As the cooler months approach, orders begin to come in and business starts booming again. Make sure your company is ready by streamlining your production process to increase your output and profit this winter. Don’t worry, we won’t suggest rebranding or making TV commercials, we know you don’t have time for that. Instead, make these practical changes to keep your production steady and your customers happy.
Order all your components from the same distributor
When you’re ordering components for your manufacturing application, it’s easy to get yourself into an unnecessarily stressful situation by trying to cut corners. While it may seem appealing to order your those capacitors directly from Japan because it’s a few dollars cheaper, or buy coils in bulk from an unknown distributor because they are unbelievably cheap, this practice can be detrimental to your production in a many ways. The only way to ensure consistent, quality, fast shipping and reliable inventory is by finding a distributor who you can trust.
Waiting for multiple orders to come in from different distributors can be frustrating, and it’s a waste of time. Don’t be fooled by thinking you saved money by ordering from out of the country. You’ll pay extra for shipping, then deal with unpredictable shipping times which can set back your production by weeks. All of that cancels out any amount of money that you “saved”. Ordering in bulk from small, unknown distributors can often seem like a good deal, but there’s almost always a catch. Chances are, the supplies you ordered are coming from someone’s garage, or are old, damaged leftovers from a company that’s gone out of business. 9 out of 10 times, if the price seems too good to be true, it is.
Trim the Fat
While your company may be capable of making 100 different products, it’s likely that some are more popular than others. Examine your sales in the last 2 years and you can expect to see a clear trend of what’s selling and what isn’t. If there are a few items that just aren’t being ordered, and you’re still purchasing components for them, “just in case”, you might want to rethink your product list and trim the fat. Focusing on your best sellers and discontinuing anything that isn’t making you money is a quick way to expedite your production and focus on what your customers want. Producing a few things really well is much more cost effective than spreading yourself too thin and trying to offer too many options. If you still have the wherewithal to produce these less popular products, offer custom orders to appease demand for these items.
Tune up your production line equipment
Fall is the perfect time to make sure all your equipment is up to standard. The cost of inspection, calibration, and cleaning may seem steep, but it’s worthwhile considering the amount of business you’d lose if you had to replace a piece of equipment mid-season. Before orders start pouring in, take the necessary measures to make sure everything in your production line is ready, and that includes your workers. There’s no harm in brushing up on training and SOP’s, especially if you’re introducing new workers or changing someone’s shift. Preparing your whole team for a busy season with encouraging words and an optimistic sales projection will get everyone on the same page and ready for your best winter yet!
For more tips on how to increase production this season, to learn about new products or place an order, contact Solid State Inc.