Once a year the Dutch metal wholesaler MCB arranges a special event. Who wins the “Best Supplier Award 2017”? Criteria are efficiency, production processes and interfaces – also in stainless steel production.
With high-speed into the digital future
MCB, with headquarters in the Dutch Valkenswaard, has already been supplying steel products for more than 75 years. They offer a wide range of steel, stainless steel, aluminium and non-ferrous metal. The Dutch metal wholesaler is internationally well positioned and employs around 600 staff members in total.
As an innovative and ambitioned company, MCB pursues healthy growth and puts a lot of importance on digitizing many processes in the company. Therefore, MCB is a highly qualified supplier for clients of the metal industry.
Reliability and innovation
Yearly the strategic top 50 suppliers are valuated and rated by MCB through a “Vendor Monitoring” system. Main criteria are punctuality of delivered products, process times of inquiries, orders and claims as well as sending speed of delivery notes. Finally, an electronic data interchange is rated as well. For all single criteria grades are given. Montanstahl achieved the best grades for all valuated features and won the award amongst all of the other top 50 suppliers in the sectors: steel, aluminium, brass, copper, stainless steel and non-ferrous metals.
Ton Janssen (Director Group Purchase), Cees van den Hout (Supply Base Quality Manager) and Erwin Reijnders (Purchase Steel Long Products) handed over the trophy “Best Supplier MCB” to Montanstahl on July 13 2017.
Montanstahl – Distributor of stainless steel profiles
Montanstahl is a specialized niche supplier of MCB, offering stainless steel long products. They consist of stainless steel structurals such as stainless steel beams, U channels, stainless steel tees and angle bars in grades 1.4301 and 1.4404, respectively 1.4571. The product program also includes bright bars like cold drawn flat and key steel, cold drawn angles and cold worked half round or half-oval bars.
The award came unexpected and was received by Mr. Wolf (Sales Director Stainless Steel Structurals) and Mr. Russo Tiesi (Sales Manager Stainless Steel Structurals) when they made their yearly visit at MCB in Valkenswaard. Montanstahl is notably proud, to have been chosen best supplier amongst many others by their client.
Integrating digital processes
In this year, the electronic data interchange (EDI) has been carried out successfully . Hence, Montanstahl is able to register orders and transfer order confirmations fully electronically. For this connection, a lot of preparatory work in the product identification and conformity had to be done in the first place. With successful implementation of these requirements, the next steps are already scheduled and have been optimized. In particular, it is about electronical transmittance of invoices, credit notes and test material certifications.
The big advantage of these digital progresses is, on one hand, the elimination of potential sources of errors and on the other hand the increase of handling and process speed.
Montanstahl invests quite a lot in complete digitalization solutions, which covers all company areas. Production processes are linked to digital interfaces, sales and purchase are digitally optimized and are almost completely paperless.
A new trail towards efficient digitalization, which is bound to lean manufacturing, has been initiated.
Highly motivated towards industry 4.0
The MCB Best Supplier Award is definitely a reason to be proud of. It came from a highly digitalized company, which is active in a strong digital market, such as the Netherlands. In addition, they set high standards to their suppliers. The prize stands for a successful partnership and business relation. We achieved this thanks to the efforts of so many individuals. Therefore, all colleagues share the pride and delight for the new achievement. These include the staff from sales but also from administration, logistics, production, quality assurance and last but not least the IT.
The prize can be seen as a confirmation and at the same time as an incentive to continue the direction towards industry 4.0 in the area of stainless steel. Our goal is to increase efficiency and to be prepared for new challenges in the stainless steel market.