As we reported in our Metal Service Center Outlook for 2015, metal service centers went into the new year optimistic. Unfortunately, shipment data has failed to meet expectations. According to monthly data from the Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI), U.S. service center steel shipments have been down all year compared to the same months in 2014. In May, MSCI reported that steel shipments decreased by a whopping 12.6% compared to May 2014, and shipments of aluminum products also registered the first decrease of the year, down 3.3% compared to May 2014.
In light of current conditions, it's hard to fathom that any service center would turn down work. One would imagine that sales teams are working hard to ensure a steady stream of contracts, all the while hoping to land that huge, game-changing order. After all, growth is always the goal.
But what happens when that big order finally comes in, and it is clear that taking it on will require capital investment in either equipment or labor? What if you are running at capacity and the money just isn't there, yet the growth opportunity a new customer represents is undeniable? What then?
Delay fulfillment of the order, if at all possible.
Beg the customer for a 50% down payment, hoping he has the financial wherewithal.
Obviously, none of these options are ideal, but this scenario is all too often the case for a large number of service centers that cut and process metal. However, not all hope is lost.
While there will always be instances when a company has to decide whether or not the business risk is worth it, there are ways to proactively prepare for potential growth. Below are three strategies that can help service centers be in a better position to accept new growth opportunities.
In the midst of the day-to-day grind, it's easy to put the most focus on getting the job done. However, keeping operational costs under control should always be a top priority for managers. According to consultant Lisa Anderson, businesses looking to find ways to grow profitably need to stay focused on maintaining low operational costs. Doing so not only saves money, it "provides pricing flexibility as you are able to reduce your breakeven point for covering costs." Anderson explains.
In most cases, lowering operating costs won't require any capital investment, but rather is a matter of taking better care of the investments you've already made. For instance, according to the white paper, The Top 5 Operating Challenges for Metal Service Centers, proper management and proactive maintenance of metal-cutting equipment and tools can save companies a lot of money. On a band saw, for example, low coolant levels can lead to premature and uneven wear of band wheels, which typically cost about $1,000 each. By instituting regular coolant checks as part of a PM program or daily operator checks, managers can eliminate this unnecessary maintenance cost, as well as the time needed to replace the band wheel.
Anderson agrees that PM is a key strategy and goes on to list several other strategies here. In the end, reducing operating costs is a good practice for any company, but it is essential for companies looking to expand.
In addition to cost readiness, managers need to be able to gauge whether or not their operation could logistically handle any growth. This requires measurement. An article from IndustryWeek describes several metrics that can help managers determine factory readiness.
Utilization versus capacity. Chances are you're already running this test at least weekly. Managers who don't have a clear sense of the mix are bound to have a tough time winning new business while keeping existing clients happy. This metric can also be used in context. Do complaints rise along with utilization? If so, your factory may need training and support to handle new business and cut down on churn.
Per-project profitability. How will you know whether your factory has the right mix of projects if you don't measure per-project profitability? Calculate materials, hours worked, and other incidentals for completing projects and generate a figure. Estimates are fine; the key here is to have an apples-to-apples way to measure projects against each other. Then, dig deeper to look for patterns. Do certain clients always cost more to serve? Are certain industries more profitable?
Make sure that your financial statements are up to date. A good accountant should take less than six months after the fiscal year end to prepare financial statements.
Have financial projections outlining assumptions for every variable ready at all times, even if you have to hire a part-time CFO to get them done.
Anticipate future orders by staying close to your customers.
Determine from your banker what ideal financial ratios look like and stick to them whenever possible. While most businesses show the lowest reasonable bottom line to minimize their taxes, it is not the best strategy when seeking bank or equity financing.
With market demand finally on the rise, industrial metal cutting companies need to keep up. However, there is only so much managers can optimize through traditional lean practices and proven technology. While automation has helped create new efficiencies across many industries, including metal cutting, most experts believe the factory of the future lies in "smart" manufacturing.
As reported in this blog post from LENOX Institute of Technology (LIT), "smart" manufacturing technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time data are poised to transform the way manufacturers improve operational efficiency and productivity. In fact, according to an IDC Manufacturing Insights survey, manufacturers expect IoT to lower operational costs, increase the potential to retain and attract customers, improve service and support, and further differentiate themselves from the competition. [LINK].
