Lantek, world leader in sheet metal technology, has developed new functionality powered by its CAD/CAM software, which integrates online shopping for sheet metal parts. With this new capability Lantek’s customers can integrate with their own customers into a supply chain. These customers can reorder previously supplied parts or request quotations for the manufacture of new designs through each individual company’s website.

By implementing this technology on their websites, Lantek’s customers will be able to work much more closely with their own customers, delivering accurate quotations even more quickly while checking for available capacity for manufacture, to offer realistic and achievable delivery times.

When a request is received through the customer’s website, the Lantek system will firstly decide if the information is good enough to generate a quotation and delivery date automatically. Some of the elements considered are availability of material, available capacity and quality of design data. If the information is acceptable, the system can continue automatically. If not, a workflow ticket is generated to involve a member of staff in clarifying the enquiry.
Within the system, time and cost are calculated and estimated using the software libraries in the system. The desired delivery date is then included within the algorithm and takes account of other jobs being manufactured in the same material and the status of machine capacity. It also considers material availability, delivery times for material, should it need to be ordered, and current material costs.

With this information and where necessary with assistance from a staff member, an accurate offer can be supplied extremely quickly and with little administrative effort, making it much easier to work in partnership with customers and be a valued part of the supply chain.

For the manufacturer, the system delivers benefits in addition to improved customer relations and reduced administrative load. By looking at current capacity and parts made in the same material, the software will help to smooth peaks and troughs in production, filling available capacity more efficiently and thereby achieving improved machine utilisation. Furthermore, the increased accuracy of the quotations will help to maximise profitability for each job produced.