AIST Introduces AIST Process Benchmarker™ — Benchmarking Steel Manufacturing for a Sustainable Future
10/05/2012 - The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) has partnered with Management Science Associates Inc. to develop the AIST Process Benchmarker™, a secure, online benchmarking service utilized for tracking key performance indicators between companies engaged in the production and processing of iron and steel and related raw materials.
The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) has partnered with Management Science Associates Inc. (MSA) to develop the AIST Process Benchmarker™ (APB™), a secure, online benchmarking service utilized for tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) between companies engaged in the production and processing of iron and steel and related raw materials. The software is based on the Raw Material Data Aggregation Service™ (RMDAS) platform. For years, RMDAS has been used to securely and confidentially track ferrous scrap data for the steel industry.
The APB unites steel producers in comparative technical benchmarking to improve the long-term sustainability of steel as the engineered material of choice for a diverse array of applications. The APB offers the following benefits:
• Benchmark KPIs for specific technical operations against real-world industry norms.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and establish specific performance expectations.
• Focus research and development in key areas necessary to improve technical processes.
• Informed decision-making to enhance corporate competitiveness and overall industry sustainability.
The APB utilizes modules governed by the AIST Technology Committees. Each module contains process-specific data sets, terminology and definitions derived by user agreement to ensure consistent interpretation. Current modules in operation include: Coke Oven, Blast Furnace, Basic Oxygen Furnace, Electric Arc Furnace, Hot Rolling and Galvanizing. Additional process modules are being developed to encompass the full spectrum of iron and steel production technologies.
Licensed companies upload their data into the APB, which allows the comparison of performance characteristics for further analysis to identify opportunities for improvement. Data validity is essential to the evaluation. The APB is programmed for consistent data collection necessary to provide credible and relevant information for all KPIs.
APB data is kept secure and confidential with user access authenticated by AIST based on a formal participation agreement. All data is aggregated where necessary for confidentiality and to comply with anti-trust law relative to market information systems.
For more information on the AIST Process Benchmarker, please visit AIST.org/apb.
The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) is a non-profit organization serving the steel industry with over 15,000 individual members from 70 countries. The organization is recognized as a global leader in networking, education and sustainability programs for advancing iron and steel technology. Its mission is to advance the technical development, production, processing and application of iron and steel.
