A+W: Software to Grow with Your Company

Without these tools, as your company and operations expand, everything will become unwieldy.

Today we’re discussing how technology is becoming the backbone of many companies, including those fabricating and/or glazing in the flat glass, window, and door industry. Technology powers everything from how we intake orders, purchase inventory, the processes your company follows, how you fabricate frames/lites/windows, plan routes, and much more. In today’s blog, we’re going to discuss why you should choose A+W Software for your company’s software solutions.

Remember, no software solution is perfect for every company. We understand that and will do our best to help guide you in your software selection process. We as a company believe it is best to help guide prospects throughout the software purchasing journey as best as possible.

A+W’s software solutions were built for companies of all sizes from SMB (small fabricators cutting lites on one line), medium-sized businesses fabricating hundreds of lites weekly, and industry-leading fabricators producing at hundreds of sites regionally or globally. We recognize that every company has different needs, so our software solutions are built to grow with you from A+W iCut designed to help small fabricators optimize and manage inventory to A+W Production/A+W Business designed to control every aspect of your business from order entry to delivery. Anyone can play a role in your journey, but can they improve your journey and make you the market leader? Only A+W can do that!

A+W iCut → A+W Business Pro →  A+W Business & A+W Production

Let’s examine each software solution to help you find the best solution for your needs.

1. A+W iCut

A+W iCut is an integrated optimization and cutting software solution for smaller flat glass companies. It’s also appropriate for larger companies that only require optimization and cutting. This solution enables the input of orders without price calculation for insulting glass, laminated glass, toughened glass, and single glass, including edge treatments and standard shapes. The system manages optimization and cutting, but it can also control inventory management and remnant panels/lites/sheets.

A+W iCut is easy to install with limited scope of functionalities. This software solution is the little brother/slimmed-down version (some features are grayed-out) of A+W Business Pro. Once the glass fabrication company (you, for example) want to upgrade your software solution, you can upgrade directly to A+W Business Pro with no change in interface.

2. A+W Business Pro

As stated above, A+W Business Pro is an easy upgrade from A+W iCut. The A+W Business Pro software solution is a full, but cost-effective entry-level solution for SMBs. It allows our customers (and eventually you) a completely integrated software solution. This starts with order creation and proceeds to configuring, pricing, optimizing, tracking through the plant, CNC steering, basic capacity planning, and finishing with shipping.

A+W Business Pro is feature-rich, so click on the link above to read how this software solution can launch your company into the 21st century and enable you to beat your competition.

3. A+W Business & A+W Production

A+W Business and A+W Production together are a complete ERP system for companies of all sizes from mid-sized to enterprise/global-fabricators with a single site or tens/hundreds of sites around the world. The combined power of these software solutions allows not just the entry of quotations, orders, credit notes, complaints, delivery notes, and the management of purchase orders and inquiries, but also control of other company areas (e.g., scheduling, capacity planning, reporting, optimization (sequencing, furnace, defect, rack, real-time, logistics, and shape), stock, purchasing, dispatch, etc.). Several additional value-add modules are available based on your business’ specific needs. Your company never stops evolving and either does A+W’s software solutions to meet your needs.

As a reminder, all software requires training. Training is the most effective way for you and your employees to fully capitalize on the power of your purchased software solution. To supplement this thinking, we recommend you continue to study and learn more about your purchased software solution at least on a yearly basis. Education will allow you to grow your company and take advantage of different software features as your product line, employee count, and customer pool grow.

As you adopt software into your flat glass fabrication facility, you’ll find the following (just to name a few):

1. Paper and production folders are replaced by scanners and information terminals
2. Transmitting data to the machines quickly and reliably via intelligent interfaces speeds up production
3. Processes are standardized across your company making the company more efficient and thus profitable
4. Employees are deployed flexibly throughout your facility/facilities
5. Thinking by employees changes to be more digital first
6. Tracking every sheet in real time enables your company to increase yield
7. Remanufacturing broken panes is quick and efficient
8. Increasing productivity through the use of integrated solutions
9. Relationship between your company and your customers and suppliers is more transparent, thus ensuring long-term success of your company in the marketplace

In the end, choosing the right software solution for your company is no guarantee of success. No one can guarantee success for your company except you and your employees, not even new software. Every software solution must be tailored to your company in some form or fashion, but over-customization can harm you going forward as you need to upgrade to stay ahead of your competition. (We recommend you use software that is custom configured not customed programmed.) When looking for new software, give A+W’s software solutions a look. Our software solutions will grow with your company enabling you to stay ahead of your competition.

As a reminder, no software solution is perfect for every company. Chemistry is important between the software provider and you as the customer. Find a team you work well with and build strong relationships. Relationships and teamwork will enable you and your employees to implement the correct software solution(s) for your company.

At this point, I want to wish you good luck in your search for an effective software solution for your company. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact North American Marketing.