# How the engineering workflow works

Why there are two paths to a complete operation plan and how CAM Connect changes what the engineer does.

Source: https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/engineering/overview/engineering-workflow/
Updated: 2026-10-29

Without a digital engineering record, the knowledge of which tools run which operations at what speeds lives in spreadsheets, individual programmers' minds, and CAM files that are not accessible to purchasing or production. When an engineer leaves or a program is overwritten, that knowledge is lost. The engineering workflow in Tooling Metrics exists to capture this knowledge in a structured, shared record that feeds directly into purchasing, inventory, and shopfloor execution.

## What the workflow produces

Regardless of how you create it, an engineering workflow always produces the same output: a **Project** containing **Jobs**, each job containing **Operations**, each operation linked to a **Tool Assembly** with a tool number and cycle time.

This structured record is what drives everything downstream:
- **Purchasing** reads it to know which tool assemblies are needed and checks inventory accordingly.
- **Setup Sheets** are generated from it, giving operators step-by-step assembly and machining instructions.
- **The Inventory Scheduler** uses it to keep required items stocked at the right quantities.

## Two paths to the same output

### The manual path

The **Operations** tab on a job is for engineers and programmers who do not use CAM software or who are documenting an already-established process. The engineer opens a job, adds operations one by one, selects a tool assembly for each, and enters the tool number and cycle time directly. This path gives full control and is well-suited for simple jobs, legacy processes, or shops where CAM is not used.

### The CAM import path

When CNC programmers work in a supported CAM software via [CAM Connect](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/integrations/cam-connect/), the operations are not entered manually — they are programmed in the CAM tool and then exported directly into Tooling Metrics. The programmer selects tools from the Tooling Metrics tool library inside the CAM software, programs the toolpaths, and at the end exports the setups. Tooling Metrics receives the full project structure: jobs, operations, tool assignments, and cutting parameters pulled from the actual CAM program.

This path exists because re-entering data is error-prone. If the programmer chose a 12mm carbide end mill at 180 m/min in the CAM program, that is the ground truth. Having someone re-type that into a separate system introduces risk. CAM Connect eliminates this duplication.

## Why release and approve matter

Release and Approve are two distinct steps, and each does different work.

**Release** runs a pre-release check and, on success, moves the project (or job) to **Released** status. Releasing locks the record against further editing — operations, NC programs, and tool assemblies can no longer be changed — and submits it for review by the engineering manager. Release on its own does not touch purchasing or inventory.

**Approve** is the engineering manager's sign-off on a released project. Approving triggers the item synchronization: every product in every tool assembly referenced by the project is checked against the inventory Items database, and any products not yet tracked as items are created automatically, and all referenced tool assemblies move to **Released** status themselves. This is the link between the engineering record and the physical world — it ensures the purchasing team is working from the same item list that engineering specified, not a separate spreadsheet.