Industries > Metal processing foundries

Metal processing and foundries:
Stable production, clean traceability, better control

In metal processing and foundries, high quality standards, energy and material costs, and highly fluctuating capacity utilization collide with established processes and IT structures.
Dategro helps you structure your IT, data, and processes in such a way that production becomes more manageable, documentation is simplified, and you can steer your business based on reliable figures rather than gut feeling.

We combine operational reality in the plant with a clear view of systems, data, and KPIs. This creates a foundation on which you can reliably build efficiency, quality, and digital initiatives.

Which companies in metal processing and foundries do we work for?

This page is aimed at companies that

Manufacture components, semi-finished products or castings for demanding industrial customers
have to deal with fluctuating capacity utilization, tight deadlines and high quality requirements.
realize that the IT and data landscape has grown over the years and makes transparency in day-to-day business more difficult.

Typical examples include rolling mills, forges, foundries, machining centers, surface finishers, and combined manufacturers, often with multiple plants or customer industries.

Typical challenges in metal processing and foundries

Many companies in this industry face similar problems:

The processes function, but are opaque and highly dependent on individuals.
IT systems and Excel solutions exist side by side without being truly integrated.
Quality and production data are available, but difficult to combine and evaluate.
Providing evidence for customers, audits and certification requires a lot of manual effort.
There is a lack of a common set of figures on which decisions can be based.

This is precisely where our services come in.

What we specifically do for metal processing and foundries

Our goal is to structure your production and quality processes in such a way that you can identify and manage bottlenecks, risks, and potential improvements early on.

To achieve this, we combine modules from your Dategro service catalog to perfectly suit your specific situation.

Readiness Check for factory, IT and data

Together we consider:

the processes from inquiry and order through planning, production, quality and shipping
the IT and application landscape in the plant, including Excel and standalone solutions
the data relating to materials, melts, batches, tests and complaints
the key performance indicators (KPIs) you use today to monitor capacity utilization, waste, deadlines, and quality

You will receive an objective basis for decision-making, enabling you to prioritize measures and investments according to their impact.

A clear, coherent picture of your current maturity level and the most important levers.

Service S1 Readiness Check (Gap & Roadmap), supplemented if required by S5 Performance Cockpit & KPI control and S7 Evidence Pack & Capability Profile.

Process excellence in manufacturing and quality

We support you in this

To record end-to-end processes in the factory and to make bottlenecks, loops and media breaks visible.
Clarifying responsibilities and handovers between sales, planning, production, quality and shipping
Defining target processes that take your existing organization and IT into account
To establish control loops in which deviations in capacity utilization, waste, or deadlines are addressed early on.

This creates a framework in which your work runs more stably and improvements become repeatable.

To make processes more robust and streamlined without unnecessarily complicating operations.

Service S2 Process Excellence, based on the results from the S1 Readiness Check.

Clean up the IT and application landscape

We are here to assist you

to make all systems used in the plant transparent, from ERP to BDE/MDE to quality and laboratory systems
identifying Excel and Access solutions that perform critical tasks today
recognizing redundancies and inconsistencies that cost time, energy, and quality
to define a pragmatic target architecture that fits your size and your customers
to establish governance rules for how systems and interfaces will be further developed in the future.

This creates an IT foundation that ensures seamless data flows and simplifies future digitization.

Create an IT landscape that supports data flows in production and quality, rather than hindering them.

Service S3 IT and application consolidation / application retirement, supplemented if required by S8 data integration for automated data exchange.

Data foundation and traceability for production and quality

We support you in this

to clearly define central data objects such as material masters, articles, melts, batches, test characteristics and complaint data.
to define responsibilities for data maintenance and data quality
to design a data model that realistically reflects your production and quality
to develop traceability concepts that meet the requirements of your customers and certifiers.

This creates a data foundation that allows you not only to react, but also to actively control.

Structure your data so that you can obtain evidence, reports, and analyses at the touch of a button.

Service S4 Data Foundation & Traceability, often in combination with S8 Data Integration.

Performance Cockpits for Factory and Management

We work with you on this

Key performance indicators such as output, scrap, rework, adherence to deadlines and complaints need to be clearly defined.
Automatically combine data from ERP, BDE/MDE, quality systems and other sources
To develop dashboards for plant management, executive management and central functions.
To establish regular meetings in which key performance indicators are consistently evaluated and decisions are made.

