Focused on Machining Uses MSC’s TechMate® Application Built on the Paperless Parts Platform to Win a $57,000 Order
Location
Louviers, CO
Company Plan
Professional
Processes
CNC Machining
The Challenge
Focused on Machining received an RFQ from a brand-new customer for a part they had never made before with a challenging feature. This is a situation that would typically result in a no-quote and lost business.
The Solution
MSC’s TechMate® helps Focused on Machining connect with MSC Industrial Supply Co. for guidance on how to best manufacture specific features. This service helped the shop secure a lucrative job they otherwise would have lost.
The Results
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Focused on Machining was able to secure a $57,000 order that otherwise would have been a no-quote
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Focused on Machining received
quick, reliable guidance on cutting tools and strategies from MSC metalworking experts -
Focused on Machining streamlined their ability to handle demanding, unfamiliar RFQs
Background
Justin Quinn—President of Focused on Machining, a Denver-based CNC machine shop—has been a Paperless Parts customer since 2019. As an active participant in the National Tooling & Machining Association’s (NTMA) Rocky Mountain chapter, Justin is known for helping drive the Colorado manufacturing community forward.
Challenge
Justin and his team were often too busy to respond to RFQs for parts that had challenging features with tooling or material they were unfamiliar with; doing so required a substantial amount of time that Justin would have to take away from quoting and manufacturing other more manageable parts.
When Justin received an RFQ from a brand-new customer for a complex part he had never seen before, he was expecting it would result in a no-quote given how long it would take for the team to determine how to manufacture it.
Historically, Justin had been reluctant to seek assistance from third-party sources on tooling and material questions because of how long and tedious the communication process could be. “If I have to go back and forth with someone, it can run for days or weeks and at that point, we’ve already lost the job,” Justin said. “Most vendors don’t realize the urgency of our customers, because we need answers immediately or the answer is no.” Still, Justin saw the value of being able to seek reliable guidance from a vendor as long as the process was efficient and aligned with his shop’s pace of work.
Solution
As an avid Paperless Parts user, Justin decided he would reach out to MSC for guidance on manufacturing the part for the new customer through MSC’s TechMate® service in the Paperless Viewer. Highlighting and annotating the areas of concern on the part through Paperless Parts’ Viewer, he quickly and securely sent the part over to MSC from within the Paperless Parts platform. Within hours, an experienced metalworking specialist at MSC followed up and provided all of the necessary tooling information that would ensure the part could be manufactured without a problem.
Justin credits the efficiency of MSC’s communication both to their inherent high-quality customer service and how easy Paperless Parts made it for his question to be quickly addressed. “There were no questions on MSC’s end because I had sent the part file to them with annotations around the complex features through Paperless Parts”, Justin said. “They had all the context they needed right away without having to come onsite.”
As a result of MSC’s guidance, Focused on Machining was able to win the new customer’s order, capturing $57,000 that the shop otherwise would have lost had they not been able to deliver a quote. “If we hadn’t quoted the entire order, we wouldn’t have won any of it because the customer wanted to keep all of the parts together”, Justin said.
TechMate® supports Focused on Machining by providing quick access to metalworking experts who can provide recommendations for cutting tools and information shops need to most effectively do their job and grow their business, making the entire supply chain more efficient.
Results
With TechMate®, Focused on Machining:
- Secured a $57,000 order: TechMate® ultimately gave Justin access to the remote metalworking support he needed to win a highly lucrative job that he was not expecting to win.
- Established an ongoing relationship with MSC: The support Justin received on his first inquiry to MSC gave him confidence that he would be able to consistently turn to MSC for future questions on cutting tools and strategies to ensure the shop can meet unfamiliar and complex RFQs.
- Streamlined managing unfamiliar RFQs: For unfamiliar RFQs that Justin and his team choose to accommodate, TechMate® enables Focused on Machining to have a streamlined and secure process for receiving expert guidance while still meeting its customers’ expectations for fast turnaround time.
As an early user of Paperless Parts, Focused on Machining is committed to trying and testing new, tech-driven tools to help grow its business. The shop’s use of TechMate® to quickly and easily connect with MSC offers an example of how Focused on Machining is benefiting from this approach. The team is excited to continue to use this feature to win business they otherwise would have passed on. Justin and his team are early adopters of new technology and it is paying off in their shop’s efficiency, revenue, and customer experience.
“Given the current skills gap in manufacturing and how busy the industry is today, we don’t have time to over-engineer quotes where the part may be outside of our immediate wheelhouse. A tool like this helps us bridge the gap and ensure we are able to grow effectively and efficiently.
A lot of companies have brand mottos and don’t live by them, but functionality like this provided by MSC through Paperless Parts is them living up to their brand promise of ‘built to make you better’.”