Tutorials & Learning
Tutorials and Learning Resources
Practical tutorials and how-to guides for manufacturers who want to understand and use AI tools — without wading through academic papers or sitting through hour-long webinars.
These resources cover the things that actually trip people up: how to read a mill certificate, how to set up a cutting optimisation plan, how to build a business case for digitalisation without a finance degree, and how to get your team using new software without a six-week training programme.
Topics covered in this section include:
- Understanding mill certificates and EN 10204 certificate types
- How cutting optimisation software generates cut lists
- Setting up yield tracking and scrap reporting
- Building a business case for digital tools in a metals SME
- Getting started with GoSmarter’s platform
If you’re looking for formal product documentation, head to the GoSmarter Knowledge Base. If you want background reading on industry terminology, start with the metals manufacturing glossary.
Modular AI Adoption for Metals Manufacturers: Start Light, Scale Fast
- Steph Locke
- Blog , Learning
- Apr 6, 2026
- Updated
Modular AI adoption lets metals manufacturers prove return from one AI-powered workflow before committing to the next. GoSmarter is designed for this pattern: each module delivers value standalone and unlocks more value as you add more.
Read More: Modular AI Adoption for Metals Manufacturers: Start Light, Scale FastFrom Excel and Email to GoSmarter in 30 Days
- Ruth Kearney
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 30, 2026
- Updated
A practical 30-day implementation guide for metals manufacturers moving from spreadsheets and email to GoSmarter. Covers week-by-week steps, common concerns, ERP integration, and what to keep versus what to retire.
Read More: From Excel and Email to GoSmarter in 30 DaysROI of AI in Metals Manufacturing: Real Numbers, Real Payback Periods
- Steph Locke
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 30, 2026
- Updated
AI vendors throw around vague ROI claims. This page shows real numbers: how to calculate payback periods for mill cert automation and cutting optimisation, with benchmarks from a live production trial at Midland Steel.
Read More: ROI of AI in Metals Manufacturing: Real Numbers, Real Payback PeriodsGoSmarter vs Sage 50 for Metals Inventory Management
- Ruth Kearney
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 24, 2026
- Updated
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.
Read More: GoSmarter vs Sage 50 for Metals Inventory ManagementBS EN 1090 and NSSS Compliance: Stop Drowning in Structural Steel Paperwork
- Steph Locke
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 19, 2026
- Updated
BS EN 1090 and the National Structural Steelwork Specification require traceable, auditable mill certificate records. Manual management means compliance risk. GoSmarter fixes that.
Read More: BS EN 1090 and NSSS Compliance: Stop Drowning in Structural Steel PaperworkGoSmarter vs Excel for Metals Inventory Management
- Steph Locke
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 17, 2026
- Updated
Excel is the default tool for metals inventory, but it was not built for steel. GoSmarter was. Here is where each one wins and when it makes sense to use both.
Read More: GoSmarter vs Excel for Metals Inventory ManagementAI Cutting Optimiser: The Complete Guide to Linear Cutting Optimisation
- Ruth Kearney
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 17, 2026
- Updated
GoSmarter’s Cutting Plans is purpose-built cutting optimiser software for rebar and long product manufacturers. Generate optimal steel cutting lists, improve cutting plan efficiency, and cut scrap rates by up to 50%.
Read More: AI Cutting Optimiser: The Complete Guide to Linear Cutting OptimisationCloud MES Software: What It Actually Costs and Whether It's Right for Your Factory
- Steph Locke
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 16, 2026
- Updated
You’re a plant manager researching MES options. This guide explains what cloud MES is, how it differs from on-premise, what the top commercial solutions look like, and how to compare them on TCO without getting sold a lemon.
Read More: Cloud MES Software: What It Actually Costs and Whether It's Right for Your FactoryRebar Quotation Is Eating Your Week. AI Fixes That.
- Steph Locke
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 16, 2026
- Updated
Rebar quotation is one of the most time-consuming, error-prone jobs in a rebar merchant or fabricator’s day. Here’s how AI rebar systems change that — and what to look for in one.
Read More: Rebar Quotation Is Eating Your Week. AI Fixes That.Your Scrap Rate Is Costing You Twice. Here's How to Calculate It.
- Ruth Kearney
- Blog , Learning
- Mar 16, 2026
- Updated
Learn exactly how to calculate scrap rate using the standard formula, work through real production examples in actual £ figures, and find out what a good target scrap rate looks like for metals manufacturing.
Read More: Your Scrap Rate Is Costing You Twice. Here's How to Calculate It.Categories
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- Artificial Intelligence
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- Cloud Technology
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