Post on 13-Jul-2020
AXISENTERPRISE RESOURSE PLANNING
ERP FOR METALS, WIRE AND CABLEStreamline operations, increase productivity and reduce costs: Axis helps you compete in today’s global markets with superior tools and technology
2AXIS | CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRY
• Ensureconsistentlyhighquality
• Respondtocustomerproductanddeliveryneedsfasterthan
the competition
• Controlcosts
• Optimizetheuseofcapitalassets
Metals producers and processors that master these key operational
capabilities position themselves to increase market share,
revenue,andprofits.ThatiswhatAxisisallabout.AxisERPisthe
foundationoftheAxisEnterpriseResourceManagementSystem.
PrimarycomponentsofAxisinclude:
• AxisERP–Comprehensivesupportforintegratedsales,
production,quality,andfinancialmanagement
• Axis®e/Suite–Web-basedcustomerservice
• AxisAdvancedReporting
• AxisShopFloorDataCollection(SFDC)
Axisisbuiltwithanadvancedsoftwarearchitectureutilizingthe
provenandwidelydeployedPROGRESSapplicationdevelopment
toolsettoprovidehighperformanceandscalability,fast
deployment,andlowcostofownership.Axisisanenterprise
resourcemanagementsystemdesignedspecificallyforthemetals,
wireandcableindustries.Ithelpsproducers,manufacturersand
servicecenterssuccessfullycompeteintoday’sglobalmarketsby
providing the tools and technology to:
• Streamlineoperations
• Improveproductivity
• Reducecosts
• Decreaseleadtimes
• Improvecustomerservice
• Improveprofitability
• Supportgrowthwithoutaddingresources
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRYToday’smetalsindustryismarkedbyintenseglobalcompetition,cyclicalmarkets,changingdemandpatterns,andthecommoditizationofproducts.Whilethisenvironmentisverychallenging,italsoofferstremendousopportunitiestocompaniesthatareableto.
3AXIS | CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRY
CREATING A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE WITH AXIS Axisisacomprehensiveenterprisemanagementsystemdesignedspecificallyformetalsproducers,processors,andservicecenters.It
integratesproduction,sales,andfinancialmanagementaroundasingle,highlyaccessiblebaseofinformationtohelpcompaniescreatea
competitiveadvantageintoday’sglobalmarkets.Itprovidesthetoolsandtechnologyto:
• Streamlineoperations,improveproductivity,andreducecosts
• Decreaseleadtimes
• Improvecustomerservice
• Improveprofitability
• Supportgrowthwithoutaddingresources
Axishasbeendevelopedbyprofessionalswithin-depthexperienceinthemetalsindustrytosupporttheindustry’suniquerequirements.
Itisacompletebusinessandoperationalmanagementsystemwithacoreofmixedmodeproductionmanagementcapabilitiesdesigned
specificallyforcompaniesthattransformmaterialthroughmelting,casting,rolling,forging,drawing,extruding,blanking,leveling,and/or
slittingtoproduceproduct.
Axisprovidesintegratedcapabilitiesforimprovingbusinessprocessesandenhancingvisibilityacrossvirtuallyeveryaspectofthebusiness,
fromcustomerorderentrytoscheduling,procurement,production,shipping,costmanagement,andfinance.Mostimportantly,AxisERP
hasmanybuilt-infeaturesdesignedtomeetthespecialneedsofeachsegmentofthemetalsindustry.
4AXIS | CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRY
We’veachievedsignificantsavingsandefficiencieswithAxis.There’smuch less manual paperwork and our customers can attest that the servicesideofourbusinesshasgreatlyimproved.Ifyoucaneliminatethosekindsofcosts,youhaveasystemthat’scertainlypayingforitself.
