Systems for Manufacturers & Fabrication Shops
Complete RFQs, clear order status and quality documents in one place.
A buyer sends a PDF drawing with no material spec, no quantity and a tight deadline. Another wants to know if their order shipped, and a third needs mill certs for an audit. We build manufacturers and fabrication shops a portal where RFQs arrive complete, customers check order status themselves and quality documents are always one login away.
Common challenges
What slows down Manufacturers & Fabrication Shops
RFQs with details missing
"Can you quote this?" with a blurry PDF attached. No material grade, no quantity, no finish, no due date. Your estimator spends an hour just asking questions.
"Where's my order?"
Buyers and project managers call for ship dates. Your production manager stops what they're doing, checks the floor and calls them back.
Hunting for MTRs and inspection reports
Mill test reports, weld procedures, inspection records and certificates of conformance often live in folders only one person knows well. Audits and customer requests can become a scramble.
Repeat orders treated like new ones
The same bracket, the same skid, ordered again. The customer has to dig up an old PO, and your team has to rebuild the quote.
Your website could show more of what you can do
Many buyers research suppliers online before they ever call. A clear capability list and equipment info help procurement teams see you're a fit.
The solution
The system we'd build for you
Structured RFQ intake
Buyers upload drawings and models (PDF, DXF, STEP), specify material, quantity, finish, tolerances and required date. Estimators get complete requests in one queue.
Customer order portal
Customers log in to see open orders, production stage and estimated ship dates, updated from your system or by your team in a few clicks.
Quality document library
Mill test reports, certificates of conformance, inspection reports and your certifications (ISO, CWB and others you hold) attached to each order and downloadable by the customer.
Reorder in a few clicks
Customers see their past parts and orders and request a repeat with updated quantities and dates, ready for your team to confirm.
Distributor and dealer access
If you sell through distributors, a separate login for spec sheets, price lists, stock levels and marketing materials.
Capability-first website
Pages for your processes (cutting, forming, welding, machining, coating), equipment list, industries served and capacity, so engineers and buyers can qualify you fast.
Recommended package
Custom Portal
Manufacturers and fab shops sell to buyers who need RFQs, drawings, order status and quality documents. That's a portal and a quoting workflow, not a brochure.
Popular add-ons for Manufacturers & Fabrication Shops
Wherever you are
Just starting, growing or decades in.
Whether you haven't opened yet or you've been at it for decades, here's how we'd help at each stage.
Starting out
Just an idea, or brand new
Starting a machine shop or small fabrication business with a few key customers lined up? Start Your Company sets up the business side: name and brand, a capability website, company email and a basic RFQ form, so buyers can vet you from the first quote.
Growing
Busy and getting busier
As customers and order volume grow, the RFQ intake and order portal keep estimators and production focused, and repeat orders stop needing a fresh round of emails.
Established
Years or decades in
Shops that have been making parts for the same customers for decades usually have hard-won processes and a trusted ERP or job-tracking system. We work around them, add customer-facing pieces one at a time and respect the routines your floor relies on.
An example
What it could look like in real life
An illustration of how it could work. The business and details are made up for the example.
Picture a 40-person steel fabrication shop in Hamilton serving automotive, agriculture and commercial construction customers. Their estimators get RFQs from five inboxes, and their production manager fields status calls all day. We build a structured RFQ intake, a customer portal with order stages and ship dates, a quality document library tied to each order and a reorder function, plus a capability-first website. Quotes move faster, status calls ease off and audit requests become a download link.
Questions we get
FAQ
Can it connect to our ERP or job shop software?
Often, yes. Whether you run a job-shop ERP or something homegrown, we check what it can share and pull order status and documents in where possible, or keep updates simple for your team to enter.
Are our drawings and customer files kept secure?
Yes. Each customer sees only their own orders and documents, uploads are stored securely, and we can sign an NDA before we see any of your customer data.
Do you build pricing calculators for custom parts?
For standard parts or simple cut-to-size work, yes. For complex fabrication, we build intake that gives your estimator what they need to quote quickly.
Can it help us get on approved vendor lists?
It can't guarantee anything, but a professional site with clear capabilities, certifications and quality processes makes procurement teams' jobs easier.
Free 15-minute call
Complete RFQs and fewer status calls start with a short conversation.
Book a free 15-minute call and bring a sample drawing.
- Structured RFQ intake
- Customer order portal
- Quality document library