Steel Service Centers
This article is about the improvement of steel service centers and the extra advantage they provide. Steel service centers mentioned in this article are the independent service centers rather than integrated service centers owned by major steel producers. Development of the steel service centers: Historically the common purpose of steel service centers and stockists is to sell the material they buy in big tonnages in small tonnages. Thus, many problems between most small and middle scale steel consumers with steel producers have been solved. In the course of time, as problems have arosen in terms of stockpiling and delivery periods among major steel consumers and producers, these consumers have started to cooperate with steel service centers, as well. Together with the rise in services given to major consumers the role of service centers have mostly turned into a supply chain management. Their aim has become to combine goods from different producers, with the approval of consumers, in compliance with ontime delivery principles and to make ready for usage. As a result of logistic services given due to supply chain management activities and further applications adding value to the product, consumers have started to decrease costs and risks. Developments in information technologies helped to manage supply chain more effectively and have contributed to service steel services enabling them to work with the adequate amount of stock. Again in line with these developments the quality of the processed product increased and consequently service centers started to deal out to quality oriented industries like automotive and white goods industry. Advantages provided by the steel service centers: - To give services satisfying both the producers and the consumers - Not to reflect product restrictions to the consumers brought by steel producers - To eliminate the difficulty of making direct purchase from steel producers for minor consumers. - To give consumers the opportunity of scheming a long term plan by setting up the aforementioned supply chain and the settling of delivery in time principles. - To contribute consumers to reduce their costs with the increasing service quality Today steel service centers have extended their services, along with the stockpiling, cut to length and slitting processes they started to give pressing, welding and forming services as well. As steel service centers show more effort to develop the services dealed out to consumers, it will increase more and more. Service centers keeping up with the needs of consumers by making investments to the information technology will assure and develop their position within the chain of supply.