Traditionally, monitoring shop floor operations in real-time has been cost prohibitive. However, with the prevalent availability of new technology, a growing number of manufacturers are investing in hardware adapters and software upgrades, with hopes of a big return.
As this Fabricating & Metalworking article points out, the potential return on investment is huge. For example, only 5 percent of the estimated 64-million computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines around the world are currently connected to the industrial Internet. However, if the remaining machines were connected and started reporting data, they could contribute a staggering $15 trillion to the global GDP by 2030, according to research by GE.
Ratio 1: Availability. With an integrated manufacturing execution system (MES) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, McPahil claims shops can see the largest and quickest improvement in availability. Run times increase as the connected machines measure idle time and categorize it per machine. With real-time data, workers can find and eliminate root causes almost immediately with improved accuracy.
Ratio 2: Quality. A connected shop also helps increase quality by measuring outputs and, for example, keeping track of the number of cuts a certain blade has made. As each machine communicates with the rest of the factory, consistency improves across the entire operation, McPahil notes.
Ratio 3: Performance. A typical manufacturer believes its overall OEE score is approximately 65 percent; however, McPahil says "smart" operational benchmarks reveal they are actually between 30 to 40 percent. If MES is used to optimize the floor, OEE scores often soar within a few months—some even reaching world-class status of 85 percent.
It's important to note that getting "smart" doesn't always require brand new, high-tech equipment. As described in a recent white paper from LIT, one metal service center developed an internal software system to automatically track the number of square inches processed by its existing sawing equipment. At any point, the manager can go to a computer screen, click on particular band saw or circular saw, and see how many square inches each saw is currently processing and has processed in the past. This allows the service center to easily track trends and quickly detect problem areas.
Of course, upgrading to a "smart" manufacturing operation does require some investment, but it often has a high return. If you haven't already made the jump to add connectivity to your industrial metal-cutting operation, it may be worth looking into—and soon. As many "smart" companies have discovered, the results are both measurable and promising.
Benchmarking, peer reviews, and ongoing analyses are considered universal best practices among leading organizations, regardless of industry or industry segment. However, in today's competitive marketplace, companies need to know more than where they stand among their peers; they need to know where their company is headed.
In other words, today's leading manufacturers must be proactive in their strategic approaches, not reactive. That's why a growing number of forges are now transitioning to using predictive operations management strategies, allowing them to not only measure performance, but to also predict and prevent future challenges. Based on research, this approach is paying off for many companies.
For example, the LENOX Institute of Technology's Benchmark Survey of Industry Metal-Cutting Organizations found that investing in smarter, more predictive operations management could result in additional productivity and efficiency on the floor. The study, which surveyed more than 100 industrial metal-cutting companies, found that 67 percent of industrial metal-cutting operations that follow all scheduled and planned maintenance on their machines also report an upward trending job completion rate that their job completion rate is trending upward year over year—a meaningful correlation. The implication is that less disruptive, unplanned downtime and more anticipated, planned downtime translates into more jobs being completed on time.
Manufacturers are also benefiting from more advanced, data-based predictive management strategies. As reported here, research from Aberdeen Group shows that 86 percent of top performing manufacturers are using predictive analytics to reduce risk and improve operations, compared to 38 percent of those companies with an average performance and 26 percent of those with less then stellar results. The research firm also notes that companies that use analytics to measure their data can more easily obtain a "big picture" of their operations, identify risks, and figure out where to focus their efforts.
Invest in technology. Top performers automate the collection and sharing of data to support predictive decision-making.
Identify risks. Top performers pinpoint high-risk plant assets and production processes, establish a threshold value to monitor the risk, and notify employees if the value deviates.
Plan ahead. Top performers develop company strategies to ensure that predetermined thresholds remain accurate.
Prioritize. Top performers identify and fix problem areas.
Constant measurement. Top performers continuously track improvements in risk management by comparing current performance against baseline measures.
