A11 of us have computers and all of us have software. The days of creating travelers by hand, looking up addresses in Rolodexes, and posting entries to ledger cards with a pen are long gone. So, why discuss software for metal finishers?Our industry has special needs, and, like other industries, it's to our advantage to use software specifically for our trade. Some small companies may be able to use a word processor and generic accounting package; however, most metal finishers are moving a lot of parts that require travelers, certifications, invoices, and records of payment. Without trade software these records can still be generated, but considerable time will be spent in entering customer purchase orders in each program.Companies compensate for this inefficiency in a variety of ways. One common example is the use of preprinted forms, which must have very generic and, therefore, minimally useful and usually outdated information. The printing cost for this type of companyrecord will be unnecessarily high compared to software-generated forms and artwork on blank paper. The luxury of assuring ISO 9002 compliance, tracking parts in progress, or placing interesting graphics on invoices is not available. The unnecessarily high labor cost of an inefficient system will certainly tax the profit margin of such a company. Most often the cost of inefficiency is greater than the cost of a modest automated record-keeping system.
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