Quoting in the Cloud

Cloud computing has been predicted to become a game-changing technology in manufacturing. Developers are still finding ways to take full advantage of this concept as we continue to see creative approaches of incorporating it into products.

eTurboTools Inc., a Michigan company, now offers eTurboQuote, a cloud-based cost estimating development tool designed to save time during a machine shop’s quoting and pricing process. Jerry Scrivo, company machine shop specialist, says, “We developed this tool with small to medium sized machine shops in mind. The tool is web-based, giving team members involved in quoting access to the data wherever they have access to the web. With this tool, manufacturers can update the costing information for their entire product line in seconds.”

Company President Brian Krichbaum added, “We find that most machine shops produce similar products over and over. Why should they have to redevelop price modules every time? We have simplified the cost estimating process by allowing for the creation of standard price templates for all the product lines of a company.”

We will continue to see cloud computing become more prevalent in manufacturing, just as its use expands in other areas. A Production Machining cover story from a couple of years ago (“Cloud Computing in Manufacturing”) details how this technology is likely to come into play for everyone from small shops to large manufacturing plants, and the thesis has definitely begun to play out. Keep your eye out for more in the near future.