Kathy Ament ChiefFinancialOfficerMarion Steel
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5AXIS | CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRY
AXIS: BUILT AROUND THE REAL WORLD ISSUES OF METALS PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING Themetalsindustryisunlikeanyother.Ordinarymanufacturing
systemsdesignedforstandarddiscreteorcontinuousprocess
environmentssimplycannothandlethespecialrequirementsof
metalsproductionandprocessing.AxisERPisdifferent.Ithas
beendevelopedfromthegrounduptosupportthefundamental
productandprocessissuesthatmakethemetalsindustryunique.
Someoftheserealworldissuesare:
Actual quality varies from heat to heat
Manyoftheuniqueaspectsofthemetalsindustrystemfrom
thefactthateveryheatorlotofagivenmetallurgicalgrade
isdifferent.Eachheathassomewhatdifferentactualquality
i.e.,chemicalandphysicalpropertiesmthatmustbetakeninto
considerationwhentheyareusedtomakeendproducts.
All material is defined by its attributes and characteristics
Becauseallmaterialhasthechemicalandphysicalpropertiesof
theheatorlotfromwhichitismade,andalsohasadditional
mechanicalanddimensionalpropertiescomingfromhowitis
processed,itcannotbefullyidentifiedbyjustapartnumberor
materialcode.
Theattributesrequiredtoidentifymaterialaredifferentfor
differenttypesofitems(e.g.,grade,gauge,&widthforacoilvs.
OD,wall,&lengthforatube).Theactualcharacteristicsmustbe
knownforeachitemthroughalllevelsofproductionfromheatto
finishedproduct.
Whetheritssteel,aluminum,copperorspecialtyalloys,Axis
ERPsupportscompaniesatallstagesofmetalsproductionand
processing.
Inventory is tracked at the tag level
Becauseofvariations,inventoryistrackedatthetaglevel(i.e.,coil
ID,slab#,billet#,spool#,bundle#,etc.).Quantity,properties,
dimensions,andinventorylocationcanbedifferentforeachtag.
Material application is a function of actual quality
Becauseofvariations,materialisappliedtoordersbasedon
actualproperties.Applicatorsmustidentifyandreserveavailable
materialwiththerightcombinationofpropertiestoconform
tothespecificationsforeachorder(e.g.,thechemicaland
physicalpropertiesoftherodusedtomakewiremustmatchthe
customer’sspecificationsforthatproduct).
Material is often reapplied to other orders
Materialcanbereappliedfromin-processordersandQ.C.hold
statustootherin-processorderswithdifferentspecifications.The
chainofpropertycontributionmustbemaintainedtoprovide
productqualitycertificationandconformancetospecifications.
A given product can be produced in multiple ways
Theprocess/practicecanbealteredtoproduceadesiredproduct
basedonthematerialthatisapplied.Alternatestartingsizes
canbeusedwithadditionaloperations(e.g.,slit,rollpass,draw,
blank,etc.).Certainpropertiescanbeadjustedbyadditional
processsteps(e.g.,heattreatmentorannealing).
Quality control & tracking is critical
Material must be tested at various stages throughout the
productionprocessandcertifiedtestresultsareoftenrequired
bycustomers.Processandenvironmentaldatamustalso
becontinuouslycollectedforprocesscontrolandprocess
improvement.Traceabilitymustbemaintainedfromtheoriginal
heatandcastingtotheendproductshippedtothecustomer.
Units of measure are variable
Agivenitemmaybesoldorpurchasedinanyoneofseveral
unitsofmeasure(e.g.,lbsorkg,feetormeters,sqftorsqm).
Production,however,maybescheduledandreportedina
differentunitofmeasure,sothevariousorderquantitiesneedto
beconvertedforproduction’suseandthenconvertedbackagain
forshipment.
Inexact quantities are a way of life
Inpurchasing,manufacturing,andselling,exactplannedorder
quantitiesarevirtuallyneverrealized.Shipmentorreceiptofa
quantitythatisslightlymoreorlessthantheorderquantityisa
normalpractice.Customersoftenspecifyquantitytolerancesthat
areacceptabletothem.
