Advanced planning skills
Metal manufacturers have similar planning needs to other industries - labor, materials, scheduling, subcontractors, and other aspects of daily production. Most metal manufacturing companies have these processes as standard features in their ERP software, but metal manufacturers also need their systems to accommodate some more specific features.
Metal manufacturers also need to manage inventories of many materials using dimensional units of measurement. They need to be able to switch between these dimensions and standard units of measurement as easily as possible.
For example, most manufacturers use sheets and coils in square feet or inches. The sheet will be machined into parts measured in standard units. To get the most out of each drawing and eliminate waste, manufacturers must be able to accurately and quickly convert units of measurement for each specific part. A good ERP system will be equipped for these types of automatic conversions to ensure maximum utilization of materials.
Material management/batch control
As in most industries, quality control is rapidly shifting from a "nice to have" to a "must do." Because metal manufacturers manufacture parts and subassemblies that are used in such a wide range of industries, the regulations and standards governing each end use often require traceability. The specifications and tolerances that metal manufacturers must meet are often very strict, so being able to track batches throughout the supply chain is essential for quality control.
For example, if a certain model of car is recalled because of defective parts, the original equipment manufacturer will want to know who made those parts and which vehicles have them. This means that its suppliers must also determine where the defect occurred, the materials supplied by the supplier, who handled it, and so on.
For complex industries like metal manufacturing, document management systems are essential. The ERP software of a metal manufacturing company should integrate one and must be able to connect these documents to a specific customer, supplier, product, or event (customer's receipt, shipping notice, etc.).
These documents are essential for accounting and compliance purposes and must be easily accessible for effective product management.
In addition, the document archive should also be available to customers and suppliers with appropriate security access. This makes it easy for everyone in the supply chain to view key documents and a complete history of interactions between each stakeholder.
Competition in the metal manufacturing industry is fierce, and with increasing outsourcing, logistics, and economic pressures, metal manufacturers need ways to get closer to their customers, improve operational efficiency, and gain a competitive advantage. Providing powerful ERP software for metal manufacturing companies can facilitate all of these improvements.