Are your estimates as competitive as they should be? More importantly, are they profitable? Margins are slim in steel and metal manufacturing, so there’s a very fine line between being competitive enough to attract customers and staying profitable enough to satisfy your bottom line.
Traditional pen and paper methods won’t suffice. The industry moves too quickly, customers demand too much, and if you’re stuck using time-consuming and error-prone methods, you’ll be left behind.
It’s time to transition to a more efficient method, using state-of-the-art technology designed specifically for this purpose.
The Problem with Manual Calculations
Many old-school metal manufacturers rely on estimations provided by seasoned experts. But while there’s certainly a place for those experts, they shouldn’t be working alone.
The costs of any given project can vary greatly. As a result, you’ll find that if you ask multiple employees, you’ll get varied answers. There are also numerous variables to consider, all of which means that manual calculations present too many issues:
They Require More Man Hours
Manual calculations may rely on pen and paper or spreadsheets. Someone needs to input all of the data and then make the calculations. It’s a lengthy procedure, and it ends up slowing down the whole metal fabrication process.
They are Error Prone
Humans make mistakes. If those mistakes go unnoticed, it will likely cause serious disruptions further down the line. Even if they are found and fixed, there will be more lost man-hours and more production delays.
The Results are Inconsistent
If multiple employees perform the same calculations and arrive at different outcomes, the issue is with the process and not the employees. Accuracy is paramount in the metal fabrication sector, and ultimately, traditional methods can’t provide the consistency required.
They May Omit Key Details
The more you rely on human calculations and input, the more prone you are to oversights and omissions. Employees may forget to include certain key details, hampering the production process and even affecting the quality of the end product.
Estimating Steel Fabrication with Technology
With the right technology, your seasonal employees can produce faster and more accurate estimates. Swap the endless paperwork and cluttered spreadsheets for an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, one that combines all business operations—from warehouse and inventory management to accounting and finance—into a single source of truth.
It enhances collaboration and communication across the business, and if you choose RealSTEEL™, a customizable and scalable ERP built for the metal fabrication industry, you’ll get all of the following benefits and more:
Utilize Various Cost Calculators
RealSTEEL™ contains various in-built calculators designed to simplify the quoting, sales, and manufacturing process, including burn and cut-to-length calculators, 1D and 2D optimization calculators, and cost calculators that account for everything from overheads and labor costs to material costs.
Improve Your Accuracy
Advanced calculators produce more accurate results. RealSTEEL™ will accurately pinpoint various factors to create an accurate overall cost estimation.
Customize the Software to Meet Your Needs
Every aspect of RealSTEEL™ is customizable. You can choose the integrations that you need and omit the ones that you don’t, ensuring you only pay for what you use. It’s steel service center software, metals nesting software, metal framing software, and cut-to-length software all in one package, and with integrations for sales quoting, warehouse management, invoicing, and customer relationship management, the benefits extend far beyond the production floor.
Enhance Operations with Automation
ERP solutions like RealSTEEL™ use AI-driven automation. It learns how your business operates to simplify everything from complex calculations to inventory management, sales quotes, and invoices. The more you use it, the more it learns and the more efficient it becomes.
It’s Affordable and Scalable
ERP shouldn’t be the reserve of massive manufacturing powerhouses with 7- and 8-figure software budgets. RealSTEEL™ is cloud-based, so there are no substantial setup fees. It’s also competitively priced so that all metal manufacturers can find an entry point.
As you grow, taking on more clients, bigger responsibilities, and greater production space, RealSTEEL™ will grow with you. You can add extra integrations as they are needed, and expand the software’s capabilities whenever your budget allows.
Improving Estimates with RealSTEEL™
RealSTEEL™ is a tailored ERP solution for the metal and steel fabrication sector. It connects all departments, promotes collaboration, and gives your employees the tools they need to perform their duties accurately and effectively.
So, if you want to drag your fabrication estimates out of the dark ages and into this new, AI-powered space, contact us today and request a demo. Once you see RealSTEEL™ in action, you’ll understand why so many manufacturers are switching to custom ERP solutions.
