The RESCO Electronics Blog

 

In Part 1 of this blog I discussed the importance of having a well-defined process for selecting an electromechanical contract manufacturer.  In that blog, I emphasized that sticking to such a process would help avoid hasty, poorly informed decisions.  In this blog I share key attributes of contract manufacturers that you should consider as you narrow your list and make a selection.  

Important Considerations as You Narrow the List

Every company’s needs are different but many supplier requirements seem to always be important.  Among these are:

1. Manufacturing Flexibility and Cost.

         Multiple Locations. 

• Multi-location contract manufacturers are inherently more flexible than those with a single facility.
• Multi-location manufacturers also have built-in redundancy in their operations; they are much less likely to suffer a single catastrophic event that halts production.

Read More

 

There are many good reasons for changing electromechanical contract manufacturers, but that doesn’t make the transition any easier. Valuable time goes into researching and evaluating potential manufacturers, establishing relationships, and defining expectations. Trends like outsourcing and lean supply chains have boosted business efficiency, but these benefits can only be realized with the right manufacturing partners. Which is why finding the right partners is essential.

Contract manufacturing partners must be reliable, competent, and qualified and meet targeted financial goals. When a partner’s services are unreliable or subpar, it’s time to evaluate outsourcing options. Indicators that a contract manufacturer change may be needed include if the contractor:

Read More

How Procurement Professionals Can Successfully Navigate Trends Impacting Manufacturing

In our most recent blog, we discussed four emerging manufacturing trends and their impacts on procurement professionals. The challenges may be well understood, but what are the solutions for navigating a changing industry? While various solutions exist, we hope to provide a few insightful, experience-based suggestions for success. First, a quick recap of the trends:

Read More

Four trends in manufacturing, and the pressure they place on procurement professionals. 

Emerging manufacturing trends are placing new pressures on procurement professionals, and, according to the 2014 GEP Report, demand on procurement professionals is expected to rise. Businesses hope to add strategic value through cost savings and supplier driven innovation, and who better to enact innovation than procurement professionals. Over the past few years, leading organizations have shifted their procurement approach from a cost to a profit centered perspective. The result is a focus on value levers in both strategic and tactical procurement areas. Procurement obviously has much to offer in helping businesses achieve their objectives in an uncertain and multifaceted market but not only are procurement professionals expected to do more with less, they are also gaining responsibility for strategically guiding management decisions.

Through RESCO’s extensive work with procurement professionals, we’ve noticed four current and emerging trends that are changing the face of manufacturing and distribution. Navigating through these initiatives as they relate to individual organizations can be difficult, and we hope to offer insights and solutions that may help. This blog will review the manufacturing trends briefly and address how they impact procurement professionals. In a following blog, we will provide our own solutions for remaining resilient in the face of emerging trends.

Read More