meiadmin, Author at Means Engineering, Inc.

Make Sure You’re Prepared Before Beginning Your Project

September 27, 2019 By meiadmin

Working with a contract manufacturer is one of the smartest moves a business can make. The right CM can help companies design and create a wide range of products while cutting costs, reducing time to market, and improving overall quality of the finished product. While hiring a contract manufacturer can take a lot of stress off your shoulders, it’s important to prepare before beginning a new project. CMs are not mind readers and they will require some work on your part to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Communication is Important

It’s important to ensure clear communication with your CM right from the start. Before hiring a contract manufacturer, make sure you speak to everyone that will be involved with the project. Don’t be afraid to discuss any concerns you have or ask questions about how the project will proceed. It’s equally important to make sure you answer all of the questions your CM has for you. Communication issues can lead to delays and mistakes that could be avoided. It’s important to keep the lines of communication open throughout the entire process from design to completion.

Provide All Necessary Details, Approvals, and Payments When Requested

Utilizing a contract manufacturer can significantly improve time to market. However, it is up to you to ensure hold-ups don’t occur. If your contract manufacturer requests specific details, payment, or they have asked for your approval on material changes or other important aspects of the project, make sure you respond quickly. This helps avoid delays and keeps the project moving on schedule.

Ensure Quality Testing Occurs At All Stages of Production

Quality is extremely important to consumers today. Consumers want to know that the products they purchase perform as expected time and time again. This is especially true for electronic devices and devices created for critical operations.

Quality testing should occur at every stage of production. The contract manufacturer you work with should test every component and part prior to assembly. This helps locate problems sooner before they are able to cause an issue with the finished product. For best results look for an ISO certified contract manufacturer like Means Engineering, Inc.

Choosing the Right Contract Manufacturer for Your Needs

September 20, 2019 By meiadmin

Many companies struggle to find the right-size contract manufacturer. It’s important to learn as much as you can before selecting a partner to work with. This puts you in the best position to make an informed, educated decision.

Strive to Be At Least 10% of the CM’s Revenue

Although you might need to spend less than ten percent at first, you’ll want to strive to become at least 10 percent of the CM’s revenue within a year. Maintaining a steady revenue for the CM ensures a mutually beneficial relationship for both yourself and the contract manufacturer. It’s important to note that this rule applies to the actual plant that produces your products.

Stay at or Below 50% of the CM’s Revenue

Although you’ll want to ensure a consistent revenue stream for the CM, it’s important to avoid a potentially unstable situation. If your CM relies on you to sustain their business, you could find yourself in trouble if your business takes a downturn. You never want to be more than 50% of your CM’s total revenue.

Ask to Speak With the Plant Manager

Most contract manufacturers will not disclose financial information. This can make it difficult to determine plant revenue. When choosing a partner, ask to speak with the plant manager. If your potential spend is well below ten percent, they likely won’t take the time to meet with you. This is also an excellent way to gauge your relationship with your CM.

Be Honest

While you want to make sure the contract manufacturer you choose wants to work with you, it’s important not to lie or mislead. Don’t imply that you plan to spend more than you actually have available to spend. This will only cause problems.

Final Thoughts

Searching for the right-size contract manufacturer for your needs isn’t about getting the best price. It’s about ensuring the CM values your relationship. This can go a long way towards your success. Look for a contract manufacturer that takes the time to listen and understand their clients.

Means Engineering offers a variety of contract manufacturing services. We work with each of our clients to evaluate their needs and develop a customized solution. Please contact us for more information about our services.

Understanding the Differences Between Contract Manufacturing and Private Label Manufacturing

September 13, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies often struggle to understand the difference between contract manufacturing and private label manufacturing. While there are some similarities, the two are actually quite different. However, the ultimate goal of both private label and contract manufacturing remains the same; produce high quality products that consumers want to buy.

Private Label Manufacturing

In private label manufacturing, one company makes the products but markets them under another company’s label or brand. The manufacturing company is the owner of the product and retains controls over product specifications, quality, and more.

Contract manufacturing

Contract manufacturing involves the outsourcing of the manufacturing and/or design process to another company. The owner of the company hiring the CM provides all of the necessary product specifications. Unless pre-determined by the company hiring the contract manufacturer, the CM cannot change the product specifications. However, it’s always a good idea to ask if there are ways to improve quality and reduce the costs of manufacturing. The right CM can usually provide insight into improvements to the manufacturing process or product design.

