tk Materials Services launches ecommerce platform in UK

To better serve changing customer needs, thyssenkrupp Materials Services has further expanded its online offering in the UK: Since the end of January 2021, customers in the UK market have access to the Steelbay Exchange online shop. At the click of a mouse, they can purchase off the shelf mild steel coils and plates around the clock. The products are all available from stock to supply thyssenkrupp Materials UK customers within a few days. In addition, smaller quantities are offered, enabling them to optimize the efficiency of their warehousing.

Terry Sargeant, CEO of thyssenkrupp Materials UK, explains, "Steelbay Exchange allows our customers to easily digitalize their purchasing and innovate their business for current and future success. With the digital transformation of our business, we achieve optimized connectivity in collaboration and inventory management. Our ultimate goal is to create added value for our customers so they can focus even better on their core business."

With the expanded offering, thyssenkrupp Materials Services is systematically driving forward its strategic development. Ilse Henne, Chief Transformation Officer of thyssenkrupp Materials Services, says: "With our strategic transformation from Materials Services to 'Materials as a Service' we are linking the supply of raw materials and materials with supply chain services. Our clear goal is to better meet the needs of our customers."

An important element is the omnichannel approach, which offers customers cross-channel access to products and services. By providing all desired channels, customers can place orders via individual customer portals, EDI interfaces, apps as well as online shops. With Steelbay Exchange, thyssenkrupp Materials UK has now complemented its offering.

In-house development in seven months

For the development of Steelbay Exchange, thyssenkrupp Materials Services relied on its own expertise: In just seven months, technical experts from thyssenkrupp Materials UK and the Digital Transformation Office in Essen succeeded in building a fully functional e-commerce platform. "With Steelbay Exchange we have created a scalable application that allows us to achieve significant synergies across all areas of thyssenkrupp Materials Services as well as the Group," explains Jörn Ossowski, Head of Digital Transformation at thyssenkrupp Materials Services. The store thus also serves as a blueprint for other units of the globally positioned materials distributor and service provider.

Source and photo: tk Materials Services GmbH