Effective scheduling is important to mill productivity
Allmetalscompaniesarecapitalintensiveandmusteffectively
utilizetheircapitalequipmentinordertobeprofitable.Because
ofthis,schedulingisdrivenbynumerousfactorsinadditionto
customerrequestdates.
Inordertominimizedowntimeduetosetups,mostmetals
processorssequenceproductionbyeithertheattributesofthe
materialbeingproduced(e.g.,grade,width,shape,thickness,
diameter,etc.),and/orbytheattributesofthematerialitisbeing
producedfrom(e.g.,startingthicknessvs.endingthickness).
6AXIS | CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRY
Manymillsalsoschedulearoundtheirbiggestbottleneck(e.g.,
meltshop,rollingmill,annealingfurnace,etc).Insomecases,
astandardproductioncycleofrelatedproductsisscheduledin
advanceandcustomerordersarebookedagainstthatschedule.
Thisisoftencalledacycleschedule,rollingschedule,orcampaign.
Shipping/receiving logistics are a key aspect of operations
Becausethematerialbeingshippedorreceivedistypicallyof
considerablesizeand/orweight:loading/unloadingcapacityis
limited,freightcostsaresignificant,andshippingmistakescanbe
costly.Efficientcarrierschedulingandproperloadingarecrucialto
bothcustomerserviceandoverallprofitability.
ENTERPRISE-WIDE VISIBILITY AND CONTROL Axis is designed to integrate and streamline the entire business
aroundacommonbaseofinformation.Itgivesmanagementthe
visibilityandcontrolofoperationsthatisneededtoeffectively
competeintoday’schallengingenvironment.AxisERPprovides
thetoolsandinformationto:
Ensure Consistent High Quality
Integratedqualitytrackingandcontrolcapabilitiesensurethat
products are produced or processed according to customer
specificationswhilemaintainingcompleteproductgenealogyand
processhistory,includingchemical/physicallotpropertiesandin-
processtestresults.
Automaticgenerationofcertificationdocuments,theabilityto
matchcustomerrequirementstomaterial/meltspecifications,on-
lineentryofheatresults,in-processcheckchemistrysupport,and
manyotherqualitymanagementfeaturesdramaticallyreducethe
effortrequiredbyfactoryandofficepersonnel.Inventorycontrol
andmaterialapplicationbylotandtag#notonlyenablesbetter
utilizationofinventory,italsoensurestheproperuseofmaterialat
everystageofproduction.
Respond Quickly and Effectively to Customer Needs
AxisERP’ssales,productionmanagement,andcustomerservice
capabilitiesenableyoutobehighlyresponsivetoyourcustomers.
Featuressuchasorderpromising,workflowdrivenquotation
development,andattribute-basedproductlookupshelpyou
winmoreordersbyquicklyaddressingcustomerquestionsand
requirements.
Acomprehensiveproductandprocessdefinitioncapability
speedscollaborativedevelopmentofcustomproducts.Advanced
scheduling and production management capabilities reduce lead
times.Real-timeorderstatus,fullclaims/RMAmanagement,and
optionalweb-basedcustomeraccesstoselectedinformation
enable you to provide the service your most demanding customers
expect.
Control Costs
Axisintegratesfinancialmanagementintoeveryaspectof
operations.Basedonadetailcostedproductandprocess
definitionandvarianceanalysisusingeitherstandardoractual
costs,AxisERPcostmanagementprovidesfullvisibilityofexactly
whereproductcostsareandtheopportunitiesforreducingthem.
Ordermarginanalysishelpsidentifytheproductsandcustomers
thatarethemostprofitable.
Integratedmulti-company,multi-currencyAccountsReceivable,
AccountsPayable,andGeneralLedgerapplicationsprovide
financialmanagerswiththetoolstheyneedtocontrolbothcosts
andcashflow.Awiderangeofoperationalsupportcapabilities
suchasoutsideprocessingmanagement,autofreightcalculations,
rapidinvoicing,andmanyothershelpfunctionalmanagersin
everydepartmentstreamlinetheirbusinessprocessestofurther
reducecoststhroughouttheenterprise.
