The Metals industry is strongly characterized by a number of relevant aspects, such as: product master data developed on characteristics that, generally, are dimensional or qualitative, a usually extensive item portfolio, and logical aggregations often used as a tool for identification and work. Usually in the metal industry, routings and BOMs are highly variable depending on the features of the finished product.
The type of product being processed, by its very nature, includes a wide range of qualitatively compatible materials and different permissible production lines depending on the characteristics of the material chosen and the load in place. Production is generally planned by campaigns, and crucial materials are allocated to minimize delays, given the long purchasing lead times. It also becomes essential, to provide a solution for cutting plan optimization in order to minimize scraps (if it is part of the company’s core production).
Companies have increasingly placed quality at the center of their strategy, focusing on the introduction of superior quality products into the production chain, improving efficiency and metal yield, and eliminating the possibility of processing radioactive materials.
In order not to lose market shares and profit margins, companies operating in the metals industry have had to cope with the consequences of such a change, reacting quickly to manage much larger and more disparate areas of action.