Vendor resource management: the solution to production obstacles

What kind of splicing do you use in your manufacturing process? Does it require a substantial amount of manual labor? Are aspects of your manufacturing process obstructing your productivity? Most U.S. manufacturers struggle with a variety of vending and supply sourcing issues that negatively affect their production and absorb excess resources. In addition, vendor resource management and consolidation are major hassles that many manufacturers aren’t equipped to handle. Why is this a problem? Because manufacturers have to source hundreds, sometimes thousands, of different product components from a multitude of vendor sources every month. This results in astronomical expenses and numerous wasted resources. The best solution is to partner with an organization that can manage and reduce your vendor list to improve the efficiency of supply chains, decrease lead times, and lower costs.

Benefits of Vendor Resource Management

U.S. manufacturers typically hold between 12 to 16 weeks’ worth of inventory to meet production demand. Unfortunately, this incurs additional expenses and takes up a lot of space that could otherwise be utilized. Vendor management eliminates that problem as well as overcoming many other production obstacles.

Benefits of Using Vendors to Manage Resources:

• The supplier owns the inventory and supplies it to manufacturers as they need it or they provide 3 to 6 months’ worth of stock, depending on the manufacturer’s preference
• Production supplies and components arrive fast: within 1 to 3 days
  
• Lead time is reduced because products and components are available off the shelf
• Manufacturers pay for stock when it sells, rather than having “money sitting on their shelves”
• Vendor consolidation that optimizes pricing and reduces costs
• Communication with a single account manager, rather than multiple sales agents and distributors
• Review of manufacturing consumption to optimize sizing, packaging and more, all for the purpose of improving product sets

The list goes on and on. Essentially, using an organization for vendor resource management will significantly increase, improve, and stimulate production. Vendor-supplied splicing is a great example of how you can experience multiple production benefits.

Using Semi-Automated Splicing to Improve Production

Many splicing tools require an extensive amount of manual labor to keep the production line running smoothly. Vendor-supplied splicing utilizes semi-automatic tools to enhance the production process. Semi-Automatic splicing tools alleviate most manual labor requirements by holding bandolier shims and clips that increase production time. In addition, semi-automatic splicing tools lead to cost savings by decreasing the manufacturing time needed to reload production line reels, splicing tape, and shims.

Additional Benefits:

• Automates the splicing process
• Guarantees a seamless, secure connection of reels
• More accurate tape cuts with less waste
• Easy to use
• Ergonomic design provides comfort

Semi-Automatic splicing tools are much more efficient than using manual methods. Time is money. The more efficient you can make your manufacturing processes, the better your savings will be.

Common Types of Splicing

While many varieties of splicing exist, some are more popular than others for their convenience and effectiveness. Here are the three types of splicing commonly used in manufacturing:

• Cold splicing

This is the simplest method of splicing, requiring two or more pieces of sealant with glue that sets quickly. This type of splicing is usually the cheapest.

• Hot splicing

Hot splicing uses glue that is rubber-based and has to be prepared in one of two ways. The first requires vulcanization that uses heat and pressure while the second method uses cured glue. Hot splicing is the industry standard and favored for its cosmetic appeal.

• Injection splicing

This method of splicing is the most involved and expensive of the three common types. It requires a custom-designed mold that allows multiple components of the seal to be inserted into the tooling.

Using Vendor-Supplied Splicing to Improve Production

Great vendor management is all about focusing on the needs of the manufacturer. A dedicated account manager will take the time to review and implement manufacturing best practices that lead to greater efficiency.

What Great Account Managers Look For:

• Ways to reduce costs and eliminate waste
• Methods of utilizing economies of scale
• Improving and optimizing supply chain proficiency
• Systems and technologies that improve productivity

Partner with an organization that is technologically advanced and has the industry knowledge needed to provide foresight and advice to benefit your business. Ask yourself these questions about the organization before committing to having them manage your vendors:

• Do they have the capability to choose between an RFID and a barcode system?
• Can they provide case studies that provide proof of winning results?
• Are their systems fully integrated with the ability to manage a full suite of stock and purchasing requirements?
• How long does it take them to ship product components or supplies?
• Do they have a system that will streamline the invoicing process?

An organization that has positive responses to all these questions will be a great vendor management solution to your production problems.