The business of metal fabrication can seem uncertain due to labour shortages and the price increases of raw materials, so it is more important than ever to increase efficiency.
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution can help streamline your metal fabrication process, saving you both time and money. Let’s explore how you can streamline your metal fabrication processes with an ERP solution, so your business can consolidate existing systems and implement lean manufacturing processes.
Accurate quotes and pricing
Being able to review past orders enables you to provide far more accurate quotes for new orders and future demand planning. Enabling you to use more useful data, such as how long it took to assemble each component, who worked on it and how much profit or loss was made. Using this information allows you to quickly and easily provide more reliable and accurate quotes.
CRM, projects and document management
Implementing efficient document management processes also makes it easier for each department within your business to store, keep and track important data. This could include documentation such as:
- Quotes
- Customer or project documents
- Past and future order details
- Complex product specifications
- Customer enquiries
Inventory management
Ensure you have enough raw metal stocks to fulfil future orders and gain higher levels of control allowing you to check that you’re not spending too much on stock that you don’t need.
Real-time management helps you to review your current stock levels, and plan how much you will need to fulfil current and forecasted order schedules, as well as provide you with notifications for when you are running low and trigger you to order more stock. Apply this functionality to both raw materials and assembled items across multiple sites or different locations.
Workflows
Administration can be minimised if automated workflows are utilised. They can be used for:
- Creating bills of materials
- Tracking the movement of stock
- Raising invoice
- Populating and printing shipping labels
- Signing off on processes
Planning and scheduling
When you have accurate knowledge about the time it takes for each job to be completed, you can confidently plan ahead and schedule work. You will be able to include downtime for necessary repairs and maintenance. You’ll never be able to control what’s out of your control, but you will be able to log and monitor unexpected supply chain delays or analyse how many rush jobs come in each month, quarter or year and use this information to help forward plan. With an easy-to-use drag and drop interface, you will be able to navigate fabrication planning with ease and look forward from a top level to see what is around the corner.
Real time data capture
Automated alerts will enable you to react quickly and avoid any delays. You won’t have to wait for someone to notify you when approval is needed, or when metal supplies or components that are required to complete your product have been received. Pickers and packers can also feed-in and receive alerts via mobile devices, so you can streamline your process, as well as eliminating the need to create multiple printed pick or pack lists.
Fully integrated
With a fully integrated system, you can track and trace each component. Driving up quality control and avoiding multiple data entry touchpoints. Run reports quickly and easily, and spend the majority of your time analysing them to see where you can save or invest for the future.
If your metal fabrication processes and systems are not fully integrated or in need of a revamp don’t keep kicking the can down the road. Speed up your business operations, become flexible, efficient and resilient with a centralised, all-in-one business management system.
To learn more access your copy of the comprehensive features brochure here:
Helping you to align functionality with your metal fabrication and operational needs.