Stop Guessing on Steel Reorders And Build Smarter with AI Forecasting
Imagine slashing your overstock by 30% and never missing a critical weld rod delivery again. We craft inventory forecasts that fit your fabrication workflow like a custom jig.
Join 150+ businesses with optimized stock levels and faster project timelines
The "Forecasting Fiasco" Problem
Volatile steel and concrete prices causing panic buys of rebar and cement, leading to costly stockpiles that tie up capital
Seasonal infrastructure project rushes resulting in stockouts of PVC and copper fittings for plumbing and electrical installs
Manual tracking errors in CAD drawings delaying custom I-beam and HSS steel deliveries for structural framing
Over-reliance on gut feel for epoxy resin and adhesive quantities during peak fabrication seasons for composite panels
Global supply chain disruptions delaying imported titanium tubing for aerospace-grade structural components
Wasted warehouse space from inaccurate forecasts on pre-fabricated pipe spools for oil & gas pipeline projects
Our Tailored AI Forecasting Solution
With over a decade in construction tech, we've helped fabrication shops like yours turn chaotic stockrooms into efficient powerhouses
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, off-the-shelf software treats your shop like every other. But your fabrication runs on unique rhythms—custom orders, site-specific alloys, and those unpredictable commercial builds. We build AI forecasting from the ground up, trained on your historical data like past rebar orders and lead times from suppliers. No cookie-cutter templates. Just a system that anticipates your needs, whether it's forecasting 500 tons of structural steel for a high-rise or 200 fittings for modular units. You're probably thinking, 'Will it integrate with my CAD software?' It will, seamlessly. Here's the thing: this isn't just prediction; it's your workflow's new foundation, field-tested for ROI you can measure in months.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Efficiency in Your Shop
Precision Demand Prediction
Precision Demand Prediction: Say goodbye to surprise shortages on rebar or ductwork. Our AI analyzes your past 24 months of orders, spotting patterns in custom structural steel demands using ERP data. Result? 95% accuracy on forecasts, keeping your site crews and CNC machines running without downtime waiting for deliveries—proven in a recent highway project where we anticipated a 20% spike in girder needs.
Cash Flow Liberation
Cash Flow Liberation: Tie up less capital in excess inventory like overstocked aluminum extrusions or masonry supplies. For a mid-sized fab shop handling commercial builds, this means freeing $150K annually—imagine redirecting that to new welding equipment. Watch your ROI climb as forecasts sync buys with your BIM-modeled project pipelines over the next quarter.
Risk-Resistant Operations
Risk-Resistant Operations: Buffer against supply hiccups like tariff hikes on imported lumber. Like a sturdy scaffold in a storm, our system simulates scenarios—think Suez Canal delays on galvanized steel coils—and suggests domestic alternatives, ensuring your high-rise deadlines stay on track with zero change orders last year for a client tower project.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ, we were drowning in excess carbon steel pipe inventory after a slow quarter on municipal water projects—cost us $80K in storage alone. Their custom forecast nailed our next suspension bridge needs down to the exact flange fittings. Cut our stock by 28% in six months, and we're finally sleeping through those midnight supply alerts from our ERP system."
Mike Harlan
Operations Manager, SteelForge Fabrications
"Our shop fabricates custom HVAC ductwork for commercial retrofits, and seasonal rushes always left us short on galvanized coils. AIQ built a model using our Autodesk Revit data that predicts surges two months out based on building permit trends. Last summer, we avoided a two-week shutdown on a hospital expansion—saved the client $50K and our reputation."
Sara Lopez
Inventory Lead, Precision Metal Works
"Dealing with Grade 5 titanium sheet for aerospace landing gear components is tricky with import delays from Asia. Their AI integrated our SAP supplier feeds and cut our overbuys from 15% to under 3% by forecasting based on FAA certification cycles. It's like having a crystal ball that's actually useful—no more frantic weekend air freight orders for rush prototypes."
Tom Reilly
Shop Foreman, AeroFab Industries
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Data Dive
We start by mapping your fabrication workflow, pulling in data from your ERP, past orders, and even weather patterns affecting site builds. This builds the foundation for your custom model.
Model Building and Training
Our engineers craft AI tailored to your shop's quirks—like variable lead times on custom dies—training it on your specific datasets for pinpoint accuracy.