This gives you a common numerical image to which all levels can refer.

Set up delivery and quality indicators in such a way that they are comparable and controllable across all plants and customers.

Service S5 Performance Cockpit & KPI control, based on S4 Data Foundation & Traceability and S8 Data Integration.

AI Readiness for metal processing and foundries

We are here to assist you

to identify potential AI use cases, for example in quality, energy optimization, maintenance or planning.
Realistically assess data and process maturity for each use case.
To evaluate benefits, costs and risks in a structured manner
to develop a feasible roadmap that meaningfully combines fundamental research and pilot projects

This way you don’t use AI as an end in itself, but as a targeted lever for efficiency, quality and costs.

Use AI precisely where it makes economic and operational sense.

Service S6 AI Readiness & Use-Case-Roadmap, aligned with S3 IT and Application Consolidation, S4 Data Foundation & Traceability and S8 Data Integration.

Evidence Pack and positioning towards customers

We bundle for you

the most important improvements in processes, IT and data
Key performance indicators (KPIs) relating to quality, deadlines and efficiency
structured description of skills in production and quality
Roadmaps that show how to further develop your work

This will provide you with documents that will enable you to present convincingly in customer workshops, audits, negotiations or group sessions.

Clearly demonstrate your skills in production, quality and control to customers and auditors.

Service S7 Evidence Pack & Capability Profile, combined with relevant results from S1 to S6 and S8.

What companies in metal processing and foundries gain from working with Dategro

After working with Dategro, companies in metal processing and foundries typically have

a clear picture of how well factories, IT and data are really positioned today
a prioritized roadmap with clear economic and operational levers
a more organized and explainable IT and data landscape
Key performance indicators and dashboards that can be used to compare and manage plants and locations.
Documents that allow them to demonstrate their capabilities to customers, auditors, and owners.

This is how a typical project starts

1. Initial consultation

Together we will clarify which works, products and customers are the focus and what target image you are pursuing.

2. Readiness Check

In a focused assessment, we analyze processes, IT, data and key figures in the relevant area and summarize the results in a structured evaluation.

3. Joint prioritization

Based on this, we jointly determine which services from the Dategro service catalog have the greatest impact on your company and in what order we will start.

4. Implementation in stages

We implement the agreed measures in clear steps, document results, and ensure that your organization can sustain the changes in the long term.

FAQ for metal processing and foundries

Do we need to replace our existing ERP or MES systems?

Not necessarily. Our approach is initially to create transparency, make better use of systems, and integrate them strategically. An exchange only makes sense if it is clearly justifiable from an economic and strategic perspective.

How much will you interfere with our ongoing production?

We work in a way that ensures business continuity. Analyses and workshops are planned to minimize disruption to daily operations. Changes are implemented in stages, with clear communication and the involvement of your key personnel.

Can you collaborate with our existing IT department and external service providers?

Yes, that's explicitly desired. Dategro works with you to define target images, architecture, data models, and governance. Your internal and external IT resources then implement these based on this foundation, significantly increasing speed and quality.

How quickly will we see initial results?

The readiness check typically delivers clarity and concrete quick wins within a few weeks. Initial effects often result from improved transparency, simplified processes, and clearer key performance indicators before larger projects are launched.

How does the topic of AI fit into a traditional foundry or metal processing plant?

AI is not an end in itself. In many cases, the journey begins with stable processes, clean data, and clear key performance indicators. From this, targeted use cases emerge, for example in quality, energy, maintenance, or planning, which we develop together in a structured manner.

How do you ensure that plants and central functions work together in unison?

We involve both sides from the outset, work with a clear target vision, and use key figures and data models as a common language. This creates a framework that reflects both local realities and central control requirements.

If you would like to know how well your metalworking or foundry operations can really be controlled today, we can start with a structured readiness discussion.

In this discussion, we will clarify where you stand, what goals you are pursuing, and which components from the Dategro service catalog will have the greatest leverage for production, quality, and earnings in your case.

Book a Call

Dategro partners with deal teams to conduct targeted technical due diligence that identifies hidden IT risks, quantifies their impact on valuation, and creates clear remediation roadmaps—all within standard deal timelines.

COMPANY

dategro IT GmbH & Co. KG
In der Gelpe 79
42349 Wuppertal
Germany

E-Mail:
[email protected]

Telefon:
0202 430 427 20

Language

deutsch

english