What Can Digital Solutions Do for My Welding Operation?

Why Using Welding Software in Your Shop is Beneficial

 

There are over 400,000 workers employed as welders in the US. However, the demand is so high for this skilled trade that there are nowhere near enough welders in the workforce. With companies that employ welders struggling to meet production demands, how can operations managers increase productivity? The answer may lie in technology. 

Many digital solutions can help your shop run more efficiently. These programs can also take some of the headaches out of the clerical and accounting aspects of running a welding shop. Understaffed fabrication companies are using welding software to help keep up with demand. Different kinds of welding software include fleet management software, productivity apps, offline programming software, and CAD/CAM software. 

If all this sounds too technical to wrap your head around, we have you covered. Read on to learn everything you need to know about welding software and how it can help your business. 

 

What Is Welding Software? 

Welding software is a broad term for any app or computer program that simplifies, digitizes or automates any process in a welding shop. Welding software makes it easier to track all sorts of data in your shop. You can use the data from these programs to make your shop run more efficiently. 

 

How Can Welding Software Help My Shop? 

Many shops are increasing their production by using welding software. Your business needs to get with the times to keep up. Here are some of the ways welding cloud applications and other software can help your business run more smoothly and efficiently: 

 

Track Productivity

As an operations manager, you probably feel like you need to be everywhere at once to make sure your employees are staying focused. With advances in technology, welding cloud applications can keep track of details as small as arc time, material use, and inventory of consumables like wire and gas. 

Instead of constantly monitoring each worker, you can use a productivity app to see how efficiently each workstation is running. The best part? You can check the app on your computer or phone without leaving your desk. 

 

Stop Wasting Material 

When cutting materials, it may seem like you need to choose between wasting time and wasting material. Planning your cuts to save material takes away precious production time.  
Luckily, some programs can automatically plan your cuts with the least waste. You can stop crunching numbers and planning complicated cuts and spend more time getting things done. 

 

Manage Your Field Workers Without Leaving the Office 

If you have teams working in the field, it's difficult to stay updated. You either have to be on-site with them or answer phone calls all day. However, you can save time by integrating fleet management software into your company.  
Fleet management software helps you stay in the know with real-time updates on accidents and equipment maintenance. You can even track the team's progress on each of the day's tasks. 

Make Programming Easier 

If your business utilizes welding robots, you know how complex the programming process is. Shutting down the whole workstation to have an expert program the robot wastes valuable production time. 
Offline robot programming software enables you to program robots virtually without interrupting production. 

 

Never Forget To Order Materials Again 

Have you ever had your welders start cutting parts only to realize you were missing the required material for a job? 
It's incredibly frustrating to have to put off a job because you're waiting on materials. Welding software can help you track your inventory, so you know what you're running low on before you need it. 

 

What About My Employees That Aren't Tech-Savvy? 

Integrating new software into your business can be daunting. Learning the software yourself, let alone teaching it to your employees, might seem impossible. When choosing welding software for your company to use, look into what kind of support they offer. Many companies have a helpful support team that can help you with technical issues. 

Modern software is made to be user-friendly and easy to learn. Even your employees that aren't good with computers will be able to get the hang of new software with enough practice. 

 

Who Should Use Welding Software? 

Any welding operations manager should strive to make their shop run as efficiently as possible. If your welding shop has had problems keeping its inventory stocked, meeting production demand, or maintaining compliance, a welding data solution is right for you. 
You may have efficiency problems that you don't even know about. Productivity software can help you analyze the data it collects to tell you where your shop needs improvement. Even if you think your shop is running as smoothly as possible, you may be surprised by what welding software will find. 
You can't be everywhere at once, but good welding software can help you feel like you are. 

 

Make Your Shop More Efficient Today! 

Welding software can help your shop be as efficient as possible. Increasing your productivity will save your shop time and make you more money. 
Don't keep wondering what you can do to make your shop more efficient. Click here to learn more about how welding software can make your shop more profitable! 

 

To learn more about InduSuite Solutions, please visit our CONTACT US page and submit your request. We look forward to speaking with you!