How to Manage Metal Finishing Specifications in Steelhead
See how Steelhead Technologies manages specifications, tracks spec revisions, and defines parameters to reduce quality issues and boost profitability in your job shop.
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Product
How to Manage Metal Finishing Specifications in Steelhead
Identity & metadata
Video title
How to Manage Metal Finishing Specifications in Steelhead
Date published
December 19, 2023
Duration
1:58
Video type
Product tip / Short demo
Audience
Quality; production leaders; admin
Video summary
In one sentence
Steelhead's specifications capture internal, customer-supplied, or industry-standard processing requirements as controlled, revisable documents with structured
parameters (numbers, booleans, even sensor data), so operators get clear step-by-step instructions and jobs can
be certified quickly against specification-driven data.
parameters (numbers, booleans, even sensor data), so operators get clear step-by-step instructions and jobs can
be certified quickly against specification-driven data.
What this video covers
Steelhead's Mike Johnson defines a specification as a detailed description of how to process a
part to meet customer satisfaction, whether it's an internal processing spec, a customer-supplied spec, or
an industry standard.
He then shows how specs work in Steelhead: creating specifications, controlling revisions, superseding a spec
with an updated version, storing a description of the spec itself, listing its requirements, and
setting up step-by-step processing instructions.
He walks through building spec parameters, starting with choosing a field type (number, Boolean, or
even sensor data), then creating a new parameter, naming it, and setting its requirements, such
as whether documentation must be recorded, a yes/no value, or a numeric value like a
coating thickness. He closes on the business case: reducing quality issues, keeping operators informed, and
certifying jobs quickly against specification-driven data.
part to meet customer satisfaction, whether it's an internal processing spec, a customer-supplied spec, or
an industry standard.
He then shows how specs work in Steelhead: creating specifications, controlling revisions, superseding a spec
with an updated version, storing a description of the spec itself, listing its requirements, and
setting up step-by-step processing instructions.
He walks through building spec parameters, starting with choosing a field type (number, Boolean, or
even sensor data), then creating a new parameter, naming it, and setting its requirements, such
as whether documentation must be recorded, a yes/no value, or a numeric value like a
coating thickness. He closes on the business case: reducing quality issues, keeping operators informed, and
certifying jobs quickly against specification-driven data.
Problem it solves
Metal finishing requirements come from three different places — internal standards, customer specs, and industry
standards — and without a controlled, revisable record, operators can end up processing parts against
outdated or inconsistent requirements. Steelhead's specifications keep requirements, revisions, and structured parameter data in one
place so jobs stay compliant and can be certified quickly.
standards — and without a controlled, revisable record, operators can end up processing parts against
outdated or inconsistent requirements. Steelhead's specifications keep requirements, revisions, and structured parameter data in one
place so jobs stay compliant and can be certified quickly.
Key capabilities shown
• Specifications for internal, customer-supplied, or industry-standard processing requirements
• Specification creation with controlled revisions and supersession by updated specs
• Stored description of the specification itself
• Listed requirements the specification must follow
• Step-by-step processing instructions tied to a specification
• Configurable spec field types, including number, Boolean, and sensor-based fields
• Custom parameters with names and requirements (documentation required, yes/no values, numeric values)
• Specification creation with controlled revisions and supersession by updated specs
• Stored description of the specification itself
• Listed requirements the specification must follow
• Step-by-step processing instructions tied to a specification
• Configurable spec field types, including number, Boolean, and sensor-based fields
• Custom parameters with names and requirements (documentation required, yes/no values, numeric values)
How the demo flows
• Defines what a specification is and where it comes from
• Shows creating, revising, and superseding a specification in Steelhead
• Opens the spec field type options (number, Boolean, sensor)
• Creates a new parameter and sets its requirements
• Enters a number value for a spec field
• Shows creating, revising, and superseding a specification in Steelhead
• Opens the spec field type options (number, Boolean, sensor)
• Creates a new parameter and sets its requirements
• Enters a number value for a spec field
Full transcript
Speaker
Mike Johnson, Steelhead Technologies
Transcript
[00:00] Hello, my name is Mike Johnson from Steelhead Technologies, and today we're gonna be talking
about specifications in the Steelhead platform.
