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AS9100 machine shop

Five-axis, EDM, and turning, with plating, heat treat, and inspection sent out. The floor and quality are current: travelers and the NCR log are kept. The master schedule is stale — the scheduler rebuilt it six days ago, and it was right that morning. Outside processing is dark. Everyone knows nine jobs are out at vendors; nobody tracks how long parts sit there, and that round trip is what makes three jobs late, what runs up expedite fees nobody totals, and what keeps cash tied up on the floor. The Frame shows the chain from the vendor's dock to the bank balance.

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Thirty-five-person AS9100 machine shop (sample)

The company and the numbers are invented. The shape is the one we find.

as of March 6, 2026 at 17:00 UTC

5 current 2 stale 3 dark

The floorOutside processingQualityThe scheduleCashSpindle hoursbooked, next weekSetup time on5-axisParts out atplating & heattreatDays parts sit atoutside vendorsOpen NCRsFirst-articlebacklogThe masterscheduleJobs shippinglateExpedite feesthis monthCash tied up inwork in progress
currentstaledark

Two weeks back, one week ahead

Each row is one record. The band pinches when the record changes and widens as it ages. Past today it is the Frame looking ahead, and it stops where it can no longer say.

Feb 20 Feb 27 today · Mar 6 Mar 13 how far ahead it could see 3.6d Spindle hours booked,next week 112% sees 2d waits on setup time on 5-axis, dark Parts out at plating &heat treat 9 jobs sees 7d Days parts sit atoutside vendors DARK dark · nobody tracks the round trip Open NCRs 4 sees 7d Cash tied up in work inprogress $410k sees 2d waits on days parts sit at outside vendors, dark
  • the record changed
  • top row: how far ahead the whole picture could see, day by day
  • your own move, marked so the Frame doesn't read it as a trend
  • already on the calendar, so it doesn't fade
  • Past this line the Frame can't say: Machining is dark.

The week ahead, as the Frame lays it out

Each bar is a job, laid out from how long this kind of work has really taken here. The solid part is as far as the record it waits on can be trusted; past that the end blurs by as much as that record is out of date, and where the Frame can no longer say, the bar is hatched.

todaySatSunMonTueWedThuFriManifold lot, 5-axis finishwaits on spindle hours booked, next week, currentBracket lot, back from platingwaits on days parts sit at outside vendors, darkHousing, first articlewaits on first-article backlog, currentShaft lot, back from heat treatwaits on parts out at plating & heat treat, currentLate jobs, rescheduledwaits on the master schedule, stale
  • as far as it can be trusted
  • the end blurs by how old the record behind it is
  • past the point the Frame can say

The floor

2 sensors · 1 current · 0 stale · 1 dark

  • Spindle hours booked, next week current
    112%

    age 2h

    job travelers

  • Setup time on 5-axis dark
    DARK

    age —

    never split from run time

    hidden capacity

Outside processing

2 sensors · 1 current · 0 stale · 1 dark

  • Parts out at plating & heat treat current
    9 jobs

    age 2d

    PO log

  • Days parts sit at outside vendors dark
    DARK

    age —

    nobody tracks the round trip

    the usual cause of late

Quality

2 sensors · 2 current · 0 stale · 0 dark

  • Open NCRs current
    4

    age 4h

    NCR log

  • First-article backlog current
    3 parts

    age 24h

    FAI tracker

The schedule

2 sensors · 1 current · 1 stale · 0 dark

  • The master schedule stale
    rebuilt 6 days ago

    age 6d

    the scheduler's spreadsheet

    heroic, and behind

  • Jobs shipping late current
    3

    age 4h

    ERP open orders

Cash

2 sensors · 0 current · 1 stale · 1 dark

  • Expedite fees this month dark
    DARK

    age —

    paid, never totaled

  • Cash tied up in work in progress stale
    $410k

    age 5d

    month-end close

  • Days parts sit at outside vendors feeds → Jobs shipping late
  • Parts out at plating & heat treat feeds → Jobs shipping late
  • Setup time on 5-axis feeds → Spindle hours booked, next week
  • Spindle hours booked, next week feeds → The master schedule
  • Jobs shipping late feeds → Expedite fees this month
  • Jobs shipping late feeds → Cash tied up in work in progress
  • Open NCRs feeds → Jobs shipping late

a value nobody measured is null and renders dark, never zero

Start with a $400 consultation: a generous half day.

In person when we can. You leave with a Frame sketch on one page and a lot of good questions; within a week, a written proposal with deliverables and a price.

805-888-2449

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Thirty-five-person AS9100 machine shop (sample)

Two weeks back, one week ahead

Each row is one record. The band pinches when the record changes and widens as it ages. Past today it is the Frame looking ahead, and it stops where it can no longer say.

Feb 20 Feb 27 today · Mar 6 Mar 13 how far ahead it could see 3.6d Spindle hours booked,next week 112% sees 2d waits on setup time on 5-axis, dark Parts out at plating &heat treat 9 jobs sees 7d Days parts sit atoutside vendors DARK dark · nobody tracks the round trip Open NCRs 4 sees 7d Cash tied up in work inprogress $410k sees 2d waits on days parts sit at outside vendors, dark
  • the record changed
  • top row: how far ahead the whole picture could see, day by day
  • your own move, marked so the Frame doesn't read it as a trend
  • already on the calendar, so it doesn't fade
  • Past this line the Frame can't say: Machining is dark.

The week ahead, as the Frame lays it out

Each bar is a job, laid out from how long this kind of work has really taken here. The solid part is as far as the record it waits on can be trusted; past that the end blurs by as much as that record is out of date, and where the Frame can no longer say, the bar is hatched.

todaySatSunMonTueWedThuFriManifold lot, 5-axis finishwaits on spindle hours booked, next week, currentBracket lot, back from platingwaits on days parts sit at outside vendors, darkHousing, first articlewaits on first-article backlog, currentShaft lot, back from heat treatwaits on parts out at plating & heat treat, currentLate jobs, rescheduledwaits on the master schedule, stale
  • as far as it can be trusted
  • the end blurs by how old the record behind it is
  • past the point the Frame can say

This sample, three ways

Thirty-five-person AS9100 machine shop

Your Frame The floor Spindle hoursbooked, next week Outsideprocessing Parts out at plating& heat treat Quality Open NCRs The schedule The master schedule Job travelers 112% PO log 9 jobs Not recordedanywhere Days parts sit atoutside vendors NCR log 4 Schedulespreadsheet rebuilt 6 days ago

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Thirty-five-person AS9100 machine shop

Sample — illustrative mock-up Open NCRs
today the review trigger · 5 Tue – next Fri Days parts sit at outside vendors: nobody records it, so no forecast
Above, open nonconformances reaches the review trigger between Tuesday and next Friday.

Thirty-five-person AS9100 machine shop

Your Frame Open NCRs the forecast reaches the reviewtrigger Book the quality review → Calendar invite to quality on it reaches the review trigger within2 days Tell the owner → Text message off no update to open nonconformances in3 days Ask for a recount → Message to whoever keeps it on

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Solid: on today's number. Dashed: on the forecast. Each one is a switch.