Steel is a product we see in everyday life from tin cans to vehicles driving on the road. The process of making steel is by first taking raw iron and removing items from it such as phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen, and silicon. After that is done, different types of alloy is added to the iron depending on the type of steel being made. Scrap is also recycled to produce steel.
With the machinery involved to do this, a steel company has a great task on their hands. Issues that can arise could be broken machinery used to make the steel, any machinery used to take it out of the ground, operators and their understanding of the equipment they need to use; and the weather itself when it needs to be removed from the ground. From an operations perspective, steel producers would need to manage work forces in a very organized way. There are many people involved in the process of making steel.
Communication and an understanding of deadlines and also knowing what is possible in order for each task to be completed is a must. By implementing ERP systems and CRM systems, these types of tasks mingled with concerns addressed may be useful to keep the steel company as efficient as possible.
The types of customers that a steel company would interact with are vast, as steel is such an important part in everyday life. Manufacturers of all types would need the service, such as food, machinery, appliances, vehicles, and construction to name a few. In order for a steel company to effectively serve these customers, enterprise resource management (ERP) as well as CRM (customer relationship management) systems plays a key role.
Each customer would have specified needs concerning the steel; what type they would need, the quantity of it, and a time frame in which they need it would have to be known. Having proper systems such as ERP and CRM would be needed in order to keep the information from all manufacturers properly organized. There would have to also be an understanding of any delays that could potentially take place, and how to effectively use the ERP and CRM systems to allow for such occurrences. Doing so will create better customer relations and in turn also produce better results.
In facilities management, (FM) a person involved in managing such tasks would have to be fully aware of the entire steel making process, from taking the iron from the ground to delivery of the finished product to the consumer. This understanding would allow for that specific user of ERP and CRM systems to approach it in a way specific for steel producers which would improve the process.
Such a person in a role as this would have to manage the operations aspect, ensuring that the product is finished in a specific time frame that the client has requested. Knowing each customers needs through the use of CRM software would allow for these many clients to have their information organized efficiently. ERP would also be an integral role in this process as this would allow for forecasts of a time frame given to a client to be as accurate as possible.
If these strategies are put into action, any steel company will definitely see positive results in the production process. Having an operator, or operators who are all on the same page with the ERP and CRM systems in terms of understanding it and also understanding the real situation itself in the steel making process should be mandatory. It would be the only way for this plan to be effective. From start to finish, taking the iron out of the ground, melting it down, separating the impurities, producing the steel itself and finally taking it to the client.
The ERP and CRM systems must take all factors into account for such a process, because of its complexity. It then must be able to forecast a reasonable time in which the work will be complete. Each client has a different need, and all these needs should be organized in a way that everyone in the plant could understand. Having this type of knowledge will allow for favorable results; and a good bottom line for the steel company as well as the client.