WireCrafters Automates Processes and Reduces Design Time with Custom Software

“Over 50% of WireCrafters jobs have a custom element to them,” said Aaron Eubank, National Sales Manager, WireCrafters. “Our volume of business rapidly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. We were getting on average 50 orders a day from dealers around the country. The process of manually creating 2D drawings based on hand sketch layouts submitted by the sales department had become cumbersome before the pandemic. We knew we needed to automate the process, but there would need to be a process and set of rules assigned to each design.”

Wirecrafters wanted to automate their proposal process to gain efficiencies from quote to manufacturing.

Before automating the processes, a salesperson from a WireCrafters dealer would discuss a need with a client, sketch the design, and send it to WireCrafters’ sales department, where a sales person would lay it out as a hand sketch or using the previous configurator. From there an order would be placed and that hand sketch or configurator layout would be redrawn into an AutoCAD approval drawing by the drafting department.

Once approved by the customer, engineers would determine all the details and create specific cut sheets for each custom part and released into the shop for manufacturing.

It was a long and manual process. 

“We met with an IMAGINiT team that included representatives in both manufacturing and software development who explained that they had helped numerous other manufacturers in similar situations,” said JR Marsteller, Engineering Manager, WireCrafters. “After listening to us describe our goals and asking questions to clarify their understanding, they presented a proposal to build a custom system called Engineering Takeoff Automated Processes.”

The IMAGINiT solution consisted of: 

• Completing discoveries and determining the appropriate level of effort to create a full solution that would significantly increase efficiency
• Starting with the early-stage ETAP developed by the IMAGINiT team in Autodesk AutoCAD software 
• Using Autodesk Factory Design Utilities to build custom, self-supporting, web-based libraries of parts needed for each item number those engineers could access at anytime from anywhere; Start with the largest product line and complete all product lines in eight to 10 phases 
• Training the engineers on the ETAP system and the sales manager on the web portal
•  Updating the user interface

With the new automated process, the salespeople use the Sales Configurator tool to create a computer-generated quote, which the client can review/edit/approve on the spot. The Engineering department picks up the layout from the Sales Configurator, verifies accuracy, and inputs the information into the ETAP program. The ETAP program populates an intelligent 3D model with item information stored in the Cloud and creates an accurate detailed approval drawing for the customer and detailed cut sheets that the Takeoff department can download. 

“We are experiencing a 40% decrease in the time a design spends in our Engineering departments,” said JR. “Our company and our customers are reaping the benefits; our teams can take on more work with faster turnaround times on approval drawings and get custom jobs into the shop much quicker.”

In addition to speeding the initial sales-to-drafting-to-takeoff process, IMAGINiT made it possible to import a quote into the ERP system along with the parts list, eliminating the need to do any dual entry on quotes or orders. Aaron concluded, “WireCrafters looks forward to adding additional product lines to the sales configurator and ETAP system spending less time on manual work and focusing on innovation and customer service.”

Delivery Date

Project Duration

Autodesk Solutions

Services Provided

• Process Automation
• Software Development & Customization

Customer Industry