In the steel service center world, materials don’t just move—they churn. With carbon flat-rolled orders stretching weeks into mill lead times and master distributors adjusting allocations on the fly, Purchase Order (PO) tracking has become a daily strategic task. For the Materials Coordinator of Purchasing, it’s no longer enough to simply place an order and wait. You need eyes on every step from issuance to inbound dock.
First, understand what you’re up against. Volatility in the steel market means mills often operate on limited allocation or extended lead times. A coil order you placed three weeks ago may suddenly shift in priority—or worse, get partially filled. Without a live PO tracking system, you’re flying blind while operations are expecting deliveries on the dot.
Start by auditing your current visibility. Are your POs tracked through an ERP, or are you relying on email threads and spreadsheets? If it’s the latter, your risk exposure is massive. You should have real-time dashboards showing PO status, vendor confirmation, scheduled ship date, and in-transit updates. Ideally, integrate EDI feeds directly from mill or distributor portals into your procurement view.
Next, develop a communication rhythm with your suppliers. Don’t just request order confirmations—demand consistent updates on production status, release readiness, and freight booking. Many mills will provide automated load confirmations or ASN feeds; if they don’t, assign a weekly check-in for key POs. Your job is to prevent surprises from becoming emergencies.
When volatility hits—be it due to scrap price fluctuations, labor strikes, or regional freight backlogs—use PO tracking as a decision trigger. If a confirmed PO slips, can you reallocate from another warehouse? Can you fast-track a distributor fill-in to meet production demand? You can’t make those calls without reliable data.
Your internal reporting matters too. Sales and operations teams need a clear signal on when to expect material. “It’s shipping soon” doesn’t cut it. Build a PO aging report filtered by due date, delay reason, and vendor reliability score. This makes it easier to escalate issues or re-prioritize plant commitments.
Freight alignment is another major pitfall. A perfectly timed PO can still blow up if your logistics partner can’t match the ship window. Collaborate closely with traffic coordinators to monitor carrier capacity, especially on high-volume lanes. Consider booking tentative loads at the time of PO placement to avoid scrambling later.
Lastly, don’t overlook your role in vendor scorecards. On-time delivery metrics, fill rate percentages, and PO accuracy are all performance indicators that start with your tracking system. Strong documentation helps you negotiate better terms—and defend your buying decisions.
At its core, PO tracking isn’t clerical work. It’s the heartbeat of steel supply flow. With accurate, real-time data and proactive supplier coordination, you can anticipate delays, reduce expediting costs, and keep your production schedule intact. Because in today’s steel market, whoever tracks best, wins.
