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Steel Manager III (SM3): ERP for Metal Service Centers

Steel Manager III (SM3) at a glance
Vendor4GL Solutions (a Jonas Software company)
HeadquartersMarkham, Ontario, Canada
OwnershipAcquired by Jonas Software (Constellation Software group) in September 2023; previously family-owned since 1984
DeploymentCloud (SaaS); longstanding on-premises installations exist
Target marketSmall to midsize metal service centers and steel distributors, primarily in the US and Canada
IndustriesMetals distribution and processing: pipe and tube, structural steel, specialty steel, plate, wire rope
PricingNot published; individual quotes
Website4glsol.com

Overview

Steel Manager III, usually shortened to SM3, is an ERP written for one kind of business: the metal service center. Its vendor, 4GL Solutions, has worked in metals distribution since 1984 and packs the whole operating cycle into a single suite. Inventory, purchasing, sales, inside and outside processing, barcoding, shipping, and integrated accounting all sit in the same product. The company operates from Markham, Ontario, and serves customers across the United States and Canada plus a smaller international installed base.

Vendor, history, ownership

For nearly four decades 4GL Solutions stayed family-owned and independent. That changed in September 2023, when Jonas Software acquired the firm. Jonas is an operating group of Constellation Software, the Canadian serial acquirer of vertical-market software businesses, and it already owned Jonas Metals Software with the iMetal and Prof.IT lines. Rather than merge the products, Jonas runs 4GL Solutions as a separate business unit inside its metals vertical. Steel Manager III is the third generation of the product line and is marketed today as a cloud ERP for service centers.

What it covers

The metals requirements that generic ERP reaches only through customization are native here: dimensional and heat-based inventory, mill test report management, and traceability from receipt through processing to shipment. Processing management handles both inside operations such as cutting and sawing and subcontracted outside work. Around that core sit sales and quoting, purchasing, barcoding for warehouse transactions, shipping, and a fully integrated general ledger, which removes the need for a separate financial package. Reporting is extensive, and 4GL puts noticeable weight on customization services for customer-specific workflows.

Typical customers

Buyers are metal service centers and steel distributors moving pipe and tube, structural steel, specialty steel, plate, and wire rope, among other product lines. Most sit in the United States and Canada. 4GL also lists installations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and several Asian markets. The profile that recurs is a small to midsize distributor or processor that wants metals functionality in the box instead of configuring a generic system into shape.

Licensing, hosting, cost

Cloud is the current delivery model, while longstanding customers continue to run on-premises installations. Nothing is published on price. Quotes are individual and driven by user count and scope, and 4GL delivers implementation, training, and data migration itself. Our ERP cost guide is a useful frame for putting competing metals quotes on comparable terms.

Editorial verdict

SM3 earns a shortlist place for one specific reader: the small or midsize metal service center that wants dimensional inventory, heat traceability, and its general ledger in the same system, from a vendor that has done nothing else since 1984. That integrated accounting core is a real argument for distributors who would rather not operate finance separately. It is not a general manufacturing ERP. A fabricator or discrete producer outside metals distribution and processing should not shortlist it at all. The Constellation ownership cuts both ways. Products under that umbrella tend to be maintained for a long time, but the same parent also sells iMetal and Prof.IT into the identical vertical, so ask directly how the 4GL roadmap is positioned against them. A structured selection process that puts SM3 next to iMetal, Prof.IT, and metals-capable mid-market ERP is the sane way to settle that question.

What the Steel Manager III (SM3) website looks like

Current view of the vendor homepage, captured by our editorial team.

Screenshot of the Steel Manager III (SM3) vendor homepage

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Frequently asked questions

Who owns Steel Manager III and 4GL Solutions?

4GL Solutions was founded in 1984 as a family-owned company in Markham, Ontario. Jonas Software, an operating group of Constellation Software, acquired the firm in September 2023. Jonas runs 4GL Solutions as a standalone business unit in its metals vertical, alongside but separate from Jonas Metals Software.

Is Steel Manager III a cloud system?

The current generation is marketed as a cloud ERP for metal service centers. Longstanding customers also run the software on premise, so both models exist in the installed base. Clarify early in the evaluation which deployment the vendor proposes for your size and infrastructure, since that choice drives both the cost structure and the internal IT effort.

What does SM3 do that a generic ERP does not?

Service centers manage inventory by dimensions, grades, and heat numbers rather than piece counts, and they have to retain mill test reports for traceability. SM3 covers that natively, including inside and outside processing operations such as cutting and sawing. A generic ERP usually reaches comparable functionality only through customization or an industry add-on, which someone then maintains for the life of the system.

Do we still need a separate accounting system?

No. The general ledger is fully integrated into the suite rather than interfaced to an external package, which is one reason smaller distributors shortlist the product. Confirm during the demo that your reporting and audit requirements are met by the built-in finance module before retiring an existing accounting system.

What size of company typically runs Steel Manager III?

Small to midsize metal service centers and steel distributors in the United States and Canada form the core market. Larger multi-site distributors appear in the customer base as well, though very large enterprises more often evaluate broader platforms. There are also installations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and several Asian markets.

Does 4GL Solutions publish pricing?

No list prices appear on the vendor website. Quotes are individual and depend on user counts, modules, and services such as training and data migration, all delivered by 4GL directly. Plan the budget from vendor quotes and a multi-year total-cost view instead of advertised license prices.