Hold every mould build, design change and tryout shot on one record.

A mould is quoted from a part drawing and a target date. Between the order and the first good sample sit design review, steel cutting, milling, spark erosion, fitting, polishing and tryout, and any one of those can slip. The delay shows only when the moulder phones to ask for samples, by which time the steel is cut and the recovery options are few.

Every tool gets a number. Its design revision, bill of materials, build stages and tryout shots stay under that number, so toolroom managers, designers and sales staff read one record instead of three separate files.

The day starts with the tools on the floor. A cavity block waits for wire cutting, a core insert is out for heat treatment, and a hot runner manifold has not arrived from the supplier. The toolroom manager sorts the work by the date each tool is promised. Operators on the milling and erosion machines book their hours to a tool number, so cost and progress build up together as the day goes on.

A designer receives a part change from the customer, updates the model and raises a revision. Fitters then need to know which inserts are affected. Tryout is booked on an injection machine, the shots are inspected, and the moulder either approves the sample or asks for corrections. Every step is noted under the tool number, so the designer, the manager and the salesperson can later see who asked for what and when.