Customized, Specialized Products – Challenging? Yes. Doable? Definitely!
THE OPPORTUNITY
I think we all get it that the manufacturing we lost to foreign competition (China in particular) over the past couple decades was mostly commodity products that they could make much cheaper and often “good enough”.
But as we’re all seeing now, the worldwide trend is away from simple-to-make commodity products and long product runs and towards increasingly specialized, customized products and low volume, even one-at-a-time product runs.
THE CHALLENGE
More and more often, the demand is to be able to…
- Continually discover, understand, and define the customer’s evolving needs;
- Rapidly design a product that meets those needs;
- Rapidly and efficiently manufacture a product that may be different (parts, materials, sizes, functionality, colors, packaging, etc.) and more complex; and
- Get the product to the customer on time and in a short timeframe
So, is that easy? Heck no. But that’s where the money is and how we maintain and grow customers and relationships.
In a nutshell it’s all about “rapid adaptability” throughout the entire business.
THE SOLUTION
So the question is… How do we do rapid adaptability? Or how do we “standardize the customized”?
Well the good news is that answers exist. And while every company has unique challenges that require a tailored approach, there are tried and true methodologies for becoming an increasingly efficient and effective manufacturer of complex customized products.
And the really good news is that the resources for doing that are right here in Central PA.
IMC can support your efforts on the “customer side” and on the “design and manufacturing side”. That’s what we’re all about and as your Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, we’re at your service.
If you’d like to find out more, contact us at info@imcpa.com or call 800-326-9467.