Integration and Testing
We wire it into your systems, test with real scenarios like a rush structural steel order, and refine until it fits like a glove. Go live with full support to ensure smooth rollout.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does your forecasting handle custom orders that vary wildly each project?
In custom fabrication, no two jobs are the same—think one-off structural components versus batch runs. We train the AI on your historical data, including bid wins, material specs from drawings, and past variances. It learns patterns like how commercial builds spike rebar needs in Q2. Unlike generic tools, ours factors in your shop's specifics, like preferred suppliers for quick-turn alloys. Setup takes 4-6 weeks, with accuracy hitting 92% after initial tuning. You're probably thinking about integration; we connect directly to your quoting software, so forecasts update as bids turn to contracts. Bottom line: it reduces guesswork, keeping your fabricators humming without excess stock tying up capital.
What data do you need from our shop to get started?
We keep it straightforward, focusing on what's already in your systems. Pull order histories from your ERP, like past steel coil purchases or fitting inventories. Add project timelines from scheduling tools and any supplier lead time logs. No need for perfect data—we clean and normalize it during discovery. For a typical fab shop, this means 12-24 months of records to spot trends in custom metalwork. If you use sensors on cutting machines, that's gold for real-time usage rates. Here's the thing: we handle the heavy lifting, ensuring privacy with secure, on-prem options if needed. Result? A model that mirrors your operations, predicting needs for that next high-rise framework down to the bolt.
Can this integrate with our existing ERP like Epicor or Infor?
Absolutely, and that's where we shine over plug-and-play options. We build two-way API integrations that sync forecasts directly into your ERP, updating stock levels as AI predicts demands for things like aluminum profiles. For Epicor users, we've linked it to pull job schedules and push reorder suggestions seamlessly. Testing ensures no disruptions—think simulating a full month's fab output without missing a beat. Let's be honest, brittle connections plague most setups; ours are robust, handling data volumes from 100+ daily transactions. You're probably thinking about downtime; we deploy in phases, with rollback plans. This creates a single truth for inventory, cutting manual checks by 70% and letting your team focus on fabrication, not spreadsheets.
How accurate are your forecasts compared to what we do manually?
Manual forecasting in fabrication often misses the mark by 20-30%, leading to overstocks or rushed buys. Our custom AI boosts that to 90-95% accuracy by analyzing multifaceted data—sales history, economic indicators affecting construction spends, even weather impacts on site progress. Take a shop we worked with: their epoxy forecasts went from gut-feel errors to precise monthly needs, slashing waste by 25%. We refine iteratively, incorporating feedback like 'this alloy run was shorter due to design changes.' Short answer: it's like upgrading from a tape measure to laser precision. ROI kicks in fast—typically 3-6 months for payback on reduced holding costs. No fluff; just field-tested results for your workflow.
What if supply chain issues like delays change everything?
Disruptions are the nemesis of fabrication shops—think container backlogs hitting your titanium deliveries. Our AI doesn't just forecast; it simulates 'what-ifs,' adjusting predictions based on live feeds from supplier APIs or news on port strikes. For instance, if lead times on pipe fittings jump 15 days, it recalibrates stock buffers automatically. We include risk scoring, prioritizing alternatives like domestic sourcing for steel. In one case, a client avoided a $50K delay penalty during a global chip shortage analog for metals. Flexible and proactive, it integrates alerts to your team's Slack or email. You're probably thinking it's too good; but it's built tough, like your shop's best welds—reliable under pressure, ensuring projects stay on schedule without excess inventory padding.
Is this scalable as our fabrication shop grows?
Growth means more custom jobs, bigger inventories, and complex needs—like scaling from modular units to full structural assemblies. Our systems are architected for that, using scalable cloud frameworks that handle 10x data growth without hiccups. Start with core forecasting for 50 orders a month, expand to include sub-assembly predictions as you hit 200. We've seen shops double output post-implementation, with the AI adapting via retraining on new data patterns. No rip-and-replace; it's modular, adding features like multi-site tracking for expanding operations. Here's the thing: you own it, so costs stay predictable, not ballooning with usage. Practical ROI: one client added a second fab line and saw forecasts maintain 93% accuracy, unlocking $200K in efficiency gains.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.