Manufacturing & Industrial
Every part has a cost. We track materials, labor, and overhead so you know your true margins before you quote the next job.
The Industry
Manufacturing is about precision. You measure tolerances in thousandths of an inch. You track cycle times down to the second. But when it comes to the books, most shops are operating with estimates and gut feelings. You know roughly what a job should cost. You have a general sense of your margins. But you don’t have the numbers to prove it.
The complexity comes from the layers. Raw materials become work-in-progress. Work-in-progress becomes finished goods. Each step adds labor and overhead. By the time a part ships out the door, the true cost has passed through multiple hands and multiple accounts. Tracking all of that takes discipline that most shop owners don’t have time for.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
Machine shops, metal fabricators, tool and die makers, automotive suppliers, and small-scale manufacturers. If you’re producing parts, components, or finished goods anywhere in Metro Detroit, this is for you.
The Friction
The Friction
Material costs fluctuate. Jobs run long. Scrap happens. Equipment breaks down. Each of these affects your true cost per part, but most of it never makes it into the accounting system in a way that’s actually useful for decision-making.
What We Handle
We focus on getting your cost of goods sold right. This means tracking materials, labor, and overhead at the job level. Not just a lump sum at month end. Real numbers tied to real jobs so you can see what you actually made on that order.
We also manage the equipment side. Manufacturing businesses are asset-heavy. CNC machines, presses, tools, vehicles. These need to be depreciated correctly for tax purposes. We make sure you’re taking advantage of Section 179 when it makes sense and spreading depreciation properly when it doesn’t.
Inventory and COGS
Inventory and COGS
We track raw materials purchased, materials used on each job, and finished goods in stock. Your cost of goods sold reflects reality, not approximation. This is the foundation of knowing your actual margins.
Job Costing
Job Costing
Every job gets its own bucket. Materials, direct labor, and allocated overhead. When you finish an order, you can see exactly what it cost to produce. This data is essential for pricing future work accurately.
Common Problems
The biggest problem is not knowing your true cost per part. You quoted the job at $50,000 based on your estimate. Materials came in higher than expected. The job took longer. Scrap was worse than usual. Did you make money? Most shops can’t answer that question with any certainty until months later, if ever.
Inventory is another trouble spot. Your books say you have $80,000 in raw materials. Your physical count says $65,000. Where did $15,000 go? Theft? Waste? Recording errors? Without regular reconciliation, the gap just keeps growing and your financial statements drift further from reality.
Margin Mystery
Margin Mystery
You think you’re running 20% margins. But that number is based on estimates, not actuals. When material costs rise or jobs run long, your real margin could be half that. You won’t know until it’s too late to adjust your pricing.
Equipment Expensed Wrong
Equipment Expensed Wrong
A $40,000 piece of equipment gets expensed in the year it was purchased instead of being capitalized and depreciated. Your income statement is distorted. Your tax situation is wrong. It creates a mess to unwind later and could trigger questions you don’t want to answer.
What Changes
You start quoting jobs with confidence. You look at what similar jobs actually cost over the past year and use that data to build your price. No more guessing. No more leaving money on the table or losing money on jobs you thought were profitable.
Bank conversations get easier. When you need to finance a new piece of equipment or secure a line of credit, you walk in with clean financial statements that show your true position. Lenders trust numbers they can verify. Clean books are your credibility.
Pricing Power
Pricing Power
Historical job cost data shows what things really cost to produce. You stop underbidding and start pricing based on facts. Over time, this compounds into better margins across your entire operation.
Growth Readiness
Growth Readiness
You can add a second shift or invest in new equipment because you know what your current operation actually produces. Decisions are based on data, not hope. Banks see that clarity and respond accordingly when you need capital.
Metro Detroit's Small Business Bookkeeper
The Next Step:
A Short Conversation
Tell us about your business and your current bookkeeping situation. We'll listen, answer your questions, and give you a clear quote.