Benefits of Contract Manufacturing

Contract manufacturing is the ideal choice for companies looking to reduce risk and maximize operational efficiencies. Contract manufacturing has numerous benefits including:

Reduced costs. Using a contract manufacturer allows companies to create high quality products at a much lower cost than producing the same products in-house. Companies that use a CM do not have to acquire or maintain appropriate staff, space, equipment, or technology.
Lower risk. Production runs are typically made to order for specific quantities.
Access to experienced professionals. Partnering with a contract manufacturer puts you in direct contact with experienced professionals qualified to offer advice on the design and production of a wide range of products.

Private label manufacturing and contract manufacturing both offer numerous benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes. However, because of lower margins, contract manufacturing is typically the safest bet.

If you have questions about the contract manufacturing process, or you’d like to learn about outsourcing with a quality CM, Means Engineering can help. Please contact us for more information about our services.

Ensuring a Successful Relationship With Your Contract Manufacturer

September 6, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies considering moving part or all of their production to a contract manufacturer need to take the time to learn all they can about the contract manufacturing process. This is important if you wish to develop a long-lasing, mutually beneficial business relationship with your contract manufacturer.

Design Considerations

The quality of a finished product depends on the quality of its design. Although utilizing the help of a contract manufacturer allows companies to shift some of the responsibilities to the CM, it’s extremely important that the OEM takes the time to clearly define the requirements and specifications of each project.

Parts created during the design phase should not be cost-prohibitive and they should function as intended once completed. This is crucial to the success of the finished product. During the design process, it is up to the OEM to define the manufacturability and functionality of each part. This involves numerous factors including material composition, product life cycle, and any required standards during manufacture and use of the product. It’s important to figure out the answers to these questions before transitioning to the manufacturing stage.

Choosing a Contract Manufacturer

Companies should take care when choosing a contract manufacturer to work with. Make sure you fully understand the strengths, weaknesses, and relevant experience the contract manufacturer has with similar products. Make sure the CM has experience working with the specific industry you plan to create products for. This is especially true for companies looking to create products for the medical and defense industries. An experienced contract manufacturer will understand the unique requirements and ensure the creation of high quality dependable devices.

Development Process

Once you’ve located a contract manufacturer, you’ll need to develop the manufacturing process for the product. Make sure that everyone fully understands the needs, expectations, and requirements of the project. All meetings should include not only engineers and operations managers, but also the production and assembly workers that will be working on the project. This allows you to collect knowledge and wisdom from as many sources as possible.

A little knowledge can go a long way towards a successful relationship with your contract manufacturer. This is why it’s so important to learn all you can before beginning the CM process.

Medical Device Companies Can Benefit From Partnering With a Contract Manufacturer

August 30, 2019 By meiadmin

Most people think of contract manufacturing as a way to reduce the costs of production. While it is definitely true that outsourcing can significantly reduce production costs, what you might not realize is it also provides the unique opportunity for companies to gain access to the knowledge and experience of existing manufacturers.

Utilizing a CM helps companies improve product quality and avoid large capital expenditures on the machinery and people needed to create new products. Although contract manufacturing provides numerous benefits for companies in almost every industry, it provides unique benefits for those responsible for the creation of devices for the medical industry.

Do You Have the Specialized Equipment and Highly-Skilled Staff Needed to Produce High Quality Medical Devices?

Medical device creation requires special machinery with the capabilities to create precision-dependent products. It also requires a well-trained and highly skilled workforce. These requirements often act as a barrier for companies looking to enter the medical device industry. The right contract manufacturer can help these companies bridge the gap and ensure the creation of high quality, dependable medical devices.

Using a contract manufacturer allows companies to tap into valuable resources including people, machinery, materials, and more. Outsourcing is much more cost-efficient than acquiring these resources in-house. Outsourcing eliminates the need to purchase, store, and maintain specialized equipment. It also eliminates the need to locate and train qualified staff.

An experienced contract manufacturer maintains the appropriate staff, equipment, and technology needed to produce a wide range of products. They understand the unique requirements of the medical industry and have quality management systems in place to ensure the creation of high quality devices.

Choose an Experienced Contract Manufacturer

Creating medical devices takes specialized equipment and experienced staff that understands the unique requirements of the medical industry. When looking for a contract manufacturer to work with, it’s important to find a company with experience working with the medical industry.

Gather as much information as you can prior to your selection. This helps ensure you’re well prepared to make an educated and informed decision.