How businesses can save thousands by sourcing local manufacturing rather than looking abroad....
In recent years many businesses went off-shore to have their new product or invention taken from concept to manufacturing, as a way to cut costs. With the crash of the British Pound affecting imports and the increase in local know-how, smart businesses are taking a fresh look at local suppliers as a way of cutting costs.
One industry that particularly has seen this trend is tool making and plastic injection moulding. When business inventors come up with a new idea for a product, they need to take their concept from an idea through to prototype, tool manufacturing and then finally product manufacturing.
This is a complicated and time consuming process that needs a high level of skill to ensure the finished product meets end customers’ needs. Inventors need to be able to communicate with their tool making and plastic injection moulding company to discuss options for effective manufacture as well as create design modifications for the best outcomes.
What the tool making industry is seeing is a resurgence of businesses looking at innovative British suppliers to meet their needs. Geoff Elvy, Director of B.E.C Group is a typical case of the fresh approach of innovative local suppliers.
“Tool makers used to adopt a piecemeal process with customers having to source different people to do different parts of the process. This meant that most toolmakers weren’t competitive and the process was complicated. We have for a long time now worked with businesses right from the light bulb moment of inspiration, through the design and prototyping phase, into the dies and moulds phases, until the product is manufactured that way they can get the most effective results.”
“We have had a number of high profile companies come to us to help them take their concept through prototype and patenting into manufacture. We work closely with their research and development departments as they go through the full process of a new product development, helping them create plastics solutions that get results both for them and the consumer”.
“More recently we have had companies, who we initially worked with on the R&D side, contacting us asking us to sort out the problems with their tooling and take on large scale production. Unfortunately, we usually advise them to check whether they own the tooling, as there has been some sharp practice in Asia especially where you find in the small print you have only paid for a contribution to the tooling. They find it is cost prohibitive to produce new tooling and therefore they are stuck!”
The obvious benefits of sourcing within the E.U. is now plain to see as transport, storage and distribution costs rise across the board ordering the same quantities that made the product cheap now becomes risky. The things to consider are no longer cut and dry. For example the solvency of your suppliers becomes important whereas before it was irrelevant. Purchasing managers are slowly looking towards their neighbours for help with production. So next time you’re driving to work .... make a note of who you pass on the way you may well need them in 2009.
B.E.C Group is a privately owned Hampshire based business, which has been established since 1978. See their new website at www.becgroup.com.
In recent years many businesses went off-shore to have their new product or invention taken from concept to manufacturing, as a way to cut costs. With the crash of the British Pound affecting imports and the increase in local know-how, smart businesses are taking a fresh look at local suppliers as a way of cutting costs.
One industry that particularly has seen this trend is tool making and plastic injection moulding. When business inventors come up with a new idea for a product, they need to take their concept from an idea through to prototype, tool manufacturing and then finally product manufacturing.
This is a complicated and time consuming process that needs a high level of skill to ensure the finished product meets end customers’ needs. Inventors need to be able to communicate with their tool making and plastic injection moulding company to discuss options for effective manufacture as well as create design modifications for the best outcomes.
What the tool making industry is seeing is a resurgence of businesses looking at innovative British suppliers to meet their needs. Geoff Elvy, Director of B.E.C Group is a typical case of the fresh approach of innovative local suppliers.
“Tool makers used to adopt a piecemeal process with customers having to source different people to do different parts of the process. This meant that most toolmakers weren’t competitive and the process was complicated. We have for a long time now worked with businesses right from the light bulb moment of inspiration, through the design and prototyping phase, into the dies and moulds phases, until the product is manufactured that way they can get the most effective results.”
“We have had a number of high profile companies come to us to help them take their concept through prototype and patenting into manufacture. We work closely with their research and development departments as they go through the full process of a new product development, helping them create plastics solutions that get results both for them and the consumer”.
“More recently we have had companies, who we initially worked with on the R&D side, contacting us asking us to sort out the problems with their tooling and take on large scale production. Unfortunately, we usually advise them to check whether they own the tooling, as there has been some sharp practice in Asia especially where you find in the small print you have only paid for a contribution to the tooling. They find it is cost prohibitive to produce new tooling and therefore they are stuck!”
The obvious benefits of sourcing within the E.U. is now plain to see as transport, storage and distribution costs rise across the board ordering the same quantities that made the product cheap now becomes risky. The things to consider are no longer cut and dry. For example the solvency of your suppliers becomes important whereas before it was irrelevant. Purchasing managers are slowly looking towards their neighbours for help with production. So next time you’re driving to work .... make a note of who you pass on the way you may well need them in 2009.
B.E.C Group is a privately owned Hampshire based business, which has been established since 1978. See their new website at www.becgroup.com.
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