Navigating the intricacies of metal requires more than conventional approaches; it demands a team with a keen eye for creative problem-solving.

At Ryerson, we pride ourselves on being that team. Whether it's material concerns, supply chain intricacies, or procurement dilemmas, our team stands behind our products and services. Our field reps exemplify this; let's delve into a few stories that showcase this dedication to problem-solving excellence.

Adapting to Unforeseen Issues

Ben Kimbrell is an accomplished account manager based in North Carolina with a profound understanding of the nuances surrounding carbon steel tubing. He has distinguished himself through an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and inventive problem-solving in the realm of precision-driven metal-fabricated parts.

This is the story of Kimbrell's efforts to address an undisclosed issue for a valued customer.

The customer, a job shop fabricator heavily dependent on carbon long products, collaborates with Ryerson for pre-cut items and tube laser parts. During a routine walkthrough of the customer's facility, Kimbrell identified inefficiencies within their tube bending processes, detecting a lack of uniformity from one tube to another.

Recognizing the need for intervention, Kimbrell initiated dialogues with the steel mill responsible for material supply. Subsequently, a representative from the mill accompanied Kimbrell on a subsequent visit, revealing that the location and consistency of the weld seams significantly contributed to the observed variances.

Through collaborative efforts, precise tolerances for the weld seam were established, leading to a substantial enhancement in operational efficiency. This optimization revitalized their existing processes and empowered the customer to pursue new business opportunities.

This strategic differentiation proved instrumental in resolving a critical challenge for the customer, further cementing the robust relationship between them and the dedicated sales team.

Material Matters

While laser-cutting parts using the 48,000 lbs. of plate they received from Ryerson, this customer noticed a problem. The material was bowing. In typical circumstances, the Ryerson rep would have made the trip to investigate the issue in person, but this occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which eliminated that option. Email and phone communication simply didn’t suffice in handling a material-claim. So that’s when the rep decided to get creative.

He arranged time for himself, the buyer, and the customer’s operations manager to connect via a video call where the operations manager took his phone to the shop floor.
There it was observed that the material bowing was within an acceptable range and posed no threat to the customer’s equipment or product.

They agreed to monitor bowing over the coming weeks and, if needed, transition to temper pass (flatter) material in the future. This resolution saved the customer hours of time and approximately $40,000 for what might have been lost and replaced material.

This is one example of how dedicated fabrication reps provide an advantage for metal buyers. Jason Helmin, Ryerson’s outside sales rep for North American fabrication, has helped advise on many issues for manufacturers across multiple industries. 

 

For example, labor shortages experienced by some manufacturers in recent years have now given way to a new reality for manufacturing supply chains.

“Different materials have their own issues. In some cases, clients were looking at eight-to-twelve weeks of lead time just to get material.” Those kinds of lengthy production delays just weren’t feasible for many of Helmin’s customers.

 

“A lot of companies were forced to check overseas, which wasn’t necessarily the direction they wanted to go,” explains Helmin. Offering supply chain mitigation strategies that brought manufacturing closer to home has been paramount for his clients.

 

“Keeping everything internally U.S. manufactured and made can help OEMs stay responsive and react more quickly to market demands. They’re very keen on it and, therefore, something we focus on as an ongoing goal.”

 

Supporting onshore and nearshore production helps when you have vendors across the U.S. Helmin notes another major asset for his team when working with manufacturing clients. “A lot of our customer loyalty comes from being able to work on the fly. When doing certain things requiring multiple processes, there’s always a chance that something doesn’t go smoothly. That’s where we come in.”

This is just one of many examples of how a dedicated fabrication rep can help. Read this story for more examples.

Purchasing Power

When it came time to renegotiate their contract for purchasing metal, one machinery company wanted to explore new ways to enhance their purchasing power. With representatives in both Colorado and across the border in Mexico that needed to be involved, proximity added a new hurdle to the situation. 

Knowing that an in-person demo simply wasn’t possible due to certain circumstances, Ryerson Sales Representative Wes Mountain pivoted to the alternative: A web demo with the director or purchasing and his team across the multiple locations. 

This provided an ideal platform for exploring the value of using an e-commerce solution. During the demo, the team quickly discovered that the value of an e-commerce solution went far beyond simply the ability to purchase metal online. In fact, the wealth of features included introduced new ways to save time and money.

For instance, the ability to streamline the purchase order process—which for this company comprises roughly 180 parts. The way it previously worked for this company was to issue one purchase order for multiple items and send it daily to Ryerson. The estimated time this took for the company was about 30 minutes daily. 

The e-commerce solution introduces the ability to issue one “blanket” purchase order for each item for the entire year. When they place their order online, it generates an auto invoice with that purchase order. Now, rather than spending 30 minutes each day on purchase orders, the company can instead generate all 180 purchase orders in the matter of just two days.

All of this was able to be introduced via a web demo where the remote locations were connected and engaged. 

“(Videoconferencing) provided an excellent platform to allow collaboration across geographic regions between Ryerson and our customer,” says Mountain. “With locations both domestically and internationally, we transcended traditional boundaries with the help of technology, saving significant resources.”

We Are There For You

Your challenges are the foundation of our innovation, and together, we'll turn setbacks into stepping stones toward success. Welcome to a world where obstacles are opportunities, and Ryerson Representatives are your trusted allies in the pursuit of solutions. Ready for creative solutions to your complex challenges? Contact a Ryerson sales representative today. 

 
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