4 On-Ramps To Restart Metals Digital Transformation

According to the Crowe “2024 Technology in Metals Survey Report” nearly half (48%) of metals companies that participated in the survey don’t have a digital transformation road map or strategy in place. But operating in 2024 with no technology strategy or road map can lead to overinvestment, wasted effort, or loss of good employees.

The combination of external variables, such as accelerated technological advancements and economic uncertainty, with internal factors, including merger and acquisition activity and skilled labor challenges, can make it hard for metals leaders to know how to continue in their digital transformation journey.

Technology road maps do not have to be linear, and companies can shift their focus if they need to address more pressing issues, such as a merger. However, companies must find an on-ramp back into digital transformation if they want to achieve sustainable growth.

After disruption, one way executives can get back to implementing or updating their technology is by identifying problems that technology can help address. Microsoft™ solutions can be an on-ramp by meeting companies where they are and offering a more advanced, streamlined approach.

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4 challenges metals leaders face and some on-ramps to accelerate technology transformation

Following are four common challenges metals companies encounter and examples of how Microsoft technology can help.

Inefficient, manual tasks

Metals companies continually look for new strategies to increase efficiency on the shop floor and in the back office. One way to become more efficient is to minimize manual tasks. When shop floor workers have to rely on handwritten notes or calculations, this analog approach can waste valuable time, increase the risk of error, and reduce productivity. If office workers must email approvals or create offline Microsoft Excel™ files, key data might not be visible to the broader company. Organizations operating with these types of manual processes can use technology to improve efficiency.

Digitizing and automating tedious, repetitive, and inefficient tasks such as data entry, report generation, and information sharing can increase productivity. In fact, more than half (54%) of metals leaders noted in the 2024 survey that production was one of the top three areas in which automation has had the greatest effect at their companies.

How Microsoft Power Platform™ can help

Power Platform gives metals leaders the AI-powered capabilities to standardize and streamline processes. Once tasks are brought online, they can be automated, and workers can focus on creating value in other ways.

A lack of visibility into finances

Many metals companies struggle with a lack of connectivity between systems. Whether businesses have optimized best-of-breed, functional solutions or operate with multiple enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in their organization, obtaining a single view of company finances can be a challenge for executives.

Access to a single source of truth and real-time financial reports can equip metals leaders with the information they need to make the right decisions about capital expenditures that can drive the company forward in the decades to come. Increased visibility highlights areas of business that might not be as profitable as they seem, and real-time reporting helps leaders respond faster.

How Microsoft Dynamics 365™ Finance and Supply Chain Management can help

The Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management ERP platform unifies and standardizes company finances and operations, regardless of how many facilities, locations, or nuances a business might have. Executives can have a clear and complete view of the company’s performance, which helps them make more confident business decisions.

Disconnected or incomplete data

Many metals leaders are searching for ways to extract insights from their company data to make more informed decisions for the future. However, these companies often struggle to centralize and standardize data before executives can identify patterns or actionable insights.

The ability to integrate data from multiple sources, standardize it, and view insights in real-time can be transformative for metals companies. When executives and workers can access live data, they can make confident decisions during critical moments.

How Microsoft Azure™ and Microsoft Power BI™ can help

While Azure provides the tools to centralize and manage data, Power BI organizes and visualizes the data and yields meaningful insights that can prompt next steps. This dynamic duo gives metals leaders the tools they need for enhanced data-driven decision-making.

Inadequate customer experience

When asked what challenges they hope technology could help address, respondents to the 2024 survey expressed a need for improved communication with clients. Customers have increased expectations and appreciate a personalized experience, and sales and customer service teams need the tools to help them deliver on those expectations.

A single platform that can store customer information, preferences, and purchasing habits; offer insights to help the sales team interact with clients more effectively; and assist with drafting or automating communication can create an improved customer experience.

How Dynamics 365 Sales, Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, Dynamics 365 Customer Service can help

With Microsoft business applications, companies can improve their sales and customer service by integrating information across access points, providing a 360-degree view of customers, and enabling personalized service through AI-powered virtual agents.

Address your pressing issues with Microsoft technology and Crowe expertise

As a metals leader, you might face these four struggles – and more – on a daily basis. Regardless of what specific business issue your company is struggling with, Microsoft has technology that can offer a solution and relief for your team.

If you’re looking for technology to help address your company’s challenges, the Crowe team is here to help. Our metals specialists have decades of industry knowledge and extensive experience working with and implementing Microsoft solutions for companies like yours. We’ve built solutions such as Crowe Metals Accelerator to meet the unique needs of the metals industry using Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.

Don’t spend another day stressing about financial reporting, data, inefficiencies, or whatever else might be troubling you. Discover the Microsoft tools and the team you need to overcome challenges and move confidently into the future. Reach out today.

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Tony Barnes

Principal, Microsoft Cloud Solutions Leader

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