Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for tool rooms.
A checklist built from how tool rooms 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.
- Tool projects and stage plans
- Tool bill of parts
- Stage hours and machine booking
- Trials and modification log
- Steel and standard parts stock
- Customer tool register
- Spares, sharpening and repair jobs
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For tool designers
- For machinists and fitters
- For the stores
- For project managers
- For owners
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Tools by stage with due dates
- Stage hours against the quote
- Outside steps due back, by vendor
- Trial results and corrections by tool
- Strokes or shots completed against the sharpening interval
- Repair jobs open, with parts needed
- Milestone invoices raised and payments received
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Accounting export
- File server links
- Barcode labels
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it design the tool?
- Can I see which stage is holding up a die?
- How are trials recorded?
- Can customer-owned tools be repaired through it?
- Does it track strokes or shots?
- Can steel be traced to a tool?
- What does the system need from us on day one?
- How is it priced?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Hours per stage are not recorded
- Standard parts are bought twice
- Trial history stays on the press
- Customer-owned tools mix with yours
- Outsourced steps run late without warning
Prefer to talk it through? See the tool rooms page.