Most component manufacturers (CMs) do not choose a plate vendor based only on connector plate pricing. The decision also affects engineering, technical support, training, production planning, software, reporting, and other parts of the business. Over time, those systems can become so connected that changing vendors feels almost impossible.
A CM may technically have choices, but the cost, risk, and disruption can make those choices impractical. For a decision maker, that is more than a software concern. It can limit the company’s ability to make the best supplier decision for the business.
That is one of the problems the Truss WorkMinute Estimator, or TWE, is being developed to address.
At its expected mid-fall 2026 release, TWE will work seamlessly with all five major plate vendors, giving CMs the freedom to choose the supplier that best fits their business without disrupting the rest of their operation.
Development is well underway, and TDC will share more about this offering in the coming months. Specific technical details will remain limited until the appropriate time. For now, the focus is on what TWE will do for the CM.
Bargaining From a Position of Strength
When the cost and disruption of changing plate vendors become too great, the CM loses bargaining strength because the vendor knows the company has limited practical alternatives.
This does not mean a company should threaten to change suppliers or treat the relationship as adversarial. Strong plate-vendor relationships are valuable. Good suppliers should be treated honestly, fairly, and with respect.
However, the relationship should continue because both parties provide value, not because the CM feels trapped. Practical alternatives allow management to discuss pricing, service, support, and long-term expectations with greater confidence. That is bargaining from a position of strength.
TDC Supports Proper Plate-Vendor Practices
TDC’s position regarding plate-vendor engineering software is clear. TDC will not encourage, endorse, or knowingly assist a CM in using one plate vendor’s engineering software with a competing vendor’s connector plates. TDC strongly opposes that practice.
Acceptance of the TWE software license will require each CM to confirm that it will not use one vendor’s engineering software with another vendor’s connector plates unless it has the engineering software provider’s express written permission. Each CM will remain fully responsible for understanding and complying with its plate-vendor agreements, software licenses, product approvals, and related requirements. TWE does not grant or imply permission to combine competing vendors’ engineering software and plates.
Plate vendors invest millions of dollars in engineering software, product testing, approvals, research, training, technical support, and continued development. Their plate sales support those investments, and the entire industry benefits from that work.
A CM changing plate vendors should make a complete and legitimate change that honors its contracts, engineering requirements, product requirements, and safety responsibilities. Supplier freedom and contractual integrity can and should exist together.
Automated Labor Work-Minute Calculations
The other major benefit of TWE, and likely its greatest day-to-day operating value, is automated labor work-minute calculation.
Labor costs should always be considered and minimized, but management also needs to know how much productive time and manufacturing capacity each work order is expected to consume. Without dependable work-minute standards, estimating, scheduling, staffing, and performance measurement rely too heavily on broad averages or individual judgment.
TWE will automate work-minute calculations based on the equipment and material selections used by the CM. Equipment type, lumber sizes, material-handling requirements, setup conditions, cutting methods, assembly processes, and production quantities can all change the work required. TWE will account for those differences and provide a practical labor expectation for each work order.
This is more useful than applying one general labor factor to every truss. Traditional pricing methods such as material markup, square footage, board footage, or truss count may still provide valuable comparisons. TWE will allow management to compare its automated work-minute results with those established methods and with the expected gross margin from the order.
The purpose is not to force a company to abandon what already works. It is to add a consistent measurement based on the equipment, materials, and manufacturing methods selected for the work.
TWE is being built using time-and-motion study principles, practical manufacturing experience, and lean manufacturing best practices. A useful labor standard should represent the work required under a capable process with proper equipment, trained employees, good material flow, and limited waste.
A poor process should not become the standard simply because it has been repeated for years. Excess walking, waiting, searching, poor staging, rehandling, unnecessary movement, and avoidable equipment delays should be treated as improvement opportunities, not accepted as normal operating conditions.
A dependable work-minute expectation gives management a practical baseline. Expected time can be compared with actual performance to determine whether the estimate needs adjustment or the production process needs improvement. This information can support pricing, scheduling, staffing, capacity planning, job selection, performance measurement, and continuous improvement.
The purpose is not to replace experienced managers. It is to automate a difficult process so those managers can make better decisions with more consistent information.
Development and Beta Participation
The initial TWE release is expected in mid-fall 2026. TDC is seeking a limited number of CMs to participate in beta testing before that release.
Qualified participants may receive a generous trial period of up to one year in exchange for meaningful real-world testing and honest feedback. The strongest participants will be companies willing to compare TWE’s automated work minutes with actual production experience, identify weaknesses, and help ensure the final product provides practical value to management. Please contact me if your group would like to participate and have a strong say in how the application will be developed for all users.
The objective is straightforward: give CMs greater control over supplier decisions, automate practical labor standards based on their equipment and material selections, and improve the use of the manufacturing resources they already have.
Todd Drummond Consulting helps manufacturers identify what is limiting performance, whether it begins with workflow, labor visibility, capacity planning, training, scheduling, handoffs, or leadership decisions. With nearly 40 years of manufacturing experience and almost 25 years as a full-time consultant, I provide practical guidance that helps leaders simplify work, improve flow, reduce waste, protect margins, and move forward with confidence. Review my client testimonials to see what other manufacturers have said about working with Todd Drummond Consulting.
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