by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Quoting & Estimating
Ask most shop owners why they lose a job and the answer is usually “price.” But dig into the data and a different picture emerges: many quotes are never followed up on, and slow responses hand the work to a faster competitor. Below we answer the questions...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Quoting & Estimating
Most shops obsess over throughput and lead times, but overlook one of the clearest signals of business health: how many quotes actually turn into orders. Your quote-to-order conversion rate is a direct line to your pricing, your response speed, and your ability to...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Materials & Pricing, Quoting & Estimating
Every estimator knows the pain: an RFQ lands, the part looks simple, and then the questions start. Wall thickness that won’t hold up, tolerances that force a secondary process, features no standard tool can reach. Each unknown adds a round of back-and-forth, and...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Materials & Pricing, Quoting & Estimating
Ask two estimators to quote the same part and you may get two very different numbers. One pads for risk, another forgets a setup charge, a third uses last year’s material cost. For a digital manufacturing shop, that inconsistency quietly erodes margins, confuses...
by Chris Anjel | Jul 13, 2026 | Capacity & Growth, Quoting & Estimating
Every growing shop hits the same wall: demand rises, but hiring skilled estimators, schedulers, and operators is slow, expensive, and risky. So how do you handle more work without expanding your team? Below are the questions on-demand manufacturers ask most about...