So how does your forging operation measure up to these "top performers?" Are you simply responding to operational challenges, or are you equipped to identify risks before they negatively impact your bottom line?
By following a strict preventative maintenance schedule or using advanced tools like data analytics, today's forges can easily identify hidden problem areas or looming operation failures. As research shows, these types of predictive operations management practices can help you reduce risk, improve productivity, and maybe even make you a top performer among your forging peers.
As reported in the 2015 Industrial Metal Cutting Outlook from the LENOX Institute of Technology (LIT), many manufacturing executives expect 2015 to be a solid year. A survey of executives conducted by Prime Advantage, for example, shows that the vast majority of small and midsized industrial manufacturers anticipate revenues to increase or match 2014. For metals companies, industries such as automotive, commercial construction, and energy are expected to drive growth.
It comes as no surprise, then, that analysts expect growth in the ball and roller bearing segment as well. With the economy poised for recovery, research firm IBISWorld says that demand for downstream markets like automotive will rebound, which will bolster demand for ball bearings. A separate study from Grand View Research echoes these sentiments, forecasting that the global bearings market will reach $117.27 billion by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% from 2014 to 2020.
Earlier this month, SKF, a global bearing maker based in Sweden, forecast flat second quarter demand for its business. SKF CEO Alrik Danielson said that while there are some positive signs for growth in Europe, they were "not robust enough to merit a more positive outlook," Reuters reports. He also said there was still a lot of uncertainty about what the market would do in the next quarter.
The fact is that the last several years have made it difficult for any company to be anything but cautious. However, regardless of where the market lands, the goal for manufacturers should still be continuous improvement. To be competitive, especially on a global scale, companies need to stay focused on efficiency so that they can be agile enough to respond to whatever 2015 brings.
Of course, there are several ways to attack continuous improvement. Traditional lean tools are always effective; however, more and more manufacturers are literally working smarter by using technology. According to the Prime Advantage survey, many industrial manufacturers are leveraging digital tools, additive manufacturing, and other technological advancements to operate more efficiently.
A separate report from manufacturing.net agrees, adding that manufacturers that want to stay competitive in an ever-changing global market cannot underestimate the value of connectivity. According to the article, leading manufacturers started in 2014 to put buzz words like the industrial Internet of things (IIoT), machine to machine (M2M), and "big data" into practice. To be successful in 2015, the manufacturing.net author suggests that the trend needs to continue.
In the end, the forecast for 2015 is no more certain than any annual forecast. Even the most educated analyst knows that there is no crystal ball to accurately gauge how the market will fare. There are just too many factors at play. However, by regularly measuring, monitoring, and managing your operation's performance, ball and roller bearing manufacturers can more accurately gauge how their operations will fare.
Will 2015 be the year your operation improved? That is perhaps the only factor today's manufacturing executives can control.
Most metalworking companies started off 2015 with positive expectations. As the LENOX Institute of Technology reported in the 2015 Industrial Metal Cutting Outlook, early forecasts painted a positive picture, with manufacturing production projected to grow by 3.7% in 2015 and 3.6% in 2016.
However, recent reports have clouded expectations a bit. A mid-April outlook from the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), for example, stated that short-term outlook for industrial manufacturing is "murky" and "fairly bleak." According to the report, manufacturing production fell by 1.2 percent during the first quarter of 2015, the first quarterly contraction in factory sector output since the second quarter of 2009. And even though there was a modest gain in factory output growth in March (0.1%), MAPI points out that production in key industry sectors such as primary metals, aerospace, and furniture contracted.
Even with this sobering data, many manufacturers remain optimistic that 2015 will be a year of growth, even if it is only slightly better than last year. Two articles from Forge magazine give some specific reasons why forges can remain hopeful now and in the years ahead.
In its "Aerospace Industry Outlook," Forge states that based on the 20-year projections from Boeing and Airbus, the long-term outlook for the aerospace industry (one of the forging industry's biggest markets) is positive. While the demand projections between these two top companies differ slightly, both expect growth, which is good news for the forging industry.
