Determine what programmatic ordering options (API, EDI, punchout) actually exist with major metal distributors Ryerson and OnlineMetals.com before building an automated procurement integration.

Steps

1. Check Ryerson's own site (ryerson.com) and account-rep channels for EDI/e-procurement capability — public material references backend order-flow integration (e.g., Salesforce/SAP) but no public self-serve developer API/documentation was found as of mid-2026.
2. Check OnlineMetals.com's "Pro Metal Buyers Guide" (onlinemetals.com/en/pro-buyers-guide) — it references "integration with existing EDI and API systems," but no public API reference/docs page was found; treat this as a custom, account-manager-negotiated integration, not a self-serve key.
3. For either distributor, contact your account representative to scope a punchout catalog or EDI (e.g., cXML/OCI) integration — this is standard in industrial distribution and typically requires an established business account, not anonymous API access.
4. Don't assume either supplier exposes real-time inventory/pricing via a public API for anonymous or low-volume use; large distributors gate this behind procurement-tier agreements.
5. If you only need occasional pricing/ordering, use the standard web storefront rather than investing engineering time chasing an unconfirmed API.