More than a supplier: How Service Centers add value

While every manufacturer would like to optimize their metal inventory, getting the ball rolling can be a challenge.With the right metals Service Center, you should not only gain access to the products you need. You should also have a collaborative partner able to bridge your knowledge gaps and identify the hidden costs and hurdles of your metal purchasing patterns.

More specifically, an experienced, full-service metal provider should be able to help you:

Zero in on what’s important

The first step in optimizing your metal inventory is understanding your metal needs, but those needs aren’t always clear. A good Service Center will sit down with you, ask detailed questions about your business and work with you to uncover your metal supply requirements.

For instance, they’ll look at your manufacturing processes, your current practices, the logistics of your operation and existing inventory supplies. With that information in hand, they should be able to offer sound advice and help you save costs across your operation.

Decide on the right materials

Not all metal is created equal, and choosing which metal quality is best-suited to your particular manufacturing needs can be a challenge.

A qualified expert can help you decipher which lower-price grade substitutes can work within your operation. They can also offer suggestions to help you differentiate your product in the marketplace—say, by recommending stronger materials that will result in a lighter-weight product—or make an extrusion instead of machining parts.

Throughout the process, they should help you better understand the overall costs of your metal purchases, identify challenges before they occur and unlock hidden opportunities.

Spot supply chain inefficiencies

Inefficiencies in your supply chain could potentially be driving up your overall business costs—without you even knowing it. A good Service Center should be able to spot those inefficiencies through examination and offer solutions to rectify them.

For instance, while you may be getting a specific quality metal at a good price, if your deliveries are inconsistent—and service disruptions frequent—a Service Center can help you understand why. It could be because your supplier is getting their metal from a single source prone to shut-downs. If you’re the type of business that requires high quality metal and relies on just in time delivery, that low price tag may not be worth it.

In this case, a knowledgeable Service Center could give you access to a more diverse metals network, so if one producer shuts down, another could pick up the slack. They would likely know your quality specifications as well, so they could make sure the metal that arrives at your doors is up to standard.

Get trusted advice

At Samuel, we view ourselves as an extension of your team and we work hard to understand the unique metal needs of your organization. By truly getting to know you and your business, we’re able to provide optimal lead times, on-time delivery, consistent availability, order accuracy and pricing volatility mitigation.

To learn more about how we can help your business, contact us.