Still Guessing? Use A Self-Assessment To Find Your Next Step Forward

Picture this: a job runs over budget; an order ships late, or inventory doesn’t match what’s on the books. You can tell something is off, but figuring out where the real problem lies is the hard part.  

Do you start by tightening inventory control? Or do you finally get serious about real-time job costing? 

When your operation runs on spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and periodic check-ins, you’re losing money to the blind spots you can’t see. 

The cost of basic processes 

We've found that manufacturers fall into one of four maturity levels, and most are stuck at levels one or two. 

The level one trap 

At level one (basic), you’re firefighting. You calculate job profitability after the job is done, you track inventory manually, and your scheduling is reactive. This costs you dearly through: 

• Rework and errors: Manual data entry often leads to costly mistakes.
• Time sink: Hours are wasted gathering simple documentation for audits or clients.
• Lost opportunity: You don't have what you need to accurately forecast, which means you tie up capital in unnecessary inventory. 

The level two trap 

Moving into level two (streamlined) is progress, but it introduces a new frustration: disconnected systems. You might have specialized software for accounting and another for inventory, but they don't talk to each other. This creates a "swivel chair" gap where teams still do manual checks, verify data integrity, and lack full automated insight. You've invested in digital tools, but you're not getting the true efficiency and visibility you need to scale profitably. 

If this sounds familiar, it's not a failure of effort—it's a failure of systems. 

Where to start: The free manufacturing performance assessment 

You need a diagnosis before you write a prescription. That's why we created the “Manufacturing Performance Assessment.” 

This isn't a long, drawn-out audit. In just five minutes, you’ll answer key questions that benchmark your processes across 10 critical areas, including: 

• Financial control: How easily can you track job profitability in real-time?
• Traceability: How quickly can you trace a finished product back to its raw components?
• Production: How well do you schedule production and adjust to sudden labor or equipment changes? 

What you get: 

The assessment gives you the insight you need to focus on the right areas and see what you could achieve. You will immediately receive: 

1. A personalized maturity score: See where your business falls—from level one (basic) to level four (optimized).
2. A breakdown of key gaps: Understand which specific areas (like Scheduling or Inventory) are holding you back the most.
3. A "hidden value summary": See the tangible, potential ROI you're currently leaving on the table. 

This "hidden value" is where the real motivation lies. Manufacturers who streamline often report tangible gains in their business, including up to a 20% increase in production throughput or a 60% reduction in invoice processing time. 

You can’t fix a problem you can't see. Stop guessing and start strategizing. 

Take the free, five-minute assessment today and get a clear picture of your business's true potential.