meiadmin, Author at Means Engineering, Inc.

How Different Industries Use Contract Manufacturers

April 5, 2019 By meiadmin

Businesses across a wide range of industries use contract manufacturers to design, build, and test a number of products. Below, we’ll explore how the top industries use contract manufacturing services.

Electronics Industry

Major electronics companies use contract manufacturers to produce the parts and components needed to create their products. While products produced by industry giants such as Apple and Microsoft are often assembled in China, the parts used to make these products come from all over the world. This is true for many electronics companies. Often, these companies seek out the help of experienced contract manufacturers to produce one or several parts for their device.

Automotive

50% of all car manufacturing is done off-site by contract manufacturers. Car manufacturers outsource the production of basic components such as tubing, dashboard parts, and external electronics including radios, security systems, and parking assistance devices. These companies also outsource the manufacture of suspension components, gearboxes, and electronics.

Although, car manufacturers have never outsourced the entire manufacture of a vehicle, many CMs create different cars under different brands or labels.

Robotics

The robotics industry is growing at an alarming rate. In fact, it’s growing so fast that robotics companies find it difficult to keep up. These companies often outsource the production of parts and components to contract manufacturers.

Pharmaceuticals

Contract manufacturers produce raw chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry. While this is different than producing parts or components, it’s still extremely important to the creation of a number of pharmaceutical products.

Medical

The medical industry relies on contract manufacturers to produce components for a wide range of medical devices. The devices created by the medical industry are often crucial to the health, safety, and well-being of humans. As such, they must meet extremely strict regulatory requirements. Companies in the medical industry must take care to work with contract manufacturers that understand the strict requirements of this industry.

Looking for a Qualified Contract Manufacturer?

Means Engineering, Inc. offers contract manufacturing services to businesses both large and small. Our capabilities include design, production, and testing of products. Please contact us for more information about our services.

Top Myths About Working With a Contract Manufacturer

March 29, 2019 By meiadmin

The right contract manufacturer can help your business grow and expand into new markets. A CM acts as your partner, providing a number of services designed to compliment your business and improve customer satisfaction with your brand. Unfortunately, many people go into this partnership with unrealistic expectations. This is due in part to the large number of myths about working with a contract manufacturer. We have listed the top three myths and why you shouldn’t believe what you hear. This is important if you want a successful relationship with your CM.

Always Go With the Lowest Quote

While you might think that selecting the contract manufacturer with the lowest cost per unit is the obvious choice, this isn’t always the case. It’s important to find a contract manufacturer that provides consistent, quality results. They should employ a team of professionals able to create a wide range of products for a variety of industries. This is important if you wish to expand into new markets in the future.

It’s also important to note that the price per unit only captures about 70-80% of the cost of production. Several CMs will add various fees and charges to the final number. Select a contract manufacturer that is up front about the total cost of production. This can save you a considerable amount of trouble later.

Never Work With a Contract Manufacturer That Builds for Your Competition

It’s important that OEMs find the most capable and compatible contract manufacturer to work with. Often times, this will be the same CM their competition uses.

R&D Can Handle Production

Managing manufacturing and the supply chain requires the skill and experience of professionals. Although companies often try to include manufacturing under development, this usually doesn’t pan out well. Companies that attempt to handle everything in-house without the management tools and experience needed rarely succeed.

Means Engineering provides contract manufacturing services for businesses both large and small. Our services include design, production, and testing of a wide range of products. We employ a team of skilled professionals, each experts in their field. Please contact us if you would like more information about our services.

Is it Time for Your Business to Use a Contract Manufacturer?

March 22, 2019 By meiadmin

Every business owner has the dream of creating the perfect product. However, making this dream a reality is often much harder than believed. Taking an idea from prototype to production can take years of expensive trial and error for companies that attempt to handle the manufacturing themselves.

Sometimes companies find they simply do not have the people or resources needed to keep up with demand. This is especially true for organizations responsible for the creation of electronic parts and components.

For most businesses, giving up simply isn’t an option. These businesses can benefit significantly from enlisting the help of a qualified contract manufacturer.

