SCREEN IMAGES

• Printed Quote Sheet
• Mold Base
• Scratch Sheet

MOLDQUOTE WIZARD

The WIZARD is a "highly automated" quoting tool. You are asked a series of questions, part dimensions and features desired and the WIZARD will calculate a mold price for you.

QUOTE PAGE

Customization for printing is also available. Printing can be accomplished on pre-printed multi- color, multi-sheet forms utilizing your company logo, laser printed single sheet forms or you can use the provided standard quote form.

MOLD BASE PAGE

The mold base machining costs are calculated automatically by the software. The time necessary for machining operations, whether it is square pockets or round pockets is also calculated by the software. These are machining rates that you are able to enter on the PARAMETERS PAGE (explained below) are based on individual stock removal rates that are unique to your equipment and method of operation. It is only necessary to give the size and number of pockets to calculate your machining costs. Setup time, programming, and ancillary holes, such as leader pin and bushing holes, return pin holes, screw holes, pry bar slots and other "custom variables" are parameters stored in the data base and are adjustable as shop rates change or machining technology advances. Allowances for a jig ground mold base or a base using "O" rings in conjunction with the molding surfaces are selectable options and calculations are made automatically.

Allowances have been made for "user customization" as each mold builder has their own "standards" and these extras can also be programmed into the software as "Company ABC Standard Costs? Yes or No." For the truly unusual situation a "misc. box" is also available to add personal notes, comments or costs concerning the quote. While the costs associated with the "misc. box" are added to the quote total the comments or personal reminder notes are not added to the final printed quote.

SCRATCH SHEET PAGE

CORE AND CAVITY DETAILS

Every effort has been made in this category to automate these functions as merely "point and click" operations. All details that are included in mold building are menu items to be selected along with associated machining operations such as: roughing, finishing, screw holes, waterlines, EDM, wire EDM, grinding, milling, jig grinding, polishing, electrode construction, etc. Hours required for each of these operations can be input through a keypad available on the screen or entered using the computer keyboard. If you employ "rules of thumb" for the construction of items such as lifters, side actions and lock ups or you have a set standard amount of hours you use in each quote situation, then customization is available to preset these values in your package to further automate your quoting program on the parameters page. Nothing remains the same, so provisions are made to allow you to change these preset values as the need arises. At any time during the quoting of these details a "review" page is available where each detail and operation can be viewed showing the material costs in one column and the hours associated with labor in an adjoining column. Totals for these columns are calculated automatically allowing you to add handling charges if desired for materials and apply your own shop rate. If your company uses internal controls to track the different operations for cost controls such as EDM hours applied to a specific project, or jig grinding hours applied to project, as well general "bench" hours...a unique numeric code can be attached to each operation you select in your quote so that in the final tally this program will provide you with the hours quoted for each major department within your company. This information is provided in a concise, legible format and is invaluable for cost control efforts. Included is a materials breakdown for outside labor services, hot runner systems, tool steel costs, electrode material cost, purchased items such as pins, bushings, lock- ups, hydraulic cylinders, screws, etc.

PARAMETER PAGE

To give you the most flexibility a parameters page is included so you have the ability to modify the preset values such as, machining rates (cubic inches per minute removed in your milling operations), shop rates, handling charges on materials or outside services (as a percentage), moldbase steel costs, and "rule of thumb" charges. In most cases only a once a year review of these values may be necessary to keep your program current with inflationary or changing conditions.

QUOTE PRINTED ON YOUR COMPANY STANDARD FORM

After you have utilized the automatic functions that are provided in this package, you are ready to print a actual, finished quote. Redundant items that appear on quotes such as "A & B plates to be Ramax", or "Terms to be 1/3, 1/3, 1/3" or "Prices are valid for 30 days" can be added to your standard notes library. These items are now "point and click" operations. Provisions have also been made for unique or custom notes that pertain to a specific quote. Quote reference numbers, customer inquiry numbers, customer addresses and contact names are all added automatically from a menu. The time consuming clerical duties associated with handwriting the information to be typed or dictated for your finished quote are eliminated. All the necessary paperwork, quotes, envelopes, can be processed with a minimal amount of effort.

The customer file and the associated quotes are permanent in the data base. More flexibility has been added as you are able to print, store and distribute any memos directed to a particular quote or actual shop work order.

REPORTS

When a quote is processed the program totals the quote into the quote volume report (for all customers or for a specific customer or for a particular purchasing contact ) so you have instant information as to weekly, quarterly or yearly quote volume. Should you be successful in your quoting endeavor and you are rewarded with an order, just add the purchase order number to the associated quote in the data base and the Brost Enterprises Mold Quote Program will calculate your dollar, as well as your percentage "capture rate" for that particular customer. A material and hours summary report is also available. The hours report calculates and categorizes hours by code or department, which is customized by you, to help in monitoring and tracking cost control. The material report groups common material items and shows total cost, which is displayed in a easy to read printable table.

SUMMARY

What is accomplished with this program is that your "electronic" job folder will store your quote work-up, your actual quote, your memos associated with that quote, eliminate the redundant clerical operations of quoting, store statistical data concerning quotes vs. actual orders, allow you to compare quoted costs per operation vs. "real" shop costs, prepare you for "electronic" transfer of your quotes and eliminate the paper trail.