Jan 09, 2026
Flexible steel production aware of energy cost
A heavy-industry producer needed to align production scheduling with volatile energy prices without hurting output.
Energy cost per ton
↓
Duration
18 weeks
Team
5 people
Challenge
Energy was a top-three cost, but production scheduling treated it as a fixed input.
Solution
We introduced an energy-aware scheduling model, defined the trade-off rules with operations and sales, and kept human judgment in the final dispatch decision.
Outcome
The plant reduced energy cost per ton, preserved customer commitments and gave operators a clear decision tool instead of a black box.
What was happening
Production planning was locked to a commercial calendar. Energy prices moved around it without being part of the plan.
Operators knew the cost was leaking — there was no tool to show where.
What changed
The scheduling model became energy-aware, with operations, sales and finance agreeing on the trade-off rules up front.
Dispatch stayed human; the math got better.
- Energy-aware scheduling model
- Cross-function agreement on trade-offs
- Operators in control of final dispatch
AI Transformation, Process Optimization & Cost Efficiency