Given the uncertainty many OEMs face today, you need a nimble partner with flexibility across their supply chain with access to multiple points of origin. A forward-thinking supplier will have already established a multi-sourced manufacturing network, allowing them to match you with the best capabilities and partners for your project.
Along with supply chain flexibility, consolidation of services is another essential quality to look for in a manufacturing partner. From engineering to production, machining, coating, and packaging, find a supplier who can coordinate and streamline all these logistics and do them more efficiently at scale.
A consolidated suite of services should also include inventory management. An ideal partner should be so entrenched in your day-to-day operations that they can provide insights into your consumption patterns, helping you keep the right products in the right places at the right time.
If the supplier is physically located near your operations, even better. Your manufacturing partner should have the facilities to warehouse your components, allowing you to gain efficiencies through just-in-time manufacturing and delivery. This approach saves you money, since you only have to pay for the components when you actually need them. You get the flexibility of having inventory on hand, but you can use your square footage to expand your operations and grow your customer base.
Some manufacturers will tell you they are experts in the products they supply, but the scope of products they offer is limited. You need a partner with the expertise and ability to go broader and a proven track record of producing various metal components using any type of metal and manufacturing process.
In the long term, your manufacturing partner should become an important part of your metal component product development team, so you can look to them for guidance on the best material and most efficient, cost-effective process for producing your products.
Another reason it’s important to find a manufacturing partner who is physically located near your operations is that proximity allows them to control production at the source. Many companies will send people to do quality audits once a year. Still, you need a partner with experts in development, engineering, production, and customer service who are fully embedded with your team and have in-depth knowledge of your components and manufacturing processes.
Other on-site services to look for include project management, a full range of testing options to ensure the highest level of quality, and experts who can help you identify, inspect, audit, and select other qualified manufacturers to work with.
Perhaps one of the most important questions you can ask when searching for a manufacturing partner is, “Are they easy to work with?”. A good partner should have a digital platform that addresses everything from product development through order management and allows you to look up the status of new projects and invoices, launch RFQs, and more. Also, be sure they have the software to detail out all cost elements of a product, providing you with total transparency and confidence.
Interested in learning more about how EQI is uniquely positioned to help you enhance your efficiency? Let’s talk.
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