Construction companies building heavy-duty structures like buildings, bridges, and highway components need high-quality steel to create safe and durable architecture. Selecting the right structural steel service center is essential for the success of these projects. The structure’s safety, durability, and cost-effectiveness depend on the quality of the materials and the service center’s expertise. However, with many suppliers to choose from, determining which one to partner with can be challenging.
When seeking a qualified structural steel supplier, search for these essential qualifications.
Simplified Purchasing
For many companies, purchasing in bulk is costly and inefficient. It drives up the cost of a project with unusable materials and storage requirements. Simplified purchasing gives you the highest level of accuracy with the quickest response time, so you have what you need when you need it.
Simplified Purchasing Explained
Steel service centers produce a wide variety of products that are ready to order at any time. Simplified purchasing allows you to order any quantity of steel and any mix of sections required for a project.
Benefits of Simplified Purchasing
- Acquire exact cut-to-length pieces
- Save money by eliminating the need to purchase more material than necessary
- Improve the efficiency of every project with a single-source supplier that can meet all your needs
- Avoid additional storage costs that can cut into your profit margins
How Does Infra-Metals Simplify Purchasing?
We use cutting-edge industry tools and technology to simplify purchasing in various ways. Simplified purchasing from Infra-Metals begins with the use of industry-standard file formats, such as KSS or SteelXML, to import your quotation, resulting in fast and accurate RFQs. Quick-cut lists from fabrication and detailing software minimize scrap to save you money by eliminating unnecessary waste. CAD files can be quoted and downloaded into processing equipment to further enhance accuracy.
Change Order Flexibility
Change orders are common in construction. If your steel supplier doesn’t have the flexibility to handle them, you could be facing higher costs and project delays. With change order flexibility, your order can be changed to meet new demands.
Change Order Flexibility Explained
Structural steel suppliers can use your advanced bill of materials (ABM) to make substitutions and modifications without delays or price increases.
Benefits of Change Order Flexibility
- No additional production delays
- Redesign as needed for different sizes, lengths, and grades
- Get substitutions that support redesigns without wasted material
How Does Infra-Metals Provide Change Order Flexibility?
We allocate out of our inventory to provide continuous supply for your fabrication needs. When you need to change your existing order, we modify lengths as needed and make substitutions for project changes. For complete redesign support, we swap sizes and grades to support your altered design.
Dedicated Support Team
Experience is necessary for accuracy in any construction project. A high-quality structural steel supplier connects you with real people committed to your project.
Dedicated Support Team Explained
A dedicated support team acts as an extension of your project’s management team. You can access experienced support as needed to avoid costly and time-consuming errors.
Benefits of a Dedicated Support Team
- Support from industry experts who understand your needs
- Increased profits derived from ideal choices
- Time saved through interactions with knowledgeable professionals
How Does Infra-Metals Provide You with a Dedicated Support Team?
Our best-in-business support team provides clients with attentive and informed support. We begin by assigning you a single point of contact, so you can always connect with someone who is familiar with your project and specific needs. Our service representatives show commitment with the enhanced communication and specific tools required to keep your job accurate and on time. Throughout the project, processing coordinators are versed in CAD software solutions to support your design needs.
Inventory Management
Consistently maintaining your own inventory is expensive and time-consuming. Inventory management allows fabricators to reduce on-site inventory while still having access to the materials they need.
Inventory Management Explained
Structural steel suppliers maintain a robust inventory to provide regional fabricators with the materials they need when they need them. By cultivating long-term relationships with clients, steel suppliers can keep inventory on hand to meet the needs of the companies that depend on them.
Benefits of Inventory Management
- Avoid storing large items at your facility
- Gain added workspace for more productive fabrication processes
- Access a larger inventory than you would be able to maintain yourself
How Does Infra-Metals Provide Inventory Management?
We have unmatched efficiency in inventory and freight management supported by our proven system. Our in-house operations allow us to barge, rail ship, and pick up material on our own fleet of trucks. With national coverage, we can ensure you can find a warehouse close to your location. These efforts result in easy accessibility to inventory and scrap reduction from the typical 7% to an average of 2%.
