Mass producing a product with consistent quality, on-time delivery, and at the best cost is a delicate balance of time and resources. While some companies can offer the lowest cost, they may not have the in-house capability to handle all facets of the production process. When it comes time to select your manufacturing partner, your best option should be a turnkey production manufacturer that is capable and proven in design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and delivery. Here’s why SEA-LECT Plastics should be your turnkey production manufacturer choice for your business:
1. Design Capability
Your ideas may start as a thought, a napkin sketch, or you may be able to create a 3-D model of the planned product. In any case, your turnkey supplier should be able to help with your design or turn your concept into a working digital model. Having a dedicated staff to design tooling and a manufacturing process will reduce your costs and decrease the time needed to go from concept to a designed process.
2. Tooling Manufacturer
After you have a design established, your turnkey production manufacturer can then create the tools needed to make the components or direct end product. For injection molded or stamped metal parts that may require forming dies to be created. Whether your turnkey supplier has a tooling division to create the dies or sends the work to a secondary supplier, you don’t have to worry about who does it. Your turnkey source has full control over the tool creation.
3. Manufacturing Process
Once you have the tools created to make components, you then need a process to assemble the final product. A turnkey supplier will be able to define the process needed, make or buy the fixtures to hold the components during assembly, and complete the process efficiently with excellent quality. Your supplier should be able to provide written instruction of the process and any documentation needed. You can also request for them to create a user manual that can be sent with the end product for your customer to use.
4. Secondary Processes
Your product may require secondary processes like ultrasonic welding or drilling and tapping. Your turnkey supplier should be able to do each of these or coordinate the process to make it a flowing part of the manufacturing. If you don’t know if a secondary process is necessary, your supplier should be able to explain the best course of action to ensure your product is durable and reliable.
5. Additional Labeling
Beyond the assembly, your product may require additional process to be unique and add labeling. That could be pad printing or heat stamping a custom logo into the part, adding part numbers, or a distinctive mark for private labeling. Your turnkey supplier should be able to coordinate the design work for the secondary process and add it into the manufacturing process.
6. Packing
Your product may require simple or custom assembly and packing before being ready to ship to a hold warehouse or a selling location. A turnkey supplier will offer an experienced staff to professionally pack your product according to your specifications. That can be as an individual product inside a container, or bulk packing to reduce the overall packaging in a shipment. If you’re unsure what the best option is, they can offer different solutions for discussion before deciding. A world-class supplier can also palletize large shipments for handling before distributing to your end customer.
7. Logistics
The final product can have a holding warehouse or a direct shipment to the sales location. A turnkey supplier will offer a full-service shipping department that can work with a number of top carriers for shipping and distribution.
8. Material Coordination and Inventory Management
If your product has multiple raw materials and secondary processes, it may require a lot of time and coordination to make sure you have everything at the right time and in the right place for manufacturing. A turnkey supplier will coordinate all materials for manufacturing, where each components is stored during the process, and where the finished goods are at any time. You won’t have to worry about coordination throughout the process, just that your final product is at the right place when you need it there.
9. Communication
With a turnkey supplier, you don’t need to make multiple calls or send multiple emails to get a status update. You have one contact to communicate with, and they control the flow of information. It should make it easy to understand where in the process you are between design, manufacturing, and shipping. You allow the supplier to do the extra legwork, if needed, which keeps you focused on extra projects and not the details of day to day operations. Your supplier should keep an updated schedule available for your review at any time, and also offer review times for the process milestones.
10. Billing and Invoice Management
One thing that can cost a lot of time is invoicing and payment management. Multiple suppliers means multiple invoices and a system to keep updated on who has been paid and who has not. A turnkey supplier will manage all invoicing and payments through the complete process. You just have one source for invoices to pay, and that keeps you focused on the product.
Conclusion
Bringing new products to market is a complex process involving many factors. With today’s fast-paced global economy, doing everything yourself or taking the time to find competent and reliable suppliers, is too much to handle. You need to stay focused on the market, not buried in details and coordinating materials for manufacturing. At SEA-LECT Plastics, we strive to make products faster with controlled costs and continued excellence. Twenty years ago it was acceptable to only do one thing and just do it well. You need a turnkey supplier to handle the intricate details, and SEA-LECT Plastics excels at all ten benefits of finding a turnkey supplier. We have a complete turn-key option for your product. When