Excessive Downtime and Energy Waste from Poor Rolling Schedule Optimization

$1.5M-3.5M annually via unplanned downtime (cobbles, thermal stress), scrap from out-of-spec material, and emergency maintenance calls triggered by operator over-stress • $2M-5M annually via energy overconsumption (incorrect heating profiles), scrap rate increase (8-15% vs. optimal 2-3%), and throughput loss from equipment idle time • $500K-1.5M annually via rejected material, scrap absorption, excess inventory carrying cost, and customer penalties for late/defective delivery

Cost Controller receives defect complaint; manually contacts supplier; tracks rejections in email and spreadsheet; absorbs cost or negotiates credit months later; no systematic feedback loop to supplier's scheduler • Lab Technician manually documents scrap root causes in lab notebook or email; creates informal reports; uses phone to alert Operations; technician knowledge of material properties not systematized into scheduling feedback loops • Manual Excel-based scheduling with phone/email coordination between heating and rolling teams; ad-hoc adjustments based on operator experience; reactive scrap sorting