In a separate article, "North American Forging is Advanced Manufacturing," the industry publication argues that the forging industry has several reasons to be confident in its future position in the metals industry. According to the article, forging is not only an enduring industry, but "is vibrant, technologically challenging and critical to the country's economic health and defense." The reason forging endures, the articles adds, is because it provides the parts for critical applications that cannot be produced by any other manufacturing process.
The point is that regardless of what current data shows, the long-term prospect for the forging industry is bright, which means that managers need to stay focused on growth. However, that means you need a plan. As any leading metals executive knows, success in today's market requires a strategic plan focused on continuous improvement while also accounting for external challenges.
Analyze the current state of the company, including annual sales and estimated market share and whether these variables are growing or sinking.
Determine your goals and objectives over the next 12 months to five years.
Take an inventory of the financial and non-financial resources the company currently has and what additional resources are needed to achieve these goals and objectives.
Identify activities and courses of action that the company needs to embark on to accomplish these objectives.
Establish key performance indicators (KPI) to quantifiably measure the company's performance against specific activities that management has identified or against key success factors in the industry.
Review performance and accomplishments against the plan on an on-going basis and do not hesitate to pivot if necessary.
Are you ready for whatever 2015 brings? If you remain focused on growth and have a strategic plan in place, odds are you are more ready than you think.
Like most manufacturers, industrial metal-cutting companies went into 2015 with both optimism and caution. While all signs seem to be pointing to a full economic recovery, concerns surrounding an unstable political landscape, foreign markets, and pricing continue to keep many metals companies on their toes.
As we enter the second quarter of 2015, most experts anticipate growth in the metals industry. Early predictions painted a positive picture for the year, and recent reports are confirming that the industry will, at the very least, see slight improvements over 2014.
According to the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), industrial production increased at a 3.8% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2014 and posted 3.6% growth for the year as whole—over a percentage point higher than the 2.4% gain in the overall economy. The manufacturing outlook for 2015 and 2016 calls for a minor acceleration from the 2014 growth rate. According to the MAPI Foundation's most recent U.S. Industrial Outlook, manufacturing production is forecast to grow by 3.7% in 2015 and 3.6% in 2016.
MAPI's outlook also predicts that 21 out of 23 industries will show gains in 2015. This includes growth in metals industries such as iron and steel products (5%), alumina and aluminum production and processing (7%), and fabricated metal products (3%). The top industry performer will be housing starts, which is expected to increase by 16%.
Forecasts for steel demand are also positive, but growth rates will not be as strong as they were in 2014. According to the Short Range Outlook 2014-2015 from the World Steel Association (worldsteel), U.S. steel demand is expected to increase by 1.9% in 2015—much lower than the 6% growth the U.S. experienced in 2014. Globally, worldsteel forecasts that global apparent steel use will increase by 2.0% this year. This is a downward revision from previous forecasts, due to a slowdown in emerging economies like China.
Buying into the positive forecasts, most metals manufacturers expect business to improve this year. According to an annual survey of metals executives by American Metal Market (AMM), 42% of respondents expect the economy to turn around in 2015 and 67% expected business to improve overall, mostly due to growth in the auto and energy sectors.
However, AMM reports that respondents did have some reservations. Political events, cheap imports, and foreign markets were all causes for concern, as well as uncertainty about "where important industry segments like construction might be headed," AMM states in its survey report.
Market Intelligence – Volatile markets and increasing competition have heightened the need for trustworthy data and analysis tools, as well as the need for cybersecurity resources and training to secure market intelligence.
Business Disruption – World events have an even bigger impact on local economies than before, creating a need for topic- and area-specific experts and information and enhanced vehicles and technology to provide information.
Congressional Gridlock – U.S. partisan politics have stalled action in the legislative branch, often resulting in extreme actions through regulators that have impeded manufacturing growth.
Safety and Risk Management – Slow market growth has left companies cautious to invest.
Skilled Labor and Changing Demographics – Attracting a skilled workforce remains a challenge for the industry.
With both forecasts and anticipated challenges in mind, industrial metal-cutting companies can strategically approach the market from both a business and operational standpoint. In fact, as we reported here, it is critical for today's managers to develop operational short-term plans that are effective in achieving the overall strategy set forth in the business plan. For instance, if the goal is continuous improvement, then make sure your metrics, your daily practices, and communication with your team all point to that overall strategy.
