Steel and metal manufacturers have complicated warehouse operations that can’t be managed efficiently with most enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions. Inventory control, labor, manufacturing processes and other day-to-day warehouse operations aren’t supported by many traditional business systems, leaving manufacturers with few options other than manual processes or inefficient, specialty software. Optimize processes with a warehouse …
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Read MoreBuilding material and metal stud manufacturers have no room for error when manufacturing steel studs, tracks, joists or other metal building materials. These materials must be produced in accordance with carefully defined client specifications and must meet the time and cost guidelines specified in the quote. Getting it wrong can impact an important building project, …
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Read MoreThere are many businesses in a variety of industry sectors that have found success with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. However, it’s often a struggle to find an ERP solution for the steel and metals industry that can address the unique operations in this sector. ERP can manage many common business processes including financials, …
Continue reading “ERP Isn’t the Right Technology for Steel Manufacturers and Steel Service Centers”
Read MoreSteel manufacturers and steel service centers invest a lot of money in inventory, which means little can go to waste. Accurate tracking of inventory, yield and scrap, and parent-child traceability is necessary for satisfying customer needs, as well as protecting profit margins. In addition to vast quantities of inventory scattered throughout warehouses and distribution centers, …
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Read MorePreparing sales quotes for customers is challenging in the steel and metals industry. An assortment of variables goes into preparing a quote including material, labor costs, overhead and outside processing costs. Businesses can’t trust these estimates to calculators, hand-crafted spreadsheets or software built for other types of businesses. Streamline the quoting process and improve accuracy …
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Read MoreThe warehouse can be a chaotic place, especially for businesses in the steel and metals industry. Vast volumes of inventory, multiple stock locations, and constant movement of incoming and outgoing inventory keeps your team scrambling. All this movement can lead to mistakes in fulfillment and shipping, which can lead to frustrated customers and weakened profits. …
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Read MoreSupply chains in nearly any industry, including the steel and metals industry, are under pressure and weakening. However, the problem may not be what you may expect. An increase in customer expectations—namely faster, more accurate service—is challenging businesses and many simply can’t keep up. Poor technology, manual practices and outdated information prevent businesses from meeting …
Continue reading “The Unexpected Reason Supply Chains Are Weakening”
Read MoreBehind the scenes, you have to determine whether you have the right materials in stock and how to estimate scrap or remnants. Getting it wrong can be a costly mistake. Steel service centers have evolved over time, offering more value-added services to customers. Many businesses aren’t just slitting or cutting, they are providing a variety …
Continue reading “Innovation and Technology: Not Exclusive to Large Steel Enterprises”
Read MoreSteel service centers and manufacturers maintain a variety of inventory that is nearly impossible to manage by manual means. Calculating inventory forecasts with pen and paper is another time-consuming task, which can easily lead to stock-outs or needless overstocking. Don’t risk your bottom line to poor calculations; trust that you maintain the inventory your customers …
Continue reading “Inventory Management Can Make or Break Your Bottom Line”
Read MoreCalculating a sales quote for a potential customer in the steel and metals industry is not an easy task. Customers can request many variables and it’s up to the manufacturer to guide them in choosing the right product for the job. Behind the scenes, you have to determine whether you have the right materials in …
Continue reading “Don’t Change Your Quote, Change Your Process”
Read MorePreparing detailed and accurate sales quotes for customers in the steel and metals industry takes time and a great deal of data and calculations. Customers have detailed specifications and you need to calculate material attributes, availability and costs. After fulfilling a customer order, you don’t want to waste valuable time repeating those same steps when …
Continue reading “No Need to Reinvent the Wheel (or Sales Quote) with RealSTEEL”
Read MoreWhile steel service centers and manufacturers may, technically speaking, fall under the heading of manufacturers, they are not at all like most manufacturers. This is a unique industry defined by a vast variety of metals, production operations and customer demands. The business technology often used by other manufacturers does not even begin to address the …
Continue reading “The Metals Industry is NOT Like Other Manufacturing Industries”
Read MoreCompetition is fierce in the metals industry. Steel service centers and manufacturers need to be able to respond quickly to customer needs, meeting tight price points and timelines, or risk losing work to competitors. During high volume periods or in the rush to fulfill orders, manufacturers can struggle to produce the right quantities and maintain …
Continue reading “Finding the Right ERP Solution for Your Steel Service Center”
Read MoreBusiness can get busy and it can be difficult to stay on top of orders, manage inventory and meet customer demands, especially when relying on outdated steel software. You may notice that employees are just as frustrated, managing key data in spreadsheets or, worse yet, in paper files because legacy software has become so cumbersome …
Continue reading “Falling Behind or Losing Data? It May Be Time to Update your Technology”
Read MoreIt seems as though technology is breaking barriers, disrupting nearly every industry sector and it’s possible that the steel and metals industry could be next in line. Additive manufacturing or 3-D printing isn’t a new technology; however, mechanical engineers at the Laser Zentrum Nord GmbH (LZN) research center are using the technique with metal alloys. …
Continue reading “Could the Steel and Metals Industry Be Next in Line for Disruption?”
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