your word in modern manufacturing: promises without the price tag

Each year, I choose a word that will epitomize the year for me, something personal that sets my focus. You find yourself, often, leaning into something as the year progresses and it just feels like _____ (fill in the word). In 2023, it was discipline. Last year, it was productivity. This year, I’m finding space to breathe. That pause is helping me step back and refocus on strategy.

For me, this strategy comes in motion, travel. There’s something about my mind that opens when I’m on an airplane – especially over either ocean, so it’s a longer trip – or driving a car for 6+ hours. These stretches of uninterrupted time give my brain room to make some strange connections between data points that I don’t see during the regular movement of my day.

For the business, the word this year feels like opportunity. In 2025, it’s felt like someone turned on the faucet, a steady, increasing flow of activity. More and more companies are seeking answers to things that we can do for them. Questions we know the answers to. Projects that we have unique capabilities for. It’s been energizing for our entire team.

production operations: MES for everyone

Perhaps it’s that the world is finally recognizing what we’ve always believed: that high-quality production operations shouldn’t require a fortune. If you’re in a regulated space – or just need to ensure jobs are done correctly – you might seek out an MES platform. For the uninitiated, that’s a manufacturing execution system. You can count on an MES to run your shop. To watch your inventory. To guide your work through its steps. To keep track of your schedule and to give you tools to solve the problems that happen every day in the continuous movement that is your shop floor. The problem? Many MES platforms cost more than your annual payroll. And that’s just not sustainable – especially for small to midsize manufacturers.

We built Quantum to change that. We knew that wasn’t good enough for lots of you, who suffer with the common issues of too little information, not enough time and late work. Things cost more when you’re scrambling, stressed. So, we set out to change the world of MES, a solution that was cost-effective, reliable, and ready to deliver real value fast.

Let’s say you’re a $10M business. Spending $100k a year just on software licensing? That’s 1% of your revenue before services or support. You’d be paying that off for years, a terrible ROI. And yet, so many systems we found are spending that per year in licensing alone.

We believe you deserve better.

paperless manufacturing: say it and mean it

In manufacturing, to give your word to a customer means the difference between getting a job and getting passed over. Promising a job will be done on time, on spec, and on budget is how you win contracts and retain customers. But keeping that promise? It’s hard when you’re scrambling every week just to keep production moving. Making money on it or pulling even. Running the job or having the job run you.

You don’t need to reinvent your shop floor – you just need a little help to get that information in front of you so you can make the right decisions, a system that helps tighten the bolts.

We’ve seen too many teams consider AI tools in production. Or teams with a $6K or 12K a year start invest in low-code platforms that are, essentially, digital IKEA-kits – minus the instructions. And, while you may know what your issues are, you do not want to embark on a DIY project for your production. These tools are not robust enough for you to rely on them to give your word and hold up your end of the bargain.

You need a ready-made tool to do that, something designed by people who understand manufacturing. Where someone else has already thought of the templates and workflows your team will need to get their work done. A system that already knows what to do if inventory is low or if a part is late. A full-system software tool can help you do that.

Think about what a true production solution should deliver for you and your team:

• Planning
• Scheduling
• Quality management
• Inventory management
• Rework and scrap
• Project plans
• Job management
• Operator interaction
• Data collection
• And more.

We would love to learn about the specific challenges you face in your shop. Whether you’re struggling with delivery dates, data accuracy, job scheduling or more – Quantum can help you keep your word. Reach out to us and schedule a time to talk. Let’s build a plan that works for your shop.