To win business, ETO metalforming manufacturers must provide accurate estimates and quotations to a demanding customer base. Often, payment for a project is only received after it is installed and operating on a customer’s site. Following the sale, these firms must provide warranty tracking and aftermarket services, including the sale of spare parts, which may constitute a significant share of the company’s business. The institute (www.etoinstitute.org) provides resources, discussion boards and tools to assist ETO metalforming companies in overcoming their unique challenges. Challenges faced by Engineer-to-Order (ETO) and project-based metalforming manufacturers that cannot be resolved by traditional manufacturing systems are profiled in the October issue of Metalforming Magazine (). Designing and building complex products to exact customer specifications frequently involve long lead times and heavy engineering content. Harry Major Machine & Tool Co. (HMM), Clinton Township, MI, an automation and washer manufacturer and maker of conveyor equipment, extensively researched better ways to bring its products to the marketplace, mainly for automotive and Tier One suppliers, including metalforming companies. To that end, the company recently implemented ETO enterprise-resource-planning software from Encompix, Cincinnati, OH, and is beginning to see substantial internal process improvements related to the implementation, according to Bill Jurek, HMM materials manager. “This ETO ERP system has assisted in analyzing in detail the material costs, schedules and releases to the floor," he says. That has allowed the company to build products on time and to the budgeted requirements, bringing improved timing on deliveries to customers. Encompix Roger Meloy 513-733-0066
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