Axiom Dynamic Order Fulfillment

AXIOM® Dynamic Order Fulfillment Features

AXIOM Dynamic Order Fulfillment automates the creation of quote, sales order, and production processing details based on the attributes (e.g. grade, specification, size, shape, finishing, etc.) of an ordered product, eliminating the need to maintain individual pre-defined product codes, process routings, pricing, and descriptions for every possible variation.

This dynamic approach to order processing and product management enables producers, processors, and service centers to improve customer responsiveness and market agility while eliminating non-value-added data maintenance requirements.

Dynamic Quote, Sales Order, and Document Creation

AXIOM speeds the entire quoting and order entry process by automating the creation of product codes, pricing, product descriptions, and special handling instructions based on the attributes of the ordered product(s).

• Attribute-Based Order Entry simplifies customer communication and eliminates the need to manually look up or enter a specific product code. For each order line item, it automatically selects (or optionally creates) the appropriate product based on the entered attributes.
• Attribute-Based Pricing greatly simplifies pricing management and eliminates reliance on off-line paper tables or spreadsheets. Unit price, margin and/or discount %, and additional charges can all be dynamically calculated based on a combination of product attributes and customer information.
• Dynamic Commercial Descriptions ensure accurate and complete product descriptions on all documents while significantly reducing manual effort. Specific short and/or long descriptions are automatically created based on the attributes of the ordered product.
• Dynamic Customer Comments ensure accurate order processing .by automatically linking customer-specific instructions to the attributes of the ordered product and other customer information. Instructions can be related to processing, delivery, packaging, etc., and are automatically placed on designated documents based on customer policies.

Dynamic Production Planning

AXIOM Dynamic Order Fulfillment helps ensure proper, rapid, and efficient processing of the order within the mill or shop floor by automatically creating all of the work order details in real time and enabling immediate scheduling.

• Dynamic Routings ensure product quality and efficient processing while eliminating the need to maintain unique process definitions for every product variation. This powerful capability automatically creates work order and process routing details with the proper material, process steps, standards, operator instructions, tests, and product descriptions based on the attributes of the ordered product.
• Attribute-Based Scheduling increases throughput by minimizing set-up time and scrap. Job/lineup sequencing based on product attributes optimizes capacity utilization.

Sales Analysis by Attribute

AXIOM provides the information managers need to better understand sales trends related to various product attributes.

• Sales History by Attribute provides quote and sales order history inquiries by any appropriate product attribute. History can be selected and sorted by any of the attributes entered on quotes and orders.

Easy Set-Up of Product, Process and Pricing Information

With AXIOM’s Dynamic Order Fulfillment, an entire family of products or processing capabilities can be defined using a combination of user-defined tables, templates, and rules that represent your capabilities and knowledge in a manner that is natural and easy to understand while at the same time supporting the real-world sophistication of your processes.

• User-Defined Product Attributes allow definition and use of the specific attributes that define any type of metals product, including such things as specification, grade, size, shape, finishing, etc.
• User-Defined Capability Tables, Routing Templates, and Rules extend AXIOM’s robust process routings with an easily-maintained framework for defining attribute-based variations in material requirements, processing steps, standards, operator instructions, tests, etc. across an entire range of products or processing capabilities. This highly flexible approach dramatically reduces the number of unique process definitions that need to be maintained while providing accurate and detailed information for mill and shop floor personnel, and making it easy to implement new equipment and process improvements across a wide range of products.
• User-Defined pricing tables extend AXIOM’s standard pricing capabilities with a very flexible way of setting up and maintaining attribute-based pricing matrices, variables, and calculations. Date-effective tables can be easily updated based on incremental amount or percentage changes.

AXIOM Dynamic Order Fulfillment

Metals producers, processors, wire and cable manufacturers and service centers need to respond quickly and efficiently to customer requests for any product or value-added processing that falls within their capabilities. But when there are hundreds - or thousands - of possible product variations, that can be difficult because:

• To ensure proper production, shop floor personnel must be given accurate instructions defining the details of processing steps, raw material, tests, and special handling requirements that are specific to the attributes of the ordered product and customer.
• To ensure profitability, each product must be accurately priced according to the ever-changing value the market places on its various attributes.
• To win the order and ensure repeat business, everything must be done quickly and correctly – quote, capable to produce commitment, work order creation, production, paperwork, and shipment.

The required speed, accuracy and staff productivity can only be achieved by automating much of the order processing cycle. But for many metals and wire and cable companies, it is impractical to manage the required data by maintaining information such as process routings, material requirements, descriptions, and pricing for every possible product variation.

These are just a few specialty examples of the power of AXIOM’s Dynamic Order Fulfillment capabilities:

Primary Producer

A mill producing slabs, plate, coil, sheet, bar, etc. can:

• Dynamically define the process routing, instructions, set-points, practice codes, and other detail to work orders based on the attributes of the sales order and standard operating practices.
• Dynamically attach QA testing requirements to work orders based on the specifications of the sales order and industry, customer and/or internal standards.
• Automatically add text-based comments and notes to sales orders and other documents based on customer requirements for the specific type of product being ordered.

Processor

A tube producer manufacturing products from hollows or strip can:

• Use only a few standardized routings to handle many different finished products.
• Select the proper hollow or strip size to produce a given finished size and length based on user-defined rules.
• Calculate throughput rates through rolling mills based on the dimensions of the material being rolled.

Service Center

A service center performing value-added processes such as slitting, blanking, sheeting, shearing, drilling, plasma shape cutting, welding, forming, etc. can:

• Simply enter the attributes (e.g. grade, length, width, PIW, etc.) of the product the customer requires on the sales order, without the need to look up or enter a specific product code.
• Automatically verify that the end-product can be produced as requested based on established processing capabilities, and immediately create a work order with detail processing instructions.
• Dynamically quote and price the sales order based on its attributes.