize high-pain areas first, like subcontractor billing, to deliver quick value while scaling up.
How secure is this system for sensitive fabrication project data?
Security is non-negotiable in manufacturing, where invoices often include proprietary blueprints or client specs. We use enterprise-grade encryption and comply with standards like SOC 2, building your system on secure, owned infrastructure—not shared cloud rentals. Access is role-based: foremen see only approvals, accountants get full audits. For example, in a recent steel fab integration, we added multi-factor auth for mobile sign-offs on job sites. Data stays within your control, with automatic backups and breach alerts. We've audited against construction regs, ensuring it handles sensitive info like custom alloy formulas without leaks, giving you peace of mind in a high-stakes industry.
Can this scale if our shop takes on larger custom projects?
Yes, our custom builds are designed for growth, unlike rigid templates that cap out. Starting from your current volume—say, 100 invoices monthly for small runs—we engineer scalability into the core, using modular AI that handles 10x the load without rework. For instance, as you bid on bigger structural steel contracts, the system auto-scales processing for complex line items, integrating new data sources like advanced ERP modules. We've helped shops double output post-implementation, with zero downtime. It's like reinforcing a beam: built strong from the start to support heavier loads as your business expands.
What kind of support do you provide after launch?
Post-launch, you're not left hanging—we offer ongoing partnership tailored to manufacturing's evolving needs. Month 1: Daily check-ins to optimize, like tweaking AI for new material types. Then, quarterly reviews to align with project changes, plus 24/7 priority support for issues. Our team, with fab shop experience, provides remote tweaks or on-site if needed. For one client, we adjusted for seasonal aluminum price fluctuations within days. Unlimited minor updates are included for the first year, ensuring your investment keeps delivering ROI as workflows shift—no surprise fees for keeping it running smoothly.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.