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Blog and Articles

Articles Written for the Shop Floor, Not the Boardroom

Practical reads for people who run metal processing, distribution, and manufacturing operations. No generic thought-leadership. No consultancy waffle. Just articles written for people who care about what actually happens on the shop floor.

Our articles cover the decisions that actually matter for metals businesses:

  • How to cut scrap without replacing your equipment
  • How to stop chasing mill certificates before every delivery
  • How to get real inventory visibility without a six-figure ERP bill
  • How AI is changing the economics of metals manufacturing

You’ll also find articles on industry terminology, compliance standards, and the wider context of digitalisation for metals SMEs. Turns out knowing what’s broken is step one.

If you’re looking for a specific subject, browse by topic or category. The glossary is a good starting point if you’re new to the terminology your customers use on purchase orders.

How AI Predicts Quality Issues in SPC

  • Ruth Kearney
  • Blog
  • Mar 26, 2026
  • Updated

Stop losing money to manual SPC and legacy kit. AI inspects every unit, predicts faults 15–30 mins ahead and slashes scrap and rework.

AI vs. Spreadsheets: Smarter Production Planning

  • Ruth Kearney
  • Blog
  • Mar 25, 2026
  • Updated

Stop losing hours to Excel - AI automates mill certs, live schedules and cutting plans to cut waste and save time.

GoSmarter vs Sage 50 for Metals Inventory Management

Sage 50 handles your books brilliantly. It was not built for tracking steel by heat number and grade across a yard. GoSmarter fills that gap, and the two tools work together rather than against each other.

Your Factory Dashboard Is Missing These KPIs

  • Steph Locke
  • Blog
  • Mar 24, 2026
  • Updated

Discover the 8–10 KPIs metals manufacturers should track — OEE, scrap rate, energy per tonne, and embodied carbon — all in one real-time dashboard.

Manual vs. Automated Material Tracking

  • Ruth Kearney
  • Blog
  • Mar 23, 2026
  • Updated

Stop manual data entry and spreadsheet chaos - AI mill-cert OCR and automated tracking cut errors, save hours, and give real-time stock visibility.

Still Tracking Stock Like It’s 2005? Real-Time Inventory for Metal Shops

  • Steph Locke
  • Blog
  • Mar 22, 2026
  • Updated

Manual mill-cert entries and spreadsheet chaos are costing you. Use RFID scanning, barcodes, and AI to cut errors, slash scrap, and get instant stock visibility.

Data-Driven Lean Manufacturing: Benefits and Tools

  • Ruth Kearney
  • Blog
  • Mar 21, 2026
  • Updated

Stop running your shop floor like it’s 1985 — replace manual data and legacy ERP with AI + IoT to cut downtime, scrap and admin drudgery.

Zero Surprises: How to Know Exactly What's on Your Floor, Every Single Time.

  • Steph Locke
  • Blog
  • Mar 20, 2026
  • Updated

Stop typing mill certs by hand. Kill manual data entry and 1985 tech—use AI to track materials, link mill certificates and slash scrap and delays in real time.

£70m, 120,000 Tonnes, and Scunthorpe Back in Full Swing

  • Ruth Kearney
  • Blog
  • Mar 19, 2026
  • Updated

British Steel just signed the biggest billet order in company history. Production at Scunthorpe is increasing. If you’re in UK steel manufacturing, this signals something worth paying attention to.

UK doubles steel tariffs to 50% — what manufacturers must do before July

UK doubles tariffs on imported steel to 50% and slashes quotas. Here’s exactly which products take the hit — and what manufacturers need to do before July.