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Industries · Machine shops and subcontracting

For machine shops and subcontractors

Many business owners in the trade know these situations well. Under each one you can read what Ainio does for you.

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  • The quote request is missing the material, the surface finish or the delivery time, and the details are chased one message at a time.

    You get a ready message that asks the customer for everything that’s missing in one go.

  • A big customer sends the invoice back if the order number is missing.

    Ainio picks up the order number from the customer’s message, and it goes onto the order confirmation, delivery note and invoice automatically.

  • Lots of orders are in progress at once, and the promised delivery dates are scattered across emails.

    On the Workflow page you see orders in progress by delivery date, each with its status, for example “Delivered 120/200 pcs”. Late ones show in the Waiting for you list.

  • The material or the galvanising is late, and you only find out on the delivery day.

    You get a warning in advance if the material or a subcontractor is due too late or the working hours won’t stretch to the promised date.

  • More quote requests come in than the shop has hours, and it isn’t clear which orders are worth taking. In the Huippu plan

    Ainio tells you which of the jobs on offer fit into your week and which of them earn you the most. You also see why the others were left out.

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Try it free for 30 days and get set up in about 10 minutes. Nothing goes to the customer without your approval.

A machinist at the control panel of a CNC machine
Video

See how the paperwork gets done during the day

2 min 43 s, no sound

Example · Machine shop

How one order runs through Ainio

The customer needs 200 shafts made to a drawing. Ainio does the paperwork, and you decide what goes to the customer.

A machined part being measured with a calliper
  1. Message

    The customer sends a drawing

    The buyer at Nostotek asks for a quote for 200 bearing shafts and attaches a drawing.

    Ainio drafts the reply.
    Reply to NostotekBearing shafts, 200 pcs
    Ready

    Hello, thanks for the quote request! Do the shafts need a surface finish, and should they be delivered all at once or in batches? I’ll send a quote as soon as I know.

    Send
  2. Quote

    You send the quote

    The buyer replies that the shafts are to be galvanised. You check the quote and press Send.

    Ainio makes the quote with the prices from your price list and with your own logo.
    Quote
    Nostotek Oy · Bearing shafts, 200 pcs
    Bearing shaft 4410-02, 200 pcs€3,680
    Programming and setup€240
    Galvanising, 200 pcs€380
    Total (excl. VAT)€4,300
    Valid for 30 daysSend
  3. Calendar

    The delivery date goes into the calendar

    The buyer accepts the quote and sends the order number, and you agree on a delivery date.

    Ainio puts the delivery date in your calendar and the order on the Workflow page.
    THU14:00
    Bearing shafts for deliveryAccepted
    Nostotek Oy · 200 pcsTeollisuuskatu 12, Lahti
    RouteCall
  4. Invoice

    The invoice is ready right after delivery

    The shafts have been delivered, and you mark the order as done.

    Ainio prepares the invoice and adds the customer’s order number to it.
    Invoice
    Nostotek Oy · Bearing shafts, 200 pcs
    Total (excl. VAT)€4,300
    Order numberPO-55120
    Due in 30 daysSend

Nothing goes to the customer without your permission. Nostotek and Konepaja Kärki are made up, and the prices are examples.

These 4 things are included in every plan

Plans start at €99 a month (+ VAT), and during the trial you get the full Huippu plan (with trial usage limits).

See all features →See plans and prices →

Try the same steps yourself

The demo shows the everyday work of a sample business. It opens in your browser without signing up, and nothing is sent from it. Parts of the demo are in Finnish.

Open the demo →
Frequently asked questions

What machine shops and subcontractors often ask

Here are the answers to the questions machine shops and subcontractors ask before they start using Ainio.

Does Ainio replace an ERP system?

No. Ainio handles quote requests, quotes, order tracking, delivery notes and invoices. Production planning per machine, sheet nesting, CAD and CAM and stock valuation belong in an ERP system.

Can the customer’s order number go on the invoice?

Yes. Ainio picks up the order number from the customer’s message, and the customer can also type it on the quote’s approval page. The number goes onto the order confirmation and delivery note under Your reference, and onto the invoice and the e-invoice file. If the messages contain two different numbers, the field is left empty and you enter the number yourself.

Does Ainio send the order confirmation or delivery note to the customer?

No. The order confirmation and delivery note are PDF files that you attach to a message or print yourself. Nothing goes to the customer without your approval.

Can a batch be delivered and invoiced in parts?

Yes. You log the delivery’s date, recipient and delivered quantities, and Ainio makes a delivery note for it with space for the recipient’s signature. The delivered rows are invoiced on their own invoice, and deliveries already invoiced are deducted from the final invoice. Serial numbers can be logged row by row.

Does Ainio read drawings?

Not from message attachments. You enter the drawing number and revision on the order, and they show in Workflow, the quote, the order confirmation and the delivery note. When the customer sends a new revision, you update it yourself.

Does Ainio notice if a delivery won’t make it in time?

Yes, when a promised delivery has been entered on the order. Ainio warns you if the material arrives, or a subcontractor returns the parts, only on the delivery date or later. If the quote has an estimated working time, Ainio compares the remaining hours with the working days before delivery. No message goes to the customer; you decide what to do.

Does Ainio remind you about repeat orders?

Yes. When you mark an order as done, you choose whether it repeats. When the order is due again, Ainio reminds you on the home page and drafts a message to the customer. The message goes out only once you approve it.

Is Ainio quoting and invoicing software for machine shops and subcontractors?

Yes, and a bit more. You make your quotes and invoices with Ainio, and you also get replies to customer messages ready, jobs in your calendar and a view of which invoices have been paid. The bookkeeping is still done in your accounting software.

How much does Ainio cost?

Plans start at €99 a month (+ VAT), and depending on the plan you can have up to 3, 8 or 15 users. You can try Ainio free for 30 days, and during the trial you get the full Huippu plan (with trial usage limits). There is no lock-in, and you can cancel at any time.

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