Choosing the Right ERP for the Metals Industry

The metals industry isn’t like other industries, and your ERP software shouldn’t be either.

Whether you're running a service center, processor, or distributor, the day-to-day operations in metals are complex, fast-moving, and margin-sensitive. Generic ERP systems may promise customization, but the reality is: if your ERP isn’t built for metals from the ground up, you’re leaving efficiency, visibility, and profit on the table.

Here’s what to consider when evaluating ERP software for your metal business - and how purpose-built solutions like Jonas Metals Software can give you an edge.

1. Metal-Specific Inventory Management

You’re not tracking boxes on a shelf - you’re dealing with coils, sheets, bars, tubes, and plates. You need a multidimensional inventory with real-time traceability by heat, lot, and length.

What to look for:

• Dimensional inventory tracking (length, weight, thickness, etc.)

• Automated unit conversions

• Heat/lot traceability is built into every transaction

How Jonas Metals helps:
Our ERP was built around the unique nature of metals inventory - from complex stock shapes to split-offs and remnants. You’ll know exactly what you have, where it is, and how it got there.

2. Built-In Processing Capabilities

Slitting, cutting, shearing, sawing, and processing are your value-added activities, and your ERP needs to support them.

What to look for:

• Processing orders tied to inventory and production

• Shop floor visibility

• Automation between quoting, processing, and delivery

How Jonas Metals helps:
Our software handles processing natively - no bolt-ons, no workarounds. With full downstream visibility, you can quote a job, allocate the right material, and schedule it in production.

3. Real-Time Data, Anywhere

Whether you’re on the shop floor, in the warehouse, or visiting a customer, you need access to the same reliable data.

What to look for:

• A fully integrated mobile solution

• Real-time updates on inventory, sales, and dispatch

• User-specific dashboards and alerts

How Jonas Metals helps:
With our mobile app, your team stays connected no matter where they are. It’s operational data in your pocket - empowering faster decisions and smoother communication.

4. Flexible Pricing & Customer Management

You’re managing pricing by weight, unit, customer tier, and market fluctuation - not a static product catalogue.

What to look for:

• Customer-specific pricing models

• Margin analysis and quote history

• Integrated CRM and credit controls

How Jonas Metals helps:
We understand the sales cycle in metals - from complex quotes to conditional pricing. Our system helps you win the job and protect your margins.

Final Word

Choosing ERP software is one of the most strategic decisions a metals business can make. The right system won’t just support your operations - it will improve them.

At Jonas Metals Software, we don’t build ERP for "everyone." We build it for you - the metal service center that needs software that just works.

Because when your ERP speaks the language of metals, your entire business runs better.