Every metal fabrication industry event on the calendar this year has a technology track promising the same things. Most of it sounds identical: bold claims, thin proof and a demo that never quite maps to a shop floor running mixed-mode, engineer-to-order and high-mix work. Fabricators do not have a shortage of big ideas. They have a shortage of proof that any of it has been tested on a job like theirs.
That's the gap we're addressing on stage at the UK Metals Expo 2026.
A small change in material cost can impact profitability. A quality issue caught a day too late can mean scrap, rework or a missed shipment. A schedule disruption can ripple through an entire operation.
That's why generic software often falls short. Metal fabrication needs technology designed around the realities of the industry, not adapted to accommodate them.
Protect margin before it's gone
When material costs move between quote and shipment, profitability can disappear long before the job closes. The manufacturers performing best are the ones with visibility into costs while work is still in progress, giving them time to act.
Close the gap between planning and execution
The industry-average for on-time delivery rate sits at 84%, while top-performing fabricators achieve 90%. The difference often comes down to visibility. When planning, inventory, production and shop-floor execution are connected, teams can respond faster when reality changes.
Catch quality issues earlier
The sooner a problem is identified, the cheaper it is to fix. Connecting quality, production and traceability data helps manufacturers spot patterns earlier and reduce costly non-conformances, rework and scrap.
That's where Infor™ delivers value.
Our industry-specific solutions are built around the way metal fabricators operate, creating the foundation for better visibility, smarter decision-making and artificial intelligence (AI) that is grounded in operational reality rather than disconnected data.
Because the manufacturers seeing the most value from AI aren't treating it as a standalone project. They're embedding it into the processes that drive the business every day.
Thursday, 5 November 2026
12:00–12:50PM
Theatre 3
Moderated by Andrew Kinder, SVP Industry Strategy, Infor, the session brings together experts from manufacturing, technology and academia to discuss where manufacturers are already seeing results, and what foundations are needed to turn AI from an idea into a real business advantage.
Because there's another way to do enterprise resource planning (ERP) for metal fabrication.
Built for metal, not bent to fit it. See what that looks like with Infor metal fabrication ERP software.
That's the gap we're addressing on stage at the UK Metals Expo 2026.
Metal fabrication isn't a generic manufacturing problem
Most manufacturers worry about cost, quality and delivery. Metal fabricators manage those priorities while also dealing with fluctuating material prices, dimensional inventory, demanding customer specifications, traceability requirements and complex make-to-order and engineer-to-order processes.A small change in material cost can impact profitability. A quality issue caught a day too late can mean scrap, rework or a missed shipment. A schedule disruption can ripple through an entire operation.
That's why generic software often falls short. Metal fabrication needs technology designed around the realities of the industry, not adapted to accommodate them.
So where should manufacturers focus?
The answer isn't 30 new initiatives. It's usually three.Protect margin before it's gone
When material costs move between quote and shipment, profitability can disappear long before the job closes. The manufacturers performing best are the ones with visibility into costs while work is still in progress, giving them time to act.
Close the gap between planning and execution
The industry-average for on-time delivery rate sits at 84%, while top-performing fabricators achieve 90%. The difference often comes down to visibility. When planning, inventory, production and shop-floor execution are connected, teams can respond faster when reality changes.
Catch quality issues earlier
The sooner a problem is identified, the cheaper it is to fix. Connecting quality, production and traceability data helps manufacturers spot patterns earlier and reduce costly non-conformances, rework and scrap.
Turning data into a competitive advantage
None of this requires a moonshot. It starts with connecting the data manufacturers already generate across estimating, engineering, inventory, production, sourcing, quality and finance.That's where Infor™ delivers value.
Our industry-specific solutions are built around the way metal fabricators operate, creating the foundation for better visibility, smarter decision-making and artificial intelligence (AI) that is grounded in operational reality rather than disconnected data.
Because the manufacturers seeing the most value from AI aren't treating it as a standalone project. They're embedding it into the processes that drive the business every day.
Join the conversation at UK Metals Expo 2026
That's exactly what we'll be exploring in our panel discussion, AI in Metals: From Experiment to ImpactThursday, 5 November 2026
12:00–12:50PM
Theatre 3
Moderated by Andrew Kinder, SVP Industry Strategy, Infor, the session brings together experts from manufacturing, technology and academia to discuss where manufacturers are already seeing results, and what foundations are needed to turn AI from an idea into a real business advantage.
Meet us at stand C104
Whether you're looking to improve delivery performance, gain better control of material costs, strengthen quality processes or simply understand where to start with AI, we'd love to continue the conversation.Because there's another way to do enterprise resource planning (ERP) for metal fabrication.
Built for metal, not bent to fit it. See what that looks like with Infor metal fabrication ERP software.