A device and method for prediction and/or control of the profile and/or shape of rolled metal strip. The device and method are compatible with both cluster-type and non cluster-type mills. The device and method employ a customized deflection model of the rolling mill, thereby combining the advantages of well-known finite element method with other relevant methods to allow real-time operation of the rolling mill without the computational complexities of such methods. In one form, the customized deflection model helps to obtain a compact, linear, and flexible analytical model with non-iterative solution, multiple continuous elastic foundations, third-order displacement fields, simple stress-field determination, and capability to compute dynamic deflection characteristics.