Optimize Use of Capital Assets
OneofthemostpowerfulaspectsofAxisisitsproduction
schedulingcapabilities.Attribute-basedschedulingincreases
throughoutwhileminimizingsetupandscrap.Automaticjob/
lineup scheduling based on product and process characteristics
optimizescapacityutilizationwhilesavingsignificantpersonnel
timeandeffort.GroupTechnologyschedulingcapabilitieshelp
productionschedulersselectthebestresourcesforanygivenjob.
Efficiencyandutilizationreportinggivesmanagersclearvisibilityof
howassetsarebeingusedovertime.
7AXIS | CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY’S METALS INDUSTRY
Whenweneed‘moment-in-time’information,suchasquality,holds,shipping, and billing, we can pull the informationfromAxisERPinreal-time.Thesecapabilitieshelpusidentifyandactonstatistically-relevantinformation,ratherthanjustactingonawhim.
Eric Hiler PresidentStripco
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Morethan9,000customersaroundtheworldrelyonustogivethemacompetitiveedge.Byprovidinginnovative,industry-drivenenterpriseapplicationsoftware,Apteanhelpsbusinessestosatisfytheircustomers,operatemostefficiently,andstayattheforefrontoftheirindustry.
Formoreinformation,visit: www.aptean.com
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LEVERAGING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY ThinkofAxisasyourmostvaluablemachine.Ithelpsaccelerate
andautomateeveryaspectofyourbusiness.Itprovidesan
infrastructureofcross-functionalcapabilitiesto:
Help Sales, Finance, and Production Work as One
Axis helps break down departmental barriers by operating as
asingleintegratedsystemonasingleconsolidatedbaseof
information.Itcompletelyeliminatestheneedforentering
informationtwiceorfiguringoutwhichversionis“thetruth.”
Customerordersareimmediatelyvisibletoproductionschedulers,
real-timeorderstatusisalwaysavailabletocustomerservice
personnel,changesinmaterialrequirementsarequickly
highlightedforpurchasing,andfinancialinformationisadirect
andaccuratereflectionofactualoperations.
Improve Productivity Throughout the Business
AxisERPhelpsstreamlinebusinessprocessesandreduceboththe
timeandefforttogetthingsdoneinvirtuallyeverydepartment
ofthecompany.Itautomatesmanyrepetitiveandcalculation-
intensive tasks people may be doing today either manually or
withun-integratedPC-basedtoolssuchasspreadsheets.It
integrates seamlessly with plant automation and data collection
systemstominimizedataentry.AndAxismakesitfareasierto
getnewemployeesproductivebyprovidingaclearframeworkof
informationandproceduresforperformingtheirjobs.
Improve Productivity Throughout the Business
Axis helps streamline business processes and reduce both the
timeandefforttogetthingsdoneinvirtuallyeverydepartment
ofthecompany.Itautomatesmanyrepetitiveandcalculation-
intensive tasks people may be doing today either manually or
withun-integratedPC-basedtoolssuchasspreadsheets.It
integrates seamlessly with plant automation and data collection
systemstominimizedataentry.AndAxismakesitfareasierto
getnewemployeesproductivebyprovidingaclearframeworkof
informationandproceduresforperformingtheirjobs.
Make Information Your Most Valuable Asset
Axiscanmakeinformationoneofyourmostpowerfulcompetitive
advantages.Itprovidespeopleacrosseveryfunctionwithready
accesstotheinformationtheyneedtomakebetterday-to-
daydecisionsandbetterservecustomers.Atthesametime,it
positionsyoutoactfasterwhennewopportunitiesariseandto
respondquickerwhenmarketconditionschange.Justasanew
machinecanincreasetheproductioncapacityofyourplant,the
informationprovidedbyAxiscanincreasethebusinesscapacity
ofyourentireorganization.Oneofthebenefitsmostoftenstated
byAxisusersisthattheyhavebeenabletomanagesignificant
increasesinsaleswithoutsignificantincreasesinstaff.