Founded in 1993 and owned by systems analyst Marshall Handelsman, Cornerstone Systems, Inc. (CSI) Crystal Lake, IL, is a software firm that is knowledgeable in the area of heat treating. The company's accomplishments in the development and support of heat treating systems include the installation of many business/shop floor software systems for commercial heat treaters, plus several supervisory process control packages which are presently in use at government facilities and several large corporations.

Handelsman says his 18 years of experience in the heat treating industry has enabled him to develop Visual Shop, a complete Windows software system for office and plant management. This fully integrated software package is a "point-and-click" business system that provides the commercial heat treater with a number of efficiency-enhancing features designed to help save time, become more efficient, and provide detailed management information. The software covers all aspects of a heat treaters operation. Some of the modules included are: quotations, order entry, process masters, scheduling, bar code tracking, certifications, expediting, pricing, invoicing, A/R, digitized pictures, automatic faxing, and sales analysis.

Visual Shop has been installed in over 60 sites and that number is increasing daily. The software is scaleable; it works in both small plants as well as large, multi-plant facilities. According to Handelsman, "Our success is due to four major factors: 1) a superior product; 2) unbeatable customer support; 3) our ability to tailor the software to meet individual customer needs; and, 4) CSI's skill at applying current technology to solve today's problems."

As a service to the industry, CSI runs Heat Treating On-Line, the homepage of the heat treating industry. The, site containing discussion boards and more, can be found at www.heattreatingonline.com. The company currently employs seven people and maintains offices in Florida, Illinois, and a technical support center in PIano, Texas.

CSI has been a member of MTI since 1996. Handelsman says, "MTI is a conduit for information that concerns commercial heat treaters." For further information on Visual Shop and Cornerstone Systems Inc. (CSI) contact Marshall Handelsman, President, at 800.275.4274 or visit their website at www.ask4csi.com .