Utilizing a contract manufacturer can save a significant amount of time and money over handling production in-house. The right CM helps improve product quality, reduces time to market, and helps businesses expand into new markets. While outsourcing typically costs less than purchasing equipment, hiring and maintaining staff, and ensuring optimal quality through advanced testing techniques and practices, using a U.S. based CM can save more on the soft costs of production over outsourcing overseas.
Quality Assurance
Businesses spend a lot of money assuring the quality of finished products and components. This is important, as most U.S. consumers have extremely high expectations for quality and service. Releasing a new product that does not meet consumer expectations can have a negative effect on brand reputation. When it comes to electronic devices created for the medical and aerospace industries, poor quality could affect the health or well-being of the people that use the finished product.
Unfortunately, most overseas manufacturers do not have access to the same equipment or resources as local, U.S. based manufacturers. In order to ensure products and components meet quality standards, companies often must test products themselves. Using a U.S. based CM like Means Engineering ensures all products meet strict requirements for quality. This eliminates the cost of having to test products in-house.
Ease of Communication
Communication is one of the biggest complaints companies have when outsourcing overseas. Language barriers and varying time zones creates issues with communication that could affect product quality and/or time to market.
When working with a contract manufacturer, it’s important that companies maintain clear lines of communication throughout the entire process. Working with a U.S. based CM eliminates language barrier and time zone concerns.
Monitor Progress
Companies that outsource production overseas typically do not get the opportunity to meet with the CM or see the facility. Aside from the communications they receive, the company has no way to actually track progress.
Working with a local CM makes it possible to visit the facility and meet the people who will work on the project. This ability to “mind the shop” creates peace of mind and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Means Engineering offers a wide range of contract manufacturing services designed to cut costs and increase the quality of finished products and components. Please contact us for more information about our services.
Businesses utilize contract manufacturers for numerous reasons. In addition to improved quality, the right CM can provide a business with the tools and resources needed for growth and success. Once a business makes the decision to outsource, it’s important they take some time to locate the right CM. The ideal partner will have ample experience creating the types of products and/or components the hiring company requires. Once selected, both parties should strive to develop a successful and long-lasting relationship.
Thanks to increasing demand and rising consumer expectations, manufacturers today are under extreme pressure to create new products. Modern day consumers expect more features and functionality than ever before. They also expect a constant stream of new products hitting the market. This is especially true for the electronic device industry.
There are numerous benefits to using a contract manufacturer. In addition to reducing costs and time-to-market, outsourcing also allows for better allocation of staff and greater flexibility. Despite the benefits, many organizations still worry that outsourcing will equate to lower quality products. While monitoring quality is a little more difficult when you outsource, there are a few things you can do to ensure high quality products. In fact, partnering with the right CM can actually improve the quality of the products you produce.
Not that long ago, most businesses were reluctant to outsource the manufacturing of their products. This has changed in recent years, with businesses of all shapes and sizes outsourcing production at an alarming rate. While many businesses argue that outsourcing makes sense for larger corporations with extremely high demand, smaller businesses may benefit even more from outsourcing. Outsourcing allows companies to create a large number of high quality devices, faster, and at a lower cost than possible in-house.