As a global company serving the industrial metal-cutting industry, we at LENOX Tools have a unique vantage point of what is happening in the marketplace. We have watched some metal companies barely survive, while others have found ways to thrive. The difference, in most instances, seems to be the company's commitment to making improvements. Whether investing in new equipment to improve cutting time and quality or investing in training to improve and empower their human capital, industry leaders are continuing to focus on making positive changes on the shop floor so they can be ready to respond to changing customer demands. In other words, the only way to offset external uncertainties is to focus on making internal improvements.
Invest in Operators and Training. In light of the manufacturing industry's ongoing skills gap, experts like MSCI's Weidner are stressing the importance of employee safety and ongoing training as a means of attracting and maintaining workers. In addition, LIT's benchmark survey of industrial metal-cutting companies provides evidence that investing in areas like training can provide additional benefits, including better quality, faster on-time customer delivery, higher revenue per operator, and lower rework costs.
Form Strategic Supplier Relationships. Whether you need help with training, gathering metrics, or de-costing, help is likely no further than your closest supplier. And if that's not the case, you may want to rethink your supply chain. By utilizing value-added services from trusted suppliers and making them more of a partner than simply a supplier, metal-cutting companies can improve quality and productivity—both of which impact the bottom line.
Seek New Opportunities. Market trends such on re-shoring and an automotive boom could translate into new opportunities for your metal-cutting company. Are there value-added processes you can add to your operation to stay competitive? Are there previous customers that could now benefit from the convenience and cost benefits of your U.S. manufacturing base? Is there new equipment or tooling that could help you better serve a certain customer base? Asking critical questions such as these may reveal new prospects for growth. Start brainstorming.
However, as this article from iSixSigma explains, benchmarking is not a quick or simple process tool. In fact, the article lists 18 "vital steps" companies should follow when benchmarking. Unfortunately, many forging operations don't have the resources to take on their own benchmarking initiatives. The good news is that there are several industry sources that offer companies the opportunity to participate in benchmarking surveys. While it may be tempting to keep your company's information close, leaders know that no amount of competitor research can replace the value that true comparison can provide.
Forges that want to see how they measure up to their direct competitors may want to sign up to receive one of the many benchmarking reports from the Forging Industry Association. The association's Marketing Benchmarking Report, for example, provides information on rejection rates, inventory turns, on-time delivery, receivable turns, and quoting success rates among other forging companies.
Managers interested in zeroing in on a specific process area can check out the LENOX Institute of Technology's Benchmark Survey of Industrial Metal Cutting Organizations. The study, which surveyed more than 100 companies, identifies key trends happening in industrial metal-cutting among forges, fabricators, machine shops, and metal service centers. Data on productivity, scrap rates, training programs, safety, and other operational issues are covered in the report.
For a broader picture of what other leading manufacturers are doing outside of the forging and metalworking industry, IndustryWeek's benchmarking reports provide a wealth of information. In addition to its annual Best Plants and Best Manufacturing Companies reports, the online business publication collects financial, salary, and other key data about manufacturing leaders throughout North America.
As most manufacturing experts will attest, measurement is the only way fabricators can truly optimize their operations. By choosing the right metrics, today's managers are able to quantify their successes, identify areas for improvement, and anticipate possible failures.
Unfortunately, knowing what to measure is the hardest part. When it comes to metrics, more is not always better. In fact, the goal should always be quality, not quantity. As this blog post from MESA International says, if you find your shop measuring things like parking space vacancy and food trucks, it's probably time to re-evaluate.
Know the key categories. While metrics will vary depending on the size and type of manufacturing operation, there are few key categories that are a good starting point. According to a research project conducted by LNS Research and MESA International, there are four key operational metrics most manufacturers should consider. Based on results from a survey, the project found that Inventory, Efficiency, Quality and Responsiveness have biggest impact on average annual improvements in financial/business performance. The project also found that successful new product introductions (NPIs) and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) were among the top individual metrics that contributed to positive financial/business performance. The detailed numbers behind all of these can be found in the eBook report, which can be downloaded here. A summary report of the project findings can be downloaded here.
