Material management/batch control
As in most industries, ERP 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 such as 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.