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Streamlining Material/Mill Test Report Processes for United Performance Metals with Star Software’s Automation Solution

Background:

United Performance Metals (UPM), a leading supplier of speciality metals, faced challenges in
managing and extracting crucial information from Material/Mill Test Reports (MTRs). The complexities involved in handling certificates, checking chemical components, balancing amounts, and ensuring data accuracy led them to seek an efficient solution. Star Software, a reputable software provider, stepped in to address these challenges and developed a tailored MTR automation solution for UPM.

Challenges:

1. Certificate Extraction:

  • Manually extracting information from numerous certificates.
  • Ensuring accuracy and completeness of data.

2. Chemical Component Validation:

  •  Verifying and cross-checking chemical components against specified standards.
  •  Balancing chemical values and addressing complexities such as ‘BAL’ or ‘Remaining’.

3. Heat Number Management:

  •  Removing special characters from heat numbers for uniformity.

4. Custom Excel Export:

  •  Exporting data in a customized Excel format to meet UPM’s specific requirements.

5. Automatic Value Conversion:

  •  Handling unit variations and converting values accordingly.
  •  Example: Converting a chemical value of 25 with a unit marked as 10^-3 to 0.025.

6. Document Retrieval:

  •  Facilitating easy retrieval of documents based on various parameters like product
    description, gauge, heat, range, etc.

Star Software’s Solution:

1. Certificate Extraction:

  • Implemented an automated system for extracting data from MTRs, eliminating the need for
    manual data entry.
  • Ensured the accuracy and completeness of extracted information.

2. Chemical Component Validation:

  • Developed algorithms to validate and cross-check chemical components against industry
    standards.
  • Implemented logic to balance chemical values and handle ‘BAL’ or ‘Remaining’ entries.

3. Heat Number Management:

  • Automated the removal of special characters from heat numbers, ensuring consistency in
    data.

4. Custom Excel Export:

  • Designed a tailored export feature that formats data according to UPM’s specific Excel
    requirements.
  • Enhanced user-friendliness in data presentation.

5. Automatic Value Conversion:

  • Implemented a unit conversion feature to automatically convert chemical values based on
    specified units.
  • Eliminated the need for manual calculations, ensuring precision.

6. Document Retrieval:

  • Developed a search functionality that enables quick and efficient retrieval of documents
    based on various parameters.
  • Improved accessibility and reduced time spent on document searches.

Results:

1. Efficiency Gains:

  • Significant reduction in manual efforts for data extraction and processing.

2. Accuracy Improvement:

  • Enhanced accuracy in chemical component validation and data balancing.

3. Time Savings:

  • Streamlined processes resulted in considerable time savings for UPM’s teams.

4. User-Friendly Interface:

  • Improved user experience with a user-friendly interface and customized Excel exports.

5. Data Consistency:

  • Ensured uniformity in heat numbers and data presentation, reducing errors.

6. Search and Retrieval:

  • Expedited document retrieval based on multiple parameters, improving overall efficiency.

The implementation of Star Software’s Material/Mill Test Report automation solution has not only
addressed the immediate challenges faced by United Performance Metals (UPM) but has also
catalyzed transformative changes in their overall Material/Mill Test Report (MTR) management
processes. The seamless extraction of certificates, precise validation of chemical components, and
the efficient balancing of values have significantly reduced manual efforts, contributing to enhanced
operational efficiency.

The user-friendly interface and customized Excel exports have improved the overall user experience,
making data interpretation more accessible for UPM’s teams. The elimination of manual calculations through automatic value conversion has not only saved time but also ensured a higher degree of accuracy, especially when dealing with diverse unit specifications.

Moreover, the search and retrieval functionality implemented by Star Software has streamlined
document access based on various parameters, fostering quicker decision-making, and enabling
UPM to respond more promptly to customer queries or regulatory demands.

In conclusion, the collaboration between United Performance Metals and Star Software exemplifies
the positive impact that tailored automation solutions can have on complex industrial processes. The
enhanced efficiency, accuracy, and user-friendliness delivered by the MTR automation solution
position UPM at the forefront of streamlined material documentation management, ultimately
contributing to their commitment to delivering high-quality speciality metals to their customers with
increased agility and precision.