Size doesn't matter. Don't think that metrics are only for high-volume, low-mix shops. Jett Cutting Service, Inc., a metal-cutting service center featured in a white paper from the LENOX Institute of Technology, knows this is certainly not the case. Orders are constantly changing at the Bedford Park, IL-based company, which runs 10 precision circular saws and 8 band saws and averages about 700,000 cuts a month. Because of this, Mike Baron, vice president, says he can't rely on accurate forecasting to provide a buffer when bottlenecks occur. To combat this, Baron relies on daily measurement to not only monitor production, but to keep tabs on his operators and costs. Operators are required to track how many pieces they cut on their shifts, and if their totals are lower or higher than the goal set by Baron, it is addressed immediately.
Don't fool yourself. The old adage that "numbers don't lie" is typically true, but as this article from Forging magazine points out, people can manipulate them. Decision makers need to be sure they are not allowing themselves to be persuaded by selective use of data. "I often wonder if we have arrived at a moment in time when there is so much information available, and available so easily, and so cheaply, that we succumb to the temptation to select the most congenial facts, and ignore the rest that might make our immediate task more difficult," the author asks. Optimization requires managers to closely choose and analyze their metrics, even if it means opening up a can of worms. Be selective, be fair, and when in doubt, re-check those numbers.
Benchmark. Knowing what your peers are doing is critical to staying competitive. One way to do this is to benchmark. According to management consultancy McGladery, the use of benchmarking is on the rise as companies look to offset the effects of the uncertain economy by reducing costs and improving effectiveness. "Benchmarking provides an objective analysis of existing business processes and insight into improving those practices, identifying gaps or inefficiencies," the consultant firm says in a white paper. "It presents a measurement to make informed business decisions against, as well as develop strategies and create initiatives to provide a road map for growth, if not survival." Interested to know how you measure up to your peers? Check out our exclusive study, Benchmark Survey of Industrial Metal Cutting Organizations, or the Financial Ratios and Operational Benchmarking Survey from Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl.
While process and workflow bottlenecks are a common challenge for any manufacturing operation, it can be especially challenging for high production metal-cutting companies. The fast pace and constant volume can tempt operators and managers to focus on speed before quality, which often leads to failures in equipment and blades, costly mistakes, and a decrease in overall productivity.
This is why process control is critical. When production requirements increase, it is imperative that systems are in place to keep quality consistent and, even more so, make it easy to identify and correct any mistakes or maintenance issues that create bottlenecks.
Measure. While smart planning can be a helpful strategy for smaller, low-mix manufacturers, this isn't always a feasible option for high-production metal cutting operations. However, managers still need to have processes in place to ensure that deadlines are met. Jett Cutting Service, Inc., a metal-cutting service center featured in a white paper from the LENOX Institute of Technology, knows this first hand. Orders are constantly changing at the Bedford Park, IL-based company, which runs 10 precision circular saws and 8 band saws and averages about 700,000 cuts a month. Because of this, Mike Baron, vice president, says he can't rely on accurate forecasting to provide a buffer when bottlenecks occur. To combat this, Baron relies on daily measurement to not only monitor production, but to keep tabs on his operators and costs. Operators are required to track how many pieces they cut on their shifts, and if their totals are lower or higher than the goal set by Baron, it is addressed immediately."Supervisors are responsible for approving their operators' job tickets daily so they can tell immediately if someone is struggling," Baron says. If operators, for example, are cutting more than the expected goal, Baron knows they are pushing the machine too hard, which can lead to blade failure and increased tooling costs. On the other hand, if operators are falling behind production goals, Baron says he may need to make sure that the forecasted rates are achievable. "We do the math and just keep a running total to see that things are in check," he explains.
