CM Archives - Page 17 of 30 - Means Engineering, Inc.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Contract Manufacturing Partnership

June 28, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies today are under a lot of pressure to reduce costs while meeting high demands for both quality and service. This is especially true for companies responsible for the creation of electronic devices. Outsourcing is one of the best ways to reduce production costs. A quality contract manufacturer can also help improve the quality of finished products. This increases customer satisfaction and the chance of repeat business and referrals.

Deciding to partner with a contract manufacturer is one of the smartest decisions a company can make. This partnership provides access to experts able to produce complex devices in less time and at a lower cost than possible with in-house production. This partnership allows companies to grow and expand into new markets. It also improves consumer opinion, increasing brand recognition and performance.

It’s important to take your time and do your research before selecting a contract manufacturer to work with. Once a quality contract manufacturer has been found, the following can help you get the most out of your contract manufacturing partnership.

Contract Agreements

Agreeing on a contract is an important first step in your partnership. The contract determines the milestones, requirements, and cost of your project. The goal is to create a mutually beneficial relationship between your company and the contract manufacturer. Make sure you understand the contract manufacturer’s limitations and that you clearly express your expectations.

Establish a Relationship

Building a meaningful relationship with your contract manufacturer ensures they’ll be there when you need them later down the line. The relationship between a company and a contract manufacturer is symbiotic; your success equals their success.

Establish Stringent Quality Parameters

One of the biggest benefits of working with a contract manufacturer is enhanced quality of the finished product and/or components. It’s important to establish stringent quality parameters from the start so that everyone is on the same page. For best results, look for a contract manufacturer that has quality assurance parameters similar to your own.

Means Engineering has years of experience providing a wide range of contract manufacturing services. We work directly with each of our clients to develop a long-lasting mutually beneficial relationship. Please contact us for more information about our services.

More Companies Using U.S. Contract Manufacturers Over Asian Firms

June 21, 2019 By meiadmin

Contract manufacturers produce products under the label or brand of the company that hires them. Businesses often enlist the help of a CM to fulfill orders in periods of high demand and to reduce costs and time to market.

Utilizing a contract manufacturer is an extremely smart business move. Businesses across a wide range of industries turn to contract manufacturers to help with the production of a wide range of products and components.

Until recently, companies frequently outsourced their manufacturing to Asia. However, labor rates in Asia have risen steeply over the past few years, causing manufacturing costs to rise. This has bridged the gap between Asian and American contract manufacturers. In fact, when you consider manufacturing costs, customs fees, shipping charges, duties, and other fees, producing products in Asia costs about the same as producing them in the United States.

Outsourcing Production to a U.S. Based Contract Manufacturer

When outsourcing production to another country, it can be difficult to know for sure what’s happening with your order. Communication problems are common due to time differences and language barriers. Shipping issues can delay the time it takes to receive products. Products traveling from Asian countries must pass customs and businesses must meet strict requirements before receiving their product. Costs can add up if additional paperwork is required. Delays can lead to expensive storage charges while problems get sorted out.

There are numerous benefits to partnering with a U.S. based contract manufacturer. When you work with an American firm like Means Engineering, you’ll always know the status of your order. You’ll also have intellectual property protection. American CMs operate under U.S. law which ensures compliance with labor laws. When you outsource the work to another country, you risk contracting a firm that uses unethical labor sources.

At Means Engineering, we provide clear communication throughout the entire process. We work directly with you from concept to completion to ensure you get exactly what you want when you want it.

Means Engineering provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. Please contact us for more information.

Using Contract Manufacturing to Grow Your Business

June 14, 2019 By meiadmin

New technologies have changed the way that people shop for products. More people purchase products online than ever before. The availability and ease of online shopping has made it possible for businesses to reach more clients in a shorter amount of time.

If you’ve considered selling your products online you’re not alone. Millions of companies have already began offering products through the Internet. In fact, if you don’t have a way for people to buy your products online, you’re already missing out on a lot of business.

Before offering your products online, you need to make sure you can keep up with demand. This can be difficult with the high cost of machinery, people, and supplies. Many businesses simply do not have the resources needed to produce products in house. This is where a contract manufacturer can help.

