We pull from what you already run
ERP, spreadsheets, SaaS tools — ingested, not ripped out.
SageJobBOSSQuickBooksSheets
Late orders.
Nobody knows why.
We fix that.
When a customer asks where their order is, someone on your team has to make three calls and check two spreadsheets — and still might not know. Orders slip, shipping goals get missed, and everyone's guessing. Not because your team isn't trying. Because nobody can see the operation. We build custom software that changes that — one clear view of everything moving through your floor.
0 wk to first working build
0 source of truth instead of eight tabs
0× faster than the legacy quote
app.hixonops.com — Operations live
On-time 94%
WIP orders 128
At risk 6
Order #4821 · Acme Fab
Quote Cut Weld Finish Ship
"What's late this week and why?"
3 orders slipped — all waiting on the weld cell. Bottleneck since Tue 6am.
This isn't built by a software shop. It's built by a lean manufacturing & continuous-improvement manager who has walked production floors, run value-stream maps, and can name exactly where the waste is hiding — then build the fix.
A developer builds what you ask for. We diagnose the flow first, then build the fix. That's why it works.
The before state
You shipped a record month.
You shipped a record month.
You can't say what actually made money.
The identifiers already exist in your systems. The problem isn't your data — it's that it's scattered across disconnected tools, manual handoffs, and tribal knowledge. Nobody can answer a simple question without three phone calls.
production_schedule.xlsx
JobBOSS — no visibility
paper traveler
shipping whiteboard
8 open browser tabs
month-end takes 4 days
"Where is order #4821?" …let me call the floor and check three spreadsheets.
Eight tabs become one source of truth.
assembling single source of truth
SOURCE OF TRUTH
Live status of every job
Where is order X, what's stuck, what's late — before a customer calls.
What shipped, for whom, at what margin
Decision-useful answers from identifiers already in your data.
Ask the operation a question
Natural-language answers, plus agents that wake up and act.
"Which jobs slip if the weld cell stays down?"
What we build
Five capabilities. One product, in different proportions.
Every engagement is custom — but it's always some mix of these five. The audit decides the proportions.
01 Most universal
Production / work visibility
Live status of work moving through every stage. Where is order X, what's stuck, what's late — answered before a customer has to call.
02 The foundation
Single source of truth
Consolidate a team living in eight disconnected tools into one place. We ingest the scattered systems — no rip-and-replace.
03 Decision-useful
Reporting on data you already have
You know you shipped $X — but not of what, for whom, or at what margin. The identifiers already exist; we surface them as answerable questions.
04 The upsell
An AI layer, not another dashboard
Ask the operation a question, get an answer. And where it earns its keep, agents that wake up and act — alerts, summaries, routing.
05 Paper → digital
Custom workflow apps
Digitize paper travelers and spreadsheet handoffs between departments into one connected flow your floor actually uses.
The operator's edge
A coder builds features.
A coder builds features.
We fix flow.
This isn't built by a software shop. It's built by a continuous-improvement and lean manufacturing operator who has walked floors and can name the waste across the whole value stream — sales ops → manufacturing → shipping.
We diagnose operational waste first, then build the fix. That diagnosis is the wedge — and it can't be copied by a generic dev shop. Our build process lets us ship in a week what legacy firms quote at 6–18 months.
Generic dev shop
- Takes your spec at face value
- Builds features you asked for
- 6–18 month timelines
- $80k–$300k legacy quote
- Hands off and disappears
vs
HixonOps
- Diagnoses the flow first
- Fixes the waste, then builds
- First working build in ~a week
- 10× faster — and you own it
- Retained partner who evolves it
How we build
From blind to running it in weeks, not quarters.
- 01
Diagnostic audit
We walk your value stream and name the waste — flow, visibility, scattered systems. The wedge isn't a demo; it's the diagnosis.
- 02
Map to an engagement
The audit confirms which of three archetypes you are. The proposal follows from there — scope, build, and a clear retainer.
- 03
Build fast — a working system in days, not months
A first working build in about a week — visibility first. Not a 6–18 month legacy project. You see your operation almost immediately.
- 04
Evolve as a retained partner
Visibility first, agents and automation as the upsell. We maintain and evolve it as your operation changes. You own the system.
Engagements
Three ways in. The audit tells us which.
Every fit maps to one of three. The reference point is the $80–300k legacy quote we beat — 10× faster, simpler stack, and you own it.
Data Rich, Visibility Blind
You have an ERP. The data exists, but there's zero visibility. Orders run late and nobody can say why.
What we build
An AI visibility + reporting layer on top of your existing database. Natural-language reports, automatic alerts.
Setup $15–25k
Retainer $1–2k / mo
Paper to Digital
Spreadsheets and paper travelers. Manual handoffs across departments, every day.
What we build
A custom digital workflow app — order stages, floor queues, a scheduler view, AI bottleneck alerts.
Setup $20–32k
Retainer $1.5–2.5k / mo
Full Custom Mini-ERP
Nothing connects. Spreadsheets for everything. You need orders, scheduling, inventory, and visibility — all of it.
What we build
A full custom web app + AI layer, built from scratch as your single source of truth.
Setup $30–40k
Retainer $2–3k / mo
Not sure which you are? That's exactly what the diagnostic audit is for.
Where we draw the line
What we don't build.
Focus is the product. We add a layer or consolidate what's scattered — we don't rip out what works, and we don't chase every request. If your need is on this list, we'll tell you straight and point you elsewhere.
- Quoting / estimating automation
- Off-the-shelf SaaS or templates
- Power Apps, Power BI, or low-code tooling
- Accounting, payroll, HR, or tax systems
- Machine / PLC / sensor / IoT integration
- Ripping out an ERP that already works
One clear next step
Book a diagnostic audit.
Book a diagnostic audit.
See your operation — then let it act.
One call. We walk your value stream, name the waste, and show you exactly what the build looks like. No demo theater — just the diagnosis.