Rautaruukki Case Study

Rautaruukki wanted a fast and replicable solution
For Rautaruukki Oyj the biggest benefits of Anilinker's electronic linking services are fast implementation, duplicability and dramatic decrease of the development investments that the network requires.

One of Europe's most international steel companies, Rautaruukki has utilized different kind of electronic data transfer solutions in its business already for more than ten years. It has many bilateral point-to-point solutions with its clients and suppliers, and it also uses pure message transfer services.

Osmo Marttila, a Project Manager at the IT department of Rautaruukki Steel's plate products unit, tells, however, that implementation of bilateral solutions has advanced quite slowly already for several years.

He suspects that by using point-to-point solutions it would not be possible in any given time frame to create a system, which would guarantee, that i.e. a ship yard building a big ocean liner would get all the necessary components for the ship just in time.

"In that case you should be able to anticipate, when exactly the manufacturing of each component should be started in the beginning of the supply chain", he says.

For this to happen it is not enough, in Marttila's opinion, that the suppliers form a chain by using point-to-point solutions. Instead they need simultaneous networking. Information must be transparently and simultaneously available for all suppliers who need it.

Positive attitude among customers
Because of the problems with point-to-point solutions Rautaruukki began to look for faster and more replicable options, and 1.5 years ago it chose Anilinker's networking services as one such option.

"It was interesting, that via one interface solution you could get several companies into your network in a short time and with as little effort as possible. Of course it meant cost effectiveness, too", says Marttila.

Rautaruukki tries to develop electronic data transfer mostly with its clients. As a supplier it does not have a big influence on how, with whom and when it is able to proceed in the matter. According to Marttila, clients have had, however, a positive attitude towards electronic solutions.

"We are happy to take as many clients as possible into our network and as soon as possible - hopefully 10 to 20 clients per year. We have started with our domestic clients, but we are absolutely not excluding our foreign clients", tells Marttila.

Transfer of CAD files under development
At the moment Rautaruukki uses ANI network to transfer EDIFACT messages concerning orders and order confirmations, but in the future it is planning to link electronically also other business processes.

"We continue from here with shipment lists and invoices and at the present we are developing the transfer of documents, such as CAD files", says Marttila.

By using electronic data transfer Rautaruukki mostly aims at facilitating its customer's procurement process as well as improving and speeding up its own service. Data transfer via ANI network has been integrated into Rautaruukki's operative systems in such a way, that nothing needs to be handled manually.

"In ANI environment you get all companies behind that hub hooked electronically directly to us. From our point of view the important benefits of this are the fastness and duplicability of the solution and dramatic decrease of the developing investments in terms of time, volume and price", says Marttila.