Tips, articles, and insights for the metal and steel fabrication industries
Most metal processing businesses are looking for ways to better control production costs. At RealSTEEL, we understand the need to cut costs. We also know that the answer lies in inventory management. And the best way to optimize inventory to meet production needs is with an ERP solution designed specifically for metals processing. Here’s how. …
Continue reading “How to Control Production Costs With Cloud ERP”
Read MoreYour metals processing business probably already has loads of data. While it’s important to have access to data, it’s even more important to turn it into insights you can actually use to drive your business forward. The key is being able to collect it, connect it, and analyze it so it’s meaningful to you. As …
Continue reading “The Power of Dashboards for Metals Processing”
Read MoreOur metals clients frequently tell us that one of their biggest challenges is supply chain management. Tracking inventory can be difficult in the best of circumstances, but the volatility of the past year has been anything but ordinary. Most businesses are feeling the pain of delayed deliveries and interrupted service but the pressures on the …
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Read MoreAre you looking to grow profits for your metals business? Perhaps a better question would be who isn’t trying to grow profits?! Based on our many years of experience helping metal processing companies grow, we understand the importance of being able to accurately measure business metrics and make subsequent improvements in key areas such as …
Continue reading “Why Accuracy Equals Profits for Metal Processors”
Read MoreThe heart and soul of any metals processing company is the shop floor. This is where the action is! And where the core business of slitting, bending, drilling, painting, and assembling happens. It doesn’t matter how good your sales team is or how your back-office performs, if the shop floor isn’t managed well, your customers …
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Read MoreThe amount of data your metals operation is collecting each day has skyrocketed over the past decade. That data can provide enormous value to the business but can also be a great risk. While it is understandable that keeping that data “where you can see it” is a hard habit to let go of, it …
Continue reading “Metals Industry Myths About Cloud ERP: Lack of Data Security”
Read MoreWhenever someone suggests that it’s time for the organization to replace the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, there is always pushback. ERP implementations have historically been long, involved, and expensive—disrupting the business and requiring lots of overtime. Everyone has a horror story. Fortunately, times have changed. The nature of cloud-based ERP is fundamentally different from …
Continue reading “Metals Industry Myths About Cloud ERP: The Cloud is All or Nothing”
Read MoreEveryone who has been through an ERP implementation has stories to tell about disruption, delays, and drawn-out processes. In the past, on-premises ERP projects required the deployment of new hardware—often including new workstations for each employee—complex data migrations, custom development to meet unique requirements, and extensive training to help workers adapt to unfamiliar user interfaces. …
Continue reading “Metals Industry Myths About Cloud ERP: Implementation Takes Forever”
Read MoreSales quoting is both the most difficult and the most important task that your steel service center and sales team performs. Getting quotes right has an impact far beyond your service center and all the way to the bottom line. So what is the best way to empower your sales teams with the ability to …
Continue reading “The Power of Real-time Negotiations for Steel Service Centers”
Read MoreMetal fabricators are facing more complexity and stiffer competition every day. How can you optimize resources across production in a way that reduces costs and improves profits? The key is to streamline information flow and decision-making across the enterprise using a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed specifically for the metals industry. Resource Optimization …
Continue reading “3 Steps to Optimized Production for Metal Fabricators”
Read MoreWhen it comes to metals industry accounting, accuracy is paramount. In today’s competitive market, you cannot afford to have inaccurate data in forecasting, quoting, or scheduling. At RealSTEEL, we understand that tracking materials in the metals industry is more complex than most enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems can handle. Only automation designed specifically for a …
Continue reading “Why Finance is the Key to Modernizing Your Metals Business”
Read MoreMetals processors, especially right now, have remote workers either occasionally or full-time. This can include field-based sales, managers of multiple facilities, and external processing partners. How do you ensure these workers have the information they need to be productive and successful no matter when or where they need to work? A cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning …
Continue reading “How Metals Processors Keep Remote Workers Productive with Cloud ERP”
Read MoreWe don’t have to tell you that metals processing can be complex. You already know how challenging it is to optimize inventory and production while controlling costs. It gets even more complicated as you expand from traditional workflows into new processing services such as bending, drilling, and assembling. How do you manage all these activities …
Continue reading “The Power of Unified Data for Metals Processors”
Read MoreHave you been waiting for the right time to migrate to cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP)? Perhaps you are waiting for the cloud to become even more secure and affordable. Or maybe you think that digital transformation hasn’t hit the metals industry yet. Ready or not, the digital revolution is here. Companies in every industry, …
Continue reading “Why Cloud-based ERP is the Right Tool for the Metals Industry”
Read MoreYou’ve heard a lot about the cloud and its transformational capabilities. While the cloud won’t change your fundamental metals operations, it will dramatically change the amount of control and visibility you have particularly for multi-step processing. Your employees constantly make decisions that impact your bottom line. Examples include salespeople providing quotes to customers and shop …
Continue reading “How to Master Multi-Step Processing in the Metals Industry”
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