AXIOM integrates the entire business around a single, highly accessible base of information. It is a comprehensive solution encompassing all key aspects of the business, including sales, scheduling, production, quality and financial management. It also includes integrated capabilities for web-based customer service, advanced planning and scheduling, and decision support.

Typical ERP Systems Don't Do the Job for Metals, Wire and Cable
Most Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is designed to support discrete manufacturing environments where product characteristics, units of measure, and other attributes are defined in advance and easily managed with standard part numbers. Some software is designed to support continuous process environments like production of food or chemicals where products are based on recipes, and where tracking and costing of individual customer orders is the exception rather than the rule. Neither of these approaches fully supports metals production, metals processing, or wire and cable manufacturing - all of which have characteristics of both process and discrete environments.

While some packages have been modified over time to work around these fundamental design principles, none have been built specifically for the needs of the metals, wire and cable industries. Because of this, many companies in these industries have resorted to developing their own systems internally or have significantly modified standard packages. In either case, the cost of implementing and maintaining these solutions has been high, while the results have often been disappointing. But now there is AXIOM.

AXIOM is Different
AXIOM is not like typical Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. AXIOM is the only enterprise-wide management solution built from the ground up to support the unique operational requirements of companies that transform material through melting, casting, rolling, forging, drawing, annealing, slitting, extruding, stranding, or cabling to produce product.

The real world issues discussed in the Industry Insights section highlight some of the characteristics that set these industries apart, and some of the special needs AXIOM has been built to support. In addition, AXIOM is the only enterprise-wide system that is continually refined and expanded based on input from leading metals, wire and cable companies.

For example, AXIOM Dynamic Order Fulfillment eliminates the need to maintain unique product masters, process routings, pricing information, and descriptions for every possible product or processing variation. By automating much of the quoting, entry, production planning, and documentation of orders, AXIOM helps metals companies dramatically reduce time, effort, cost, and errors across a number of key business processes. 

What this means to you is that AXIOM already fits your business and will continue to be optimized to your needs over time. The bottom line is:

• You can deploy AXIOM almost immediately without the need for major customization.
• You can be confident that AXIOM will continue to evolve to support industry best practices.
• Your overall cost of ownership will be lower than with just about any other alternative.

AXIOM Components and Capabilities
The primary components of the AXIOM Enterprise Resource Management System are:

• AXIOM/mx Open - comprehensive applications for sales, production, quality, and financial management
• AXIOM e/Suite Customer Service - web-based customer service
• AXIOM APS - advanced capabilities for planning and scheduling
• AXIOM BI - business intelligence, executive information and decision support

Follow each link for a description of the functional capabilities of the individual component.

For an overview of the technical aspects of AXIOM, see:

• AXIOM Software Architecture and Technology

See also the Services section of this website for a description of Consona implementation and support services for AXIOM.