Stop Losing Hours Chasing Down Customer Updates on Shop Floor Jobs Automate It All with AI That Fits Your Workflow
Imagine slashing 15+ hours per week on manual emails and calls, while cutting customer frustration by 40%—that's the ROI we're building for fabricators like you.
Join 250+ businesses with streamlined workflows and happier clients
The "Shop Floor Silo" Problem
Manual status updates on welding progress or CNC machining runs delay client responses by hours during tight production schedules
Fragmented communications between welders, estimators, and clients lead to mix-ups in structural steel orders or custom beam specifications
Chasing client approvals for custom plasma cuts or sheet metal bends consumes valuable billable time on fabrication equipment
Missed notifications on delivery of fabricated trusses or rebar assemblies result in frustrated clients and costly overtime rushes
Paper-based trails for change orders in bridge components or HVAC ductwork slow down your steel fabrication pipeline
Inconsistent follow-ups on repeat orders for guardrails or conveyor frames waste sales team bandwidth in a competitive market
Our Custom AI Builds Communication That Runs Like Clockwork on Your Floor
We've helped dozens of metal shops integrate AI directly with their ERP and shop management systems, turning chaos into seamless client interactions.
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, in metal fabrication, every minute counts—from plasma cutting to final assembly. You're probably thinking, 'Another tool to learn?' Not with us. At AIQ Labs, we craft a tailored AI system that plugs into your exact setup, like JobBOSS or E2 Shop System. It automatically pulls job statuses, drafts personalized updates, and sends them via email or text. No more your team playing phone tag with clients waiting on that structural steel beam. We build it custom, so it evolves with your workflows, ensuring you're not just saving time but owning a system that pays for itself in months.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Tangible Gains That Hit Your Bottom Line
Save 15-25 Hours Weekly on Client Chasing
Save 15-25 Hours Weekly on Client Chasing: Imagine your AI automatically updating clients on weld seam inspections or shipment ETAs for structural components, freeing estimators to bid on more commercial builds. That's time for an extra fabrication run per month, boosting output without new hires.
Cut Costs by 30% on Communication Overhead
Cut Costs by 30% on Communication Overhead: Skip printing detailed blueprints or juggling email chains for tolerances. Our system automates approvals for design tweaks in metal assemblies, slashing scrap from misaligned cuts—shops we've worked with saved $5K+ monthly on wasted aluminum and steel.
Boost Repeat Business with Proactive Updates
Boost Repeat Business with Proactive Updates: Clients appreciate instant alerts on milestones like powder-coating completion for their custom shelving units. This transparency fosters loyalty, cutting sales cycles by 2-4 weeks and ramping up orders for industrial racking without added ad budgets.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ, our team was stuck on phones updating clients about every plasma cut and weld on structural frames—wasted a full day weekly. Now, the system auto-sends texts with floor photos of finished beams, and we've halved complaints. Full ROI hit in three months, totally game-changing for our shop."
Mike Harlan
Operations Manager, Precision Metal Works LLC
"We fabricate heavy-duty rebar cages for construction sites, and comms delays were a killer. AIQ integrated this with our ERP, so clients get precise ETAs on delivery without us intervening. Saved 18 hours a week, and our largest contractor just doubled their quarterly order after trusting our new reliability."
Sara Lopez
Shop Foreman, Apex Steel Fabrications Inc.
"Manual change orders were chaos for our custom aluminum extrusions in building facades. AIQ's system spots tolerance issues early and notifies clients via app instantly. No more overtime for rework, error rate plunged from 12% to 2.8% in six months—finally, automation that understands metal fab challenges."
Tom Reilly
General Manager, SteelForge Custom Manufacturing
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Mapping
We dive into your shop's daily grind—talking workflows, pain points like delayed sheet metal approvals, and integrating with tools you already use. This ensures the AI fits like a custom jig.
Custom Build and Testing
Our engineers code the AI from scratch, training it on your job data for accurate, industry-specific comms. We test on real scenarios, like notifying a client of a milling delay, before going live.
Deployment and Optimization
Roll it out with minimal disruption, then monitor and tweak based on your feedback. You'll see immediate time savings, with full ROI in 2-4 months as your team adapts.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does this automation integrate with my existing shop management software?
We start by mapping your current setup—whether it's JobBOSS, Shoptech, or something custom. Our team builds direct API connections, so the AI pulls live data like current weld progress or cut times without manual input. For a typical metal fab shop, this means automatic updates flow from your floor to clients in seconds. We've done this for over 50 operations, ensuring zero downtime during setup. The result? Your team focuses on making parts, not sending emails, and it all runs on your owned system—no ongoing fees for third-party apps.
What kind of time savings can a small fab shop expect?
Here's the thing: For shops with 20-50 employees, we're talking 15-25 hours reclaimed weekly. Think about it—your estimators no longer chase approvals for bracket designs, and foremen skip the calls on plasma delays. One client, a 30-person outfit, went from 10 hours a day on comms to under 2, freeing up bandwidth for a 20% productivity boost. We tailor it to your workflow, so savings scale with your job volume. ROI hits in 3-6 months, often through reduced overtime and faster turnarounds.
Is the AI secure for handling sensitive client specs in fabrication?
Absolutely, security is non-negotiable in metal fab where you're dealing with proprietary designs. We build with end-to-end encryption and role-based access, so only authorized eyes see those tolerance details. Compliant with standards like ISO 9001, our systems log every interaction without storing sensitive data long-term. Unlike off-the-shelf tools, we audit for vulnerabilities specific to your setup, like protecting CAD files during client shares. Shops we've worked with report zero breaches, and you own the code, so no vendor risks.
Can this handle custom work like one-off structural components?
Yes, that's where we shine. Our AI is trained on your historical jobs, learning nuances like variable lead times for custom beams or enclosures. It generates tailored messages—e.g., 'Your 10-ton frame is at 60% weld completion, ETA adjusted for powder coat queue.' For a recent project with a 40-employee shop, it managed 50+ unique orders monthly, cutting miscomms by 45%. We customize prompts to your jargon, ensuring it fits irregular workflows without generic templates.
How much does a custom setup like this cost for our size?
Costs vary by complexity, but for a mid-sized fab shop (50-200 employees), expect $15K-$40K upfront for build and integration—far less than ongoing subscriptions for multiple tools. You're investing in ownership: No monthly fees, just updates as needed. Payback comes fast; one client recouped in 4 months via 18 hours/week saved at $50/hour labor. We provide a detailed ROI breakdown in your free consult, factoring your specific bottlenecks like order tracking delays.
What if we need changes after launch, like new machinery integrations?
Flexibility is baked in. Post-launch, we offer optimization sessions to adapt—say, linking to a new CNC router for instant cut-time updates. Our modular design means tweaks take days, not weeks, without rebuilding everything. A fabrication partner added laser tracking mid-year; it took one week and boosted accuracy by 30%. Since you own the system, changes are yours to control, and we're here as your long-term builder, not a vendor locking you in.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.