Experienced contract manufacturers have the tools, equipment, and knowledge needed to create high quality products. These companies often have years of experience and employ industry experts, each prepared to provide their assistance if the project requires. Contract manufacturers take extra care to ensure products are completed to exact specifications and requirements. When involved in the design process, they can even suggest ways to reduce costs and increase the quality of the finished project.

There are a few things you’ll need to consider before seeking the help of a contract manufacturer:

Will People Buy Your Product?

Perform market research or ask people through social media whether they would be interested in your product. This can help ensure you create something consumers actually want. Consider asking your contract manufacturer what they think of your product. Accept their suggestions for adding or removing features to improve the functionality of your product. Remember, these are industry experts with years of experience.

Design Improvements

Even if you’re absolutely sure your audience will want your product, it’s always a good idea to have your contract manufacturer look over your design plans. As mentioned before, an experienced contract manufacturer will know how to make improvements that could end up saving you a lot of time, money, and hassle in the future.

Choose a Partner Over a Provider

The right contract manufacturer will ensure a long-lasting relationship with their clients. This is mutually beneficial for both parties. Select a contract manufacturer that can help your business grow and expand over time.

What You Need to Know Before Launching a New Product

March 15, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies need to launch new products to stay ahead of their competition. While a new product launch is an exciting time for your business, it’s not something you should rush into. Before launching a new product, take the time needed to learn what it takes to make the launch successful.

Research Your Target Audience

Prior to launch, you need to learn as much as you can about your target audience. Market research can help you develop an effective marketing plan. In fact, market research provides the foundation for all other steps in your product launch strategy.

When conducting market research, focus on learning what your target customers want and need and the most convenient distribution channels for your audience. Use the answers you receive to determine the best way to market your product. You might want to figure out which social media outlets your target customers use and whether they are more likely to purchase products based on logic or emotions.

Develop Your Message

Once you understand your target audience, you can develop your product messaging. This should include a solid value proposition. Make sure your messaging highlights the product’s best features and the problems they solve.

Promote Your Product Launch

Well planned and efficient promotion of your product launch ensures the success of your product. Create a product launch promotion strategy that educates your target audience and gets them excited about your product. This might include posting about your product launch on social media or through your company blog. Attending trade shows can also help promote your upcoming launch.

Plan for Post Launch

Your work isn’t finished once you’ve launched your product. You need to make sure you have a plan to maintain momentum and excitement after your launch. This is crucial to success. Your post launch plan should include tactics to keep your target audience engaged. This might include posts on social media, email marketing, and regular blog posts.

If you’re ready to create new products, Means Engineering Inc. can help. We have years of experience providing design, production, and testing of a wide range of products for numerous industries.

Cyber Attack Awareness – What you Need to Know

March 8, 2019 By meiadmin

Cyber-attacks are on the rise. Attacks are becoming more sophisticated putting organizations of all shapes and sizes at risk. It’s important that organizations learn all they can about the risks of cyber-attacks and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Several industries have implemented rules and regulations to help address the rise of cyber-attacks. These regulations aim to increase the security of electronic devices to prevent attackers from gaining access to sensitive information. This is especially important for organizations creating products for the defense and medical industries.

Companies that produce products for the military must take care to ensure that products comply with the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and other compliance standards. Organizations that do not ensure compliance of all of the products and components face multi-million dollar fines and possible jail time.

Ensuring ITAR Compliance

Any company that manufactures, sells or distributes goods or services covered under the United States Munitions List (USML) must be registered with the State Department’s Directorate of Defense trade Controls (DDTC). These companies must understand and abide by the ITAR as it applies to their USML linked goods or services.

Unfortunately, many businesses fail to meet compliance with the ITAR. This is often due to the fact that ITAR is full of complications that make it easy for companies to make mistakes.

It’s important that organizations take the time necessary to ensure proper licensing of all of the products they produce. These organizations need to invest in training someone in-house to handle the complex compliance process.

Partnering With an Experienced Contract Manufacturer

Organizations that do not have the time, knowledge, or resources needed to ensure compliance can benefit from partnering with an experienced contract manufacturer.

Contract manufacturers understand complex regulation requirements. They have the people and processes in place to ensure compliance with a number of industry standards. Means Engineering has extensive experience designing and producing parts and products for the defense industry. Our team ensures compliance with ITAR and other industry regulations. This protects your company from costly fines, and protects users from cyber-attacks.