Real-time Data Access Optimizes Supply Chain Plans

Real-time Data Access Optimizes Supply Chain Plans

In a typical month, Valmont galvanizes 100 to 120 tons for Watkins Steel. In the final six months of 2023, it had 666 projects in VCC Max. Watkins Steel opened its doors in 1968 as a traditional metalwork business. Today, it is a frontrunner for digital transformation in Australia. The company has moved from competing on price to standing out for its speed to market, high quality, transparency and trust. Having access to project tracking as well as the process data provided by VCC Max contributes to that transparency, said Jonathon Hallam, Watkins Steel project director. For us, it’s super handy. Watkins Steel was an early adopter of the VCC project tracking system launched in 2018 to support Valmont’s purpose as a company of conserving resources and improving life. Still, the added detail offered by the new VCC Max has been transformative, Hallam said. Tracking project lines within the customer dashboard saves Watkins’ management staff from double checking or chasing down information, he said. You can get all the information that you need without having to make phone calls or bothering the guys, stopping them from doing their job, Hallam said. He also values the reliability. It’s going to be ready when it says it’s ready. These benefits support sustainability as well. With so many projects in the works across two factories, it helps logistics efficiency to know what’s coming back and when. The Watkins team can better control their processes to optimize product pickup and delivery to avoid double handling pitfalls such as making extra trips, unavailable workers or equipment, and lack of storage space. With added surety and value to clients with VCC Max in the form of transparency, Hallam estimates Watkins Steel is experiencing growth and increased margin by 15 percent by putting more projects through Valmont each year.