Prevent. Maintenance downtime is perhaps one of the biggest bottlenecks managers face. Equipment and tooling failures immediately slow production and can be a huge added cost. One strategy for controlling maintenance costs and equipment downtime is to implement a preventative maintenance (PM) program. In fact, a recent benchmark study confirmed that preventative maintenance is a best practice among many of today's leading industrial metal-cutting companies. By adhering to a preventative maintenance schedule, managers can actually anticipate maintenance bottlenecks and turn "interruptive downtime" into "predictive downtime."As stated in an article by consultant William Worsham, the key to executing a successful PM program is scheduling. According to Worsham, scheduling should be automated to the maximum extent possible. He suggests that managers implement "a very aggressive program to monitor the schedule and ensure that the work is completed according to schedule." This means both documentation and accountability are critical.
Organize. Managers also need to realize that some bottlenecks aren't immediately obvious and can be hidden in issues such as a poor workflow on the shop floor. Strategic equipment placement and organized workspaces are key elements of high productivity and optimized workflow. Many companies rely heavily on the lean manufacturing tool referred to as "5S," which not only helps get your shop floor organized but also ensures it stays that way. As described here, the five pillars of 5S are to Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain the cycle. This methodology results in continuous improvement and helps keep workflow efficient.If a complete reorganization like 5S is too overwhelming, managers can focus on organizing just one area of their operation. For example, Cd'A Metals, a metal service center featured recently in Modern Metals magazine, decided that workers were wasting too much time digging for inventory, and, therefore decided to upgrade and customize its storage and retrieval system. However, instead of making a huge capital investment, the metals company is reconfiguring a SpaceSaver rack system purchased in 1992. You can read the entire MM article here.
In today's competitive marketplace, it is tempting for fabricators to base their supplier relationships on price. Yes, quality may be important as well, but cost typically makes or breaks the deal.
However, a growing number of manufacturing leaders are starting to place more value on their supply chain and seeing it as an enabler of business strategy. Aligning Supply Chains with Business Strategy, a report by Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium, makes a strong case for the importance integrating strategy with supply chain management. According to the report, 80 percent of participants felt it was important to connect your supply chain strategy with your business strategy.
Strategic suppliers are those suppliers that provide services or products that expose a purchaser to excessive cost or order fulfillment risk.
Key suppliers are those where alternatives exist, but resourcing would expose a purchaser (assume OEM) to above average cost or order fulfillment risk. Key suppliers are less "strategic" than strategic suppliers.
Approved suppliers are those where alternatives exist and resourcing exposes an OEM to average cost and order fulfillment risk. Approved suppliers are less strategic than key suppliers.
Basic suppliers are those where alternatives exist and resourcing exposes an OEM to only routine cost and order fulfillment risk. These suppliers are non-strategic.
Paul Ericksen, author of the IW article, warns managers to make sure they categorize their suppliers carefully. While it might seem logical to throw suppliers of commodity products in the "basic" category, these types of suppliers can actually be strategic ("approved" or "key") depending on how critical they are to your operation. "It is important to be highly disciplined such that suppliers are categorized solely based on the potential for negative financial impact that resourcing from them presents, not by the type of products they supply," Ericksen says in the IW article.
Schedule on-site visits. Expect your prospective supplier to assume a "partner" role from day one by focusing more on service than on the sale of the product. To facilitate this relationship, start by asking for an on-site needs assessment. This gives you the opportunity to discuss your business goals in person, as well as providing the vendor with a full overview of your operation.
Do your homework on supplier claims. While many companies often promise unmatched service and technical support, the key is to look for companies that provide resource allocation metrics that support their claims. Do they have adequate field coverage? What is the tenure and continuity of their support team?
Include training in your purchase agreement. Most suppliers should be willing to provide some level of value-add training as part of the purchase agreement. This is especially important when it comes to your equipment and tooling providers. No one knows your production equipment better than the people who designed it, and they should be willing to share that expertise with you.
Expect thought leadership and self-service tools. Industry-leading partners should be able to support your business by providing informational and educational materials, as well as practical tools and services. You can and should rely on your supplier to be an industry thought leader that provides a steady stream of valuable industry trends data, operational strategies, and technical product information.
In the end, today's competitive marketplace requires manufacturers to focus more on value than on cost if the objective is long-term success. While cost-effective products provide short-term benefits, aligning the right suppliers with your business strategies—and then leveraging their services to achieve company goals—will likely offer a greater ROI than any product ever could.