How Flack Global Metals Transformed Its ERP Platform: A Case Study
Following an acquisition, Flack Global Metals worked with the Crowe Materials Accelerator team to adopt a cloud-based, metals-specific platform to support current operations and future growth.
Company
Flack Global Metals is a metals supply chain solutions provider. Following its acquisition of Pacesetter Steel Service, it sought to bring operations onto a common platform.
Challenge
Flack Global Metals needed to implement a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform while maintaining service center operations. Multiple legacy systems, customizations, and inconsistent processes increased execution risk and required business stakeholder alignment regarding how the combined organization would operate going forward.
Support
The Crowe team implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365™ software with Crowe Materials Accelerator and worked alongside Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter business teams to apply metals-specific functionality and guide process decisions. Cross-functional subject-matter experts (SMEs) from Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter provided input on solution and process design.
Solution
Crowe Materials Accelerator provided functionality aligned with service center operations to enable the transition from multiple legacy ERP and niche metals systems with long-standing customizations to a single platform. The solution established a consistent operating model through cross-functional alignment and established financial and operational best practices from both organizations.
Implementing a new ERP platform while integrating multiple organizations is never straightforward. The Crowe team’s metals industry experience and collaborative approach helped us move through the project and establish a foundation we can continue to build on.
– Del Land, Chief Financial Officer, Flack Global Metals
Challenge details
Following the acquisition, Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter operated across multiple ERP systems with differing data structures and heavily customized workflows. This fragmentation limited enterprise visibility and hindered the ability to operate as a unified organization.
Activating a unified ERP program required cross-functional alignment across finance and operations. The combined organization needed to define a consistent operating model while maintaining continuity in service center operations.
How Crowe helped
The Crowe Materials Accelerator product team assessed whether functionality aligned with service center operations, including processing, inventory, and order management. Metals industry experience allowed the Crowe team to move quickly through key decisions without a learning curve.
The Crowe team then engaged cross-functional SMEs from Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter to define process and solution design in order to incorporate strengths from both organizations. The Crowe team worked alongside Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter to incorporate user feedback and refine functionality to better support the business and shop floor needs.
The results
By implementing Dynamics 365 and Crowe Materials Accelerator within 12 months, Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter replaced multiple legacy ERP and niche metals systems with a single modern platform. The combined organization executed cutover without disruption to business-as-usual operations. It also was able to sustain shipping volume throughout the transition while establishing a unified, scalable foundation to support future growth and evolving technology initiatives.
Takeaways
By working with the Crowe Materials Accelerator team, Flack Global Metals and Pacesetter were able to:
- Establish a unified, scalable ERP platform to support service center operations and reduce system complexity
- Reduce reliance on multiple legacy ERP and niche metals systems with long-standing customizations
- Position the organization to support future growth and take full advantage of additional technology investments
- Establish a consistent operating model by incorporating financial and operational strengths from both organizations
Microsoft and Dynamics 365 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
Transform your metals service center operations with confidence
Crowe combines deep industry experience with purpose-built technology to help companies align processes, improve visibility, and enable growth. Reach out to explore what’s possible.
Captcha is required.