Maximized Cash Flow
Fluctuating cash flow is common in construction. Many steel suppliers offer specific procedures to help clients maximize cash flow.
Maximized Cash Flow Explained
To maximize your cash flow, you may need to save time or purchase materials in different ways. Steel suppliers offer benefits like product pricing and a choice of products and services that align with your cash flow needs.
Benefits of Maximized Cash Flow
- Project pricing for material
- Time saved by avoiding sorting through materials
- Choose what you buy and when you buy it based on current cash flow
How Does Infra Metals Maximize Your Cash Flow?
We use strategic supply methods to help customers maximize cash flow. Our delivery by sequence helps you cut costs and save time by limiting material handling. We reduce errors by marking all materials with section, length, piece mark number, and heat number. We also work with you to price your project by holding unit pricing for a reasonable duration.
Increased Shop Capacity
Space and qualified workers are some of the most critical requirements for construction firms. Increased shop capacity improves production and efficiency.
Increased Shop Capacity Explained
Increased shop capacity allows you to do more with less. For instance, you may be able to improve production with extra space or get more done with an extended team.
Benefits of Increased Shop Capacity
- Address labor shortages when your steel supplier acts as an extension of your shop
- Gain extra storage and processing capability
- Free up shop space for more productive processes
How Does Infra-Metals Increase Your Shop Capacity?
We manage inventory and the project needs of our customers to increase shop capacity in ways that are as varied as industry demands. Delivery by release provides you with a forecasted workload ready for fabrication. Our first-stage processing frees up your fabrication shop for other workloads. We also act as an extension of your team by providing these processing services:
- Plate Burning
- Sawing
- Drilling
- Forming
- Blast & Prime
- Robotic Coping
- Cambering
- T-Splitting
Customized Delivery
Delivery on your terms can help you maximize space and keep your project on track.
Customized Delivery Explained
Maintaining material inventory for an entire project can be expensive and inconvenient. Yet, delays occur if you don’t have supplies when you need them. Customized delivery provides you with delivery on your schedule. You get materials when you need them and how you want them, sequenced to your unique project.
Benefits of Customized Delivery
- On-time delivery of all steel requirements, typically as quickly as the next day
- A single supplier limits the number of trucks delivering your material
- Receive delivery in any quantity
- Reduce material handling and gain additional space
How Does Infra-Metals Provide Customized Delivery?
With our own fleet of trucks and calculated inventory practices, we provide just-in-time, staged, and sequenced delivery. Customized delivery from Infra-Metals begins with strategically staged inventory to ensure we have your materials on hand. Since we operate our own fleet of trucks, we can ensure speedy, on-time delivery whether you want a partial delivery or several trucks in a single day. Upon arrival, we make your unloading job easier because we assemble loads based on your unloading process.
Efficient Project Tracking
Documentation is essential for maintaining compliance and safety standards. Efficient project tracking can provide AISC members with the real-time information they need to pass an on-site audit.
Efficient Project Tracking Explained
Accurate documentation is a critical part of successful construction projects, but the fragmented nature of the industry can make it difficult to keep everything you need on hand. Efficient project tracking allows you to access all documentation for a project from a single platform.
Benefits of Efficient Project Tracking
- Reduce administrative costs
- Gain instant access to real-time information about your orders
- Get documents when you need them for an audit
How Does Infra-Metals Provide Efficient Project Tracking?
As an AISC full member, we understand your requirements for documentation and traceability. We meet those demands with efficient project tracking through our robust customer portal. Using the portal is simple. You only need to log in to access order history, mill test reports, bill of lading, and LEED documentation right from your browser.
Commitment to High-Quality Service
Infra-Metals is a leading structural steel service provider in the United States. Our facilities are tailored to cater to the specific requirements of industries and regions in various areas to ensure high-quality domestically sourced materials. Contact us today to discuss your project needs with our experienced team or request a quote today to get started.