For companies to succeed, they must have tighter controls of their processes. Improvements in day-to-day operations can positively impact critical process parameters, inventory control, supplier performance and overall efficiency. One area that may seem out of your control is the refining process. How do you minimize your risk when sending your materials to a refiner? Understanding how to answer some of the following questions can mitigate your risk: What best practices should be used to collect the scrap? When is the ideal time to refine scrap? What do the final settlement results mean? How can I ensure that the assay is accurate? What happens to my materials once at a refiner? As is true with learning to control in-house factors, knowledge of the best ways to work with outside vendors helps make good decisions easier.

Author: Kimberly Michalik