Good metal fabrication software keeps your production flowing, manages your inventory, improves quality control, and could improve your customer support. It’s the brains of your operation, so it’s essential to choose the right software.

But are you getting the most from your metal fabrication software?

Is it Industry-Specific?

Many software suites used in the metal fabrication sector weren’t designed specifically for that sector. These programs were designed to cater to the needs of many different businesses across various industries, and while they include many of the features you need, you’re ultimately trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a prime example. You’re dealing with software that brings your whole organization together. It creates a single source of truth and features automation tools that learn from your activities. You want something that was actually made to meet the specific needs of that industry and can, therefore, automate with a high degree of accuracy.

We created RealSTEEL™ specifically for the metal fabrication sector, incorporating features from multi-line processing software, metals nesting software, steel service center software, and more. We have ERP solutions for flat rolled metal distributors, pipe and tube processing, and all other aspects of the metal manufacturing and fabrication sector.

You’re getting something tailor-made for your industry, something that adapts to your business, and not the other way around.

Is it Flexible and Scalable?

While it’s important to use software that’s industry-specific, your needs won’t be the same as your competitor’s needs, so that software must be flexible. It should also be scalable—it must be able to grow seamlessly alongside your business.

RealSTEEL™, for example, includes various customization options, including flexible accounting and financing that incorporate a tiered customer hierarchy, credit management, freight cost tracking, and complete visibility on your product profitability.

What’s more, it’s cloud-based, so you don’t need to worry about expensive hardware, and you can add more features as and when you need them.

Does it Offer Easy Visualization?

Your management team may be okay with endless data and spreadsheets, but it’s confusing to everyone else, and it’s hard to visualize what’s actually happening within your organization. Visualization is not just about simplifying the data—it’s about seeing the bigger picture, finding optimization points, and identifying bottlenecks.

Does it Integrate With Your Existing Setup?

Your metal fabrication software should integrate seamlessly with other software programs. It should be able to communicate with accounting, financing, invoicing, inventory management, and everything else you need. Disparate systems create confusion within your organization; one department doesn’t know what the other is doing, and everything slows down as a result.

If everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, your business will run smoothly. Your sales team will always know what’s happening on the production floor; your production team will know what raw materials are available in the warehouse. Communication becomes quick and effortless, and your operations run smoothly.

Does it Track Your Inventory?

Speaking of inventory management, it’s one of the most important features for modern metal fabrication software. Traditionally, fabricators relied on manual stock checks and endless spreadsheets—it was messy, slow, and prone to costly mistakes.

With expert inventory management software, every raw material is recorded as soon as it enters your warehouse. The software records key attributes such as the size, weight, and quality, and it can then be fed into the production cycle. You’ll know exactly what you have at all times, and with ERP solutions like RealSTEEL™, it can even order more when your stock is low.

Production is smoother, customers are happier, and you’re prepared to meet any surges in demand.

Does it Fit Your Budget?

Are you paying over the odds for software features you don’t actually need? Surprisingly, you’re not alone. Good software is essential in this industry, so it’s natural to allocate a large chunk of your budget. But if it’s not giving you a high ROI, it’s time to look elsewhere.

Margins are slim in metal fabrication. Every cent counts, and there could be much cheaper and much better alternatives out there.

Does it Meet Your Needs?

Does your metal fabrication software actually meet your needs? Does it benefit your business and improve your bottom line? More importantly, can it do all of those things better than any other software on the market?

Metal fabrication software is highly competitive. You have a lot of options, and if you’re relying on outdated or low-quality software, you could be missing out. If you’re not sure how other metal fabrication software can help, contact us to request a demo of RealSTEEL™ and see it in action. We’ll show you how much of a difference it can make to your business and can then help you successfully implement it.