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We fix one job at a time, and get paid from what it saves.

Pick the job that eats the most hours in your shop. We watch it, find the waste, fix it, and measure the hours you got back. Four steps, in this order.

  1. We watch one jobWe pick one job that costs you real time, sit with the people who do it, and time every step.How it works
  2. We find the wasteWe split the job into the work that needs a person and the work that does not.How it works
  3. We fix itWe build the fix inside the software you already run where we can, test it on your real jobs, and train your people.How it works
  4. We get paid from the savingsWe measure the hours before and after. Our fee is a share of the difference.How it works

What does Cortana actually do?

We work only with manufacturers. We clean up shop data (part numbers, BOMs, routings, job costs) and take the routine part out of office work: drawings, quotes, inspection reports, order entry. We watch the job first, fix it inside the software you already run where we can, and get paid from what it saves.

When your software cannot do it, we upgrade it or build a small tool. Either way, the result is measured in hours.

  • Drawings and BOMs
  • Quotes
  • Inspection reports
  • Order entry
  • Part numbers, routings and job costs

The four steps, in detail.

  1. 01

    We watch one job

    Quoting, drawings, inspection paperwork, order entry: whichever job eats the most hours. We watch it done for real, time each step, and note where the work waits, gets typed in twice, or gets done over.

    The result: A number everyone agrees on. The step worth fixing first.

    What you get

    • How the job runs today, step by step
    • What it costs you a year, in hours and dollars
    • Where the time actually goes
    Is this a workshop?
    No. We sit with the people doing the job and time it. You get the numbers on paper, and they are yours even if you do not hire us for the fix.
    Which jobs are worth looking at?
    The ones that repeat every week and eat skilled hours: quoting, drawings and BOMs, inspection reports, order entry, chasing approvals.

  2. 02

    We find the waste

    Most lost time comes from the same few things: bad data, like duplicate part numbers and BOMs that do not match the build, plus data typed into two systems, drawings rebuilt from scratch, quotes worked out by hand, and approvals sitting in an inbox. We find which ones your shop has and pick the fix for each.

    The result: A plan you can say yes or no to. No new software unless it pays for itself.

    What you get

    • The steps that need a person
    • The steps software can take over
    • The fix for each one, and what it costs
    Do you always build software?
    No. Sometimes the fix is a process change, or a setting in software you already own. We only build when nothing simpler works.

  3. 03

    We fix it

    Most fixes start with the data. We clean up part numbers, BOMs, routings and job costs so your ERP can be trusted, then automate the routine work on top of it. We build in small pieces, test each one on your own jobs, and train your people while we are still there.

    The result: Hours back every week. Data your people trust.

    What you get

    • Clean part, BOM, and job data your ERP can trust
    • The fix, working on your real jobs
    • Training for the people who use it
    • A named person to call when something breaks
    Who owns what you build?
    That is written into the agreement before any work starts.
    Can our own team take it over?
    Yes. We document it and train your people so they can run it without us.

  4. 04

    We get paid from the savings

    Before we start, we agree how the saving gets measured: hours on the job, what an hour costs, how often the job runs. Once the fix is running, we measure again. Our fee is a share of what it actually saved, so it rises and falls with the result.

    The result: Hours back, better margins, more parts shipped. A saving you can check yourself.

    What you get

    • The before number, agreed up front
    • The after number, measured on your jobs
    • A fee tied to the difference
    Do you promise a saving?
    No. We promise to measure it honestly. The fee follows what is measured.

Start with the job that costs the most.

A free first call. Tell us the job and who owns it, and we will tell you if it is worth fixing.

Free consultation