Contract Manufacturers Help Companies Reduce Costs and Time to Market

The right contract manufacturer can help your company produce more products in less time and at a much lower cost than producing products in house. This makes it possible to grow and expand your business through online sales without having to worry about the logistics of production.

In addition to a variety of production and design services, contract manufacturers can also help improve the overall quality of products produced. Contract manufacturers are experts in their field with years of experience creating a wide range of products. The right contract manufacturer will review your design plans to locate areas that could benefit from improvement. This might mean switching a type of material or adjusting a measurement. Generally, these changes help reduce the costs of production while improving overall quality of the finished product.

By working with a contract manufacturer, your business can produce enough products to fill even high periods of demand. This is important as you move to Internet sales, which increase your company’s visibility and the chance of sales. A contract manufacturer can help improve the quality of your products, increasing customer satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat sales.

Means Engineering offers contract manufacturing services to businesses across a wide range of industries. Please contact us for more information about our services.

What is Contract Manufacturing?

June 7, 2019 By meiadmin

We’ve all heard of situations where people turned their ideas into products and became rich seemingly overnight. While not always as easy is it seems, this can happen to anyone that has the right idea and the resources needed to bring it into fruition.

The right contract manufacturing partner can help turn ideas into reality. They work directly with the person or business to help them produce high quality products.

How it Works

An experienced contract manufacturer provides a variety of manufacturing services. They have the tools, equipment, skills, and people needed to produce a wide range of products. Companies wishing to produce products can utilize the help of a contract manufacturer for some or all parts of production. Working with a contract manufacturer can significantly reduce costs and time to market, while increasing the overall quality of the finished product.

Who Uses Contract Manufacturing Services?

Businesses of all shapes and sizes across a wide range of industries outsource to contract manufacturers. Companies use contract manufacturing services to fill periods of high demand, improve the quality of existing products, and reduce costs associated with production.

Outsourcing makes it possible for organizations to produce a wide range of products without having to acquire the space, equipment, or people needed to fulfill orders. This makes it possible for even small businesses to turn ideas into reality.

Benefits of Contract Manufacturing

Outsourcing provides numerous benefits. Utilizing a contract manufacturer costs considerably less than producing products in house. It also provides access to the knowledge and experience of industry experts. When used during design, a contract manufacturer can help locate areas that could benefit from improvement. This might include changing materials or adjusting measurements. These changes often lead to a smoother production process and faster time to market.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. Located in Carlsbad, California, our team has years of experience assisting with design, production, and testing of a wide range of products. We work directly with each of our clients to ensure complete satisfaction. Please contact us for more information about our contract manufacturing services.

New Product Introductions (NPI)

May 24, 2019 By meiadmin

The NPI process is one of the most important parts of contract manufacturing. This is especially true for contract manufacturers responsible for the creation of electronic products and components.

It’s important to ask about NPI processes when choosing a CM to work with. The company you choose should have robust processes in place. They should take care to ensure every product is introduced into their manufacturing operation in a tightly controlled manner.

Visibility

Contract manufacturers often have several different projects going at once. It’s important that the CM you work with has a way to alert the engineering team of new builds. Ideally, the engineering team should receive a report detailing the customer name, batch quantity, part number, work order number, customer request date, order acknowledgement date, and the name of the customer’s account manager. Once the engineering team has the report, they can create an NPI number for the order.

Data Verification

While it’s not uncommon for additional data to come after the original request for quote, this can lead to problems with production. Before beginning any work on the project, the engineering team must first verify that they have all data and equipment needed to complete the first build.

Batch Size

Prior to production, the CM must determine how many products to produce. While it can be tempting to run the entire batch quantity on the first run, this is never a good idea. Running a smaller quantity allows CMs to catch potential problems with the product prior to volume manufacturing. This can save a considerable amount of time and effort in the future.

Assembly

It’s important that the NPI engineer oversees all parts of production including testing. The notes they keep throughout this process can be used to improve the quality of the next batch.

New Products

It’s important to note that the NPI process shouldn’t be limited to brand new products. It should also apply to products that are essentially new to the CM, meaning they’ve never worked on them before.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. Our team works directly with you throughout the NPI process. Please contact us for more information about our comprehensive services.