Smarter Fabrication for Modern Sheet Metal Contractors
Margins are shrinking, schedules are compressed, and fabrication demands are growing more complex by the week. For sheet metal contractors, success increasingly comes down to visibility and knowing what’s happening in the shop, when, and why.
Many contractors continue to rely on spreadsheets or manual tracking, which struggle to keep pace with the demands of modern fabrication. These fragmented systems often lead to bottlenecks, rework, and lost productivity. What shops need instead is a connected, data-driven approach that gives real-time insight into every step of production.
That’s where MSUITE, part of DEWALT Construction Technology, delivers a new level of control. The platform connects BIM, fabrication, and field operations through automation and actionable insights. Its latest update introduces weight and time sheet metrics, providing shop managers with measurable performance data to improve forecasting, capacity planning, and labor efficiency.
These capabilities will be showcased at the 2025 SMACNA Annual Convention in Maui, Hawaii, the premier event for sheet metal and HVAC leaders, happening October 26–29, 2025. Contractors attending the convention can see how MSUITE’s integrated software drives greater productivity and profitability across fabrication operations.
From Chaos to Clarity: A Connected Path for Fabrication
What sets the best-performing fabrication shops apart isn’t just their skill or experience, it’s how effectively they use information.
MSUITE provides that missing connection between design and production, enabling teams to see exactly what’s being built, where it stands, and how efficiently it’s progressing.
With the addition of weight and time sheet tracking, shop managers can now measure performance at both the drawing and package level. This gives unprecedented insight into throughput, labor allocation, and material flow.
And because fabrication success depends on precision from the very first model file, MSUITE starts by addressing one of the biggest challenges in the sheet metal process, managing MAJ files efficiently.
1. MAJ File Support: Seamless BIM-to-Fabrication Integration
MSUITE’s MAJ File Support bridges the gap between BIM design and shop production. By directly importing and processing MAJ files from Autodesk Fabrication CADmep or Revit, MSUITE eliminates time-consuming manual steps that can lead to costly mistakes.
This feature automates spool creation, nesting, and cutting operations, ensuring the digital model transitions flawlessly into fabrication. The result is faster project delivery, better traceability, and complete visibility across every stage of production.
For sheet metal teams managing complex assemblies, MAJ file automation ensures accuracy from design to installation, keeping shop floor and modeling teams aligned in real time. It’s a significant win for improving quality, consistency, and labor savings.
2. Sheet Metal Shop Capacity Management: Balance Resources, Boost Profitability
A fabrication shop thrives when workload and resources are balanced. Overloading one department while another sits idle leads to inefficiencies and missed deadlines. MSUITE’s Shop Capacity Management provides a clear overview of production load, helping leaders make informed decisions about labor, scheduling, and material planning.
By combining weight-based production data with time sheet metrics, managers can track output capacity in real time, identifying constraints before they slow progress. These insights allow shops to:
- Forecast production timelines more accurately
- Reassign resources based on actual workload
- Reduce costly downtime and material waste
The results have been transformative for many contractors.
“MSUITE is a catalyst for organizational efficiency. It has significantly improved the quality and amount of data available to manage our capacity and processes, making us more organized and efficient.” — Mark Van Sickle, VP of Manufacturing, Streimer
Streimer, one of the Pacific Northwest’s top sheet metal fabricators, uses MSUITE to gain visibility across operations, improve communication, and enhance delivery accuracy.
Read the entire case study.
3. Productivity Dashboards: Introducing Weight and Time Sheet Metrics
MSUITE’s Productivity Dashboard empowers managers with a real-time pulse on shop performance. With the latest update, users can now track both weight metrics and time sheet data, two of the most critical measures for fabrication productivity.
Weight tracking provides contractors with visibility into the amount of material fabricated, shipped, or staged for installation, aligning physical progress with project budgets. Time sheet metrics reveal how long each step in production actually takes, enabling supervisors to identify bottlenecks, analyze trends, and refine workflows.
Together, these insights turn disconnected production data into a comprehensive performance picture. Fabricators can monitor:
- Labor efficiency across crews or workstations
- Average time per spool or fitting
- Progress against estimated budgets
- Correlation between weight output and labor input
This is where fabrication management shifts from reactive to predictive. By understanding how labor and material usage intersect, contractors can reduce overtime, improve throughput, and make better staffing decisions.
Learn more about MSUITE’s advanced analytics dashboard:
4. Configurable Workflows: Built for the Way Sheet Metal Teams Work
No two fabrication shops are identical. Each has unique approval processes, departmental roles, and production stages. MSUITE’s Configurable Workflows give contractors the flexibility to tailor the software to match how they operate.
With configurable workflows, teams can:
- Add custom columns for calculated weights, estimated budgets, or QA checkpoints
- Track progress at both the drawing and package levels
- Define statuses, responsibilities, and routing rules specific to their process
This adaptability enables contractors to standardize their data capture and reporting processes, all while maintaining the agility to evolve as their operations grow. For multi-facility organizations, it also ensures consistent reporting and accountability across every location.
The result: technology that fits the contractor, not the other way around.
Connected Workflows from BIM to Field
MSUITE connects every phase of construction — from BIM modeling to fabrication and installation — providing a continuous flow of information between design, shop, and field.
Integrations with Autodesk Construction Cloud, PypeServer, and other leading platforms make MSUITE a single source of truth for production data. This connected ecosystem reduces rework, increases accuracy, and strengthens collaboration across teams.
To see how MSUITE’s connected workflows are driving modern sheet metal project delivery, click here.
Why It Matters for Sheet Metal Contractors
- Reduce Rework: Automated MAJ file handling ensures accuracy and consistency.
- Increase Throughput: Weight-based dashboards and time sheet insights keep production aligned with goals.
- Improve Profitability: Real-time visibility into capacity and workflow eliminates waste.
- Stay Flexible: Configurable workflows adapt to company-specific requirements.
For modern sheet metal contractors, digital tools like MSUITE turn fabrication into a controlled, data-driven operation that delivers measurable results on every project.
See MSUITE in Action at SMACNA 2025
The 2025 SMACNA Annual Convention brings together the largest community of sheet metal and HVAC contractors. Visit MSUITE and DEWALT Construction Technology in Maui to explore how automation and analytics are changing the future of fabrication.
October 26–29, 2025 | Grand Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
