Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for industrial enclosure manufacturers.
A checklist built from how industrial enclosure manufacturers work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Standard range and custom quotes
- Drawing and cut-out records
- Sheet nesting and material issue
- Press brake and welding stages
- Coating shade and batch record
- Accessories and packing
- Dispatch and invoicing
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For the estimating and design desk
- For press and welding supervisors
- For the coating and assembly team
- For stores and dispatch
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Orders on each machine and stage, with the promised date
- Stock sizes below reorder level
- Sheet issued, scrap and offcuts returned by grade and thickness
- Powder shades and batches used by customer
- Accessory shortages found at the packing bench
- Quoted against actual cost for custom units
- Bills sent and amounts outstanding per panel builder
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Accounting export
- Barcode labels
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Can the same system run stock cabinets and one-off consoles?
- Does it control the punching or laser machine?
- How do repeat orders get the same finish?
- Can offcuts be tracked?
- How does it record ingress rating tests?
- Can packing lists be printed for each carton?
- Is it suitable for a stainless steel enclosure line?
- Can our open orders be loaded?
- What does it cost and how do we see it first?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Cut-outs vary on every drawing
- Colour shades are remembered, not recorded
- Standard sizes and special units fight for the press
- Accessories are packed from memory
- Quotes miss the extras
Prefer to talk it through? See the industrial enclosure manufacturers page.