[00:07] First, we're gonna be talking about what a specification is, the many ways to define
what they are, and then we'll jump into how they work in the Steelhead platform.
[00:14] And then finally how they're useful for our company and for our team.
[00:18] So first, what are specifications?
[00:22] Regardless if it's your own internal processing specification, a customer supplied specification, or maybe it's
an industry standard specification.
[00:29] A spec is really a detailed description on how to process a part to meet
customer satisfaction.
[00:36] So how do they work in Steelhead?
[00:40] [shows creating, revising, and superseding a specification] We can of course, create specifications, control revisions, supersede specifications with updated specs, store descriptions
of the specification itself, list the requirements important to this specification and what and what
we must follow.
[00:58] And of course, set up the step-by-step in processing instruction.
[01:03] [opens the spec field type options] Before we create any parameters for our specifications, we must first decide what the spec
field types are.
[01:09] We can select several things including a number type, Boolean, and even things like sensors.
[01:15] [creates a new parameter and sets its requirements] Once we have this determined, we can go ahead and create a new parameter, set
the name for that parameter, and of course, set the requirements for this parameter such
as documentation must be recorded, what the values are, yes, no, or for example, such
thing like thicknesses.
[01:32] [enters a number value for a spec field] We can go ahead and put in a number value for those number of spec
field types.
[01:37] If our goal as a business is to improve profitability and we want to do
things to reduce quality issues or have informed operators or even quickly certified jobs with
specification driven data, then specifications will deliver that value to us.
[01:51] Reach out to a Steelhead employee to learn how we can improve your workflow.
[01:54] Ensure it's done right the first time.
about specifications in the Steelhead platform.
[00:07] First, we're gonna be talking about what a specification is, the many ways to define
what they are, and then we'll jump into how they work in the Steelhead platform.
[00:14] And then finally how they're useful for our company and for our team.
[00:18] So first, what are specifications?
[00:22] Regardless if it's your own internal processing specification, a customer supplied specification, or maybe it's
an industry standard specification.
[00:29] A spec is really a detailed description on how to process a part to meet
customer satisfaction.
[00:36] So how do they work in Steelhead?
[00:40] [shows creating, revising, and superseding a specification] We can of course, create specifications, control revisions, supersede specifications with updated specs, store descriptions
of the specification itself, list the requirements important to this specification and what and what
we must follow.
[00:58] And of course, set up the step-by-step in processing instruction.
[01:03] [opens the spec field type options] Before we create any parameters for our specifications, we must first decide what the spec
field types are.
[01:09] We can select several things including a number type, Boolean, and even things like sensors.
[01:15] [creates a new parameter and sets its requirements] Once we have this determined, we can go ahead and create a new parameter, set
the name for that parameter, and of course, set the requirements for this parameter such
as documentation must be recorded, what the values are, yes, no, or for example, such
thing like thicknesses.
[01:32] [enters a number value for a spec field] We can go ahead and put in a number value for those number of spec
field types.
[01:37] If our goal as a business is to improve profitability and we want to do
things to reduce quality issues or have informed operators or even quickly certified jobs with
specification driven data, then specifications will deliver that value to us.
[01:51] Reach out to a Steelhead employee to learn how we can improve your workflow.
[01:54] Ensure it's done right the first time.
Taxonomy tags
Steelhead product area
Specifications; Quality
Feature / module
Specification creation and revision control; spec parameters and field types
Workflow category
Quality and process compliance; specification management
Topics covered
What a specification is; internal vs. customer vs. industry standard specs; revision control; spec field
types and parameters; specification-driven certification
types and parameters; specification-driven certification