ABS needed trusted production and costing data to quote accurately, forecast lead times, and improve profitability in a highly variable manufacturing environment.
ABS specialises in the bending/curving of all types of aluminium extrusions/sections for a wide range of industries. The range of markets ABS serves includes Construction, Architectural, Commercial Vehicles, Exhibition manufactures, Aluminium window fabricators & Office furniture manufacturers.
ABS had limited real-time visibility of work in progress across the shop floor. Production status was difficult to assess accurately, making it harder to understand capacity, forecast lead times, and respond confidently to customer enquiries.
The business was also constrained by a legacy Microsoft Access system that no longer reflected how work was actually carried out. Sales and quoting processes lacked structure and consistency, with little connection between quoting assumptions and real production data.
As a result, planning, customer communication, and profitability relied heavily on experience rather than trusted operational information.
Simportal worked closely with the ABS management team and shop floor staff to understand where visibility was breaking down and what information was needed to run the operation more effectively.
Early in the engagement, quoting was supported using a structured Excel-based approach. ABS defined its business rules within a custom quote template, and Simportal integrated this into the wider system to introduce consistency and control while production data was being established.
As confidence in production data grew, quoting was fully embedded into the Simportal platform using Python-based logic. This allowed complex bending rules, material characteristics, cycle times, and cost drivers to be captured directly within the system, removing reliance on external spreadsheets.
In parallel, customised iPad-based interfaces were developed with the production team to capture real-time production data. These interfaces were intentionally simple and designed collaboratively with operators across a wide age range, ensuring adoption and consistency on the shop floor.
• Real-time visibility of work in progress across the shop floor
• Live dashboards accessible from any device
• Trusted cycle time data now drives quoting and scheduling
• Improved lead-time forecasting and customer communication
• More accurate job costing, supporting improved profitability
ABS now operates with a clear, shared view of production and quoting. Sales, planning, and production are aligned through reliable operational data, allowing the business to quote with confidence, plan accurately, and make better-informed decisions as the operation evolves.