The machine tools are the visible parts of a shop’s capacity, but it is hard to overstate the value and power of software tools for using that capacity effectively. Indeed, software reaches every corner of a manufacturing facility. From the ERP software in the front office, to the CAD/CAM systems that program parts and the machine monitoring programs on the shop floor, nearly every employee in a machine shop is likely to interact with some type of software program. And even those who don’t work directly with software are indirectly impacted by it. “...nearly every employee in a machine shop is likely to interact with some type of software program. And even those who don’t work directly with software are indirectly impacted by it.”