Cleveland strip steel facility slated to implement ERP system from AXIS Computer Systems
Marlborough, MA — July 7, 2005 — Gibraltar Industries, a strip steel manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Ohio, said that it is now operational on AXIS Computer Systems (AXIS) Inc.'s AXIOM enterprise resource management (ERP) system.
The AXIOM software solution is an enterprise management system built around the operational requirements of metals producers, processors and service centers. It offers industry-specific support for such business aspects as sales, production, quality and financial management, Web-based customer service, advanced planning and scheduling, and decision support.
Gibraltar Industries' plant produces cold-rolled strip steel that is used in applications that demand precise widths, improved surface conditions and tight gauge tolerances. It is the largest of three facilities that make up Gibraltar's Processed Metals Group, all of which are scheduled to be live on the new system this year.
"The AXIS system is an important part of the investment we are currently making in operational and organizational improvements to support the continued growth of Gibraltar's Processed Metal Products business," stated Ken Matz, president of Gibraltar's Processed Metals Group.
"Getting AXIOM up and running in Cleveland is a significant step towards streamlining operations across our whole processed metals segment," stated Jerry Biagini, director of Technology and Business Processes for Gibraltar's Processed Metals Group. "Besides giving us the tools to gain efficiencies at each individual plant, AXIOM will soon give us a common system across all three sites. That will provide us with a lot more flexibility, enabling us to respond to market opportunities as a single business rather than as three separate entities."
Matt Jacobs, Gibraltar's manager of Business Processes for the Processed Metals Group, added that, thanks to work on the part of the Gibraltar and AXIS project teams, the cut-over to the new system has gone smoothly. In particular, he said, the Cleveland production, metallurgy and accounting people did a great job of defining exactly how they would use the new system, and prepared themselves well for the change. The AXIS people worked closely with us, providing expert guidance and training."
The AXIOM system replaces a mainframe-based in-house developed system in Cleveland and will replace three separate systems with a single system across the Processed Metals Group. AXIOM has been integrated with the Cleveland plant's level 2 mill systems and a new wireless data collection system.
AXIOM is now being used to perform all production scheduling and control, as well as inventory control, order entry, quality management, cost management, electronic data interchange (EDI), and financial management. In addition, the new system is being used to help facilitate the consolidation of functions such as sales, accounting and IT as services are shared across the Processed Metals Group.
Gibraltar's Cleveland facility performs slitting, cold-rolling, annealing and a number of other processes to transform raw steel into products that meet the most critical tolerances and specifications. The primary markets for this facility are the North American automotive manufacturers and their suppliers. Gibraltar also manufactures strip products for saw blades, coinage, high carbon springs and many other appliance applications.
Gibraltar's Processed Metals Group is the No. 1 supplier of cold-rolled strip steel in North America and one of four domestic producers of steel strapping. The group had sales of $395 million in 2004, representing 47 percent growth over the previous year, and approximately 39 percent of Gibraltar Industries' $1 billion in total 2004 sales.
Gibraltar serves a large number of customers in a variety of industries in all 50 states, as well as Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. It has approximately 3,600 employees and operates 73 facilities in 26 states, Canada, and Mexico.
