From garage startup to AI-powered precision

To modernize operations and prepare for growth, Savage Precision Fabrication partnered with IBM Platinum Business Partner DAI Source to deploy IBM® watsonx Orchestrate®. The engagement began with clearly defined business objectives and close collaboration among Savage Precision Fabrication, DAI Source and IBM.

“One hundred percent of our successful AI projects are driven by the business and use case descriptions. With Scott, that’s what happened. As soon as we were brought in and could understand what he was thinking as far as how AI could be applied, we immediately engaged our development team and invested in building something that we can show and validate,” said Bill DeSpain, President and CEO of DAI Source.

The solution transformed quoting, planning and procurement workflows while maintaining human oversight. AI analyzes historical jobs, profitability and production data to generate draft quotes, while planning processes that once took hours can now be completed in minutes.

“They had their data ready. They had their departments ready. We could go talk to people. Not only were we not intrusive, but we were actually welcomed into the environment, even to the point of the manufacturing floor, which is pretty rare,” described Mark Lucente, Technical Director, DAI Source.

Lucente noted that watsonx Orchestrate provided the foundation needed to scale securely and efficiently: “The platform also includes everything we need—security, data storage, databases, everything that we needed to bring up an AI system from soup to nuts.”

With AI-powered automation embedded across quoting, planning and procurement workflows, Savage Precision Fabrication has significantly increased operational capacity while maintaining quality and customer responsiveness. Quote turnaround times have been reduced from hours to minutes, planning workflows have been accelerated dramatically, and overall workforce productivity has increased by an estimated 4–10 times.

“What this is going to do for us, it’s going to basically allow the same people to do 4 to 10 times the work with less effort. And that’s what I’m looking for.” said Scott Gardner.

The company has strengthened performance in the areas customers care about most—price, quality and on-time delivery—while positioning itself for continued growth.

“Our main goal is to be on time. Customers will pay more if you’re on time, and that’s what so far DAI and IBM has provided.” recounts Scott Gardner.

By embracing AI to support growth, speed and operational excellence, Scott Gardner is building on the foundation his parents established in 1974. While the tools have evolved from a garage workshop to AI-powered automation, the company’s mission remains unchanged: delivering high-quality parts on time, earning customer trust and carrying forward the values that W.T. and JoAnn Gardner built into Savage Precision Fabrication from the very beginning.

Founded in 1975, Savage Precision Fabrication is a family-owned CNC machining and metal fabrication company serving the aerospace and defense industries. The Texas-based company specializes in high-precision parts for aircraft programs and is known for its commitment to quality, reliability and innovation.

DAI Source is an IBM Platinum Business Partner based in Irving, Texas. It has over 30 years of consulting experience with U.S. healthcare, life sciences, retail, high-tech, communications, manufacturing, non-profits, automotive, insurance, financial services, and higher education customers. The company specializes in analytics, data management, integration middleware, DevOps, AIOps, hybrid cloud, and security solutions.