For many businesses, in-house sheet metal fabrication can be a lucrative option, but it’s not always the most efficient, cost-effective option. While some work may be suited for maintaining within your company, there are a few signs that you might want to seek an outsourced sheet metal fabrication partner.
If you find your company in one of these situations, it might be time to look for an alternate solution.
Your Product Requires Services Beyond Sheet Metal Fabrication
Are there products you’re fabricating in-house that then get sent to another company for powder coating or assembly.
Frequently, it’s more cost-effective to work with a single sheet metal fabrication partner that can handle all of those services under one roof. The price to create the materials and then ship them to another location to finish ends up being comparable, if not more expensive, than outsourcing the product in full.
It’s essential to look for an outsourcing partner that offers a wide range of capabilities in-house, including engineering, powder coating, and assembly.
Meeting Needs for High-Volume Orders
It’s one thing to manufacture in-house. It’s another to produce a high-volume of products on a recurring schedule. And even if you can keep up with the increased schedule, as order sizes increase, quality may suffer.
To help keep up with high-volume orders while maintaining product quality, work with a company that specializes in large volume orders. This allows you to focus on smaller in-house fabrication needs while trusting your partner to manage the bigger orders.
Plus, to ensure a quality product no matter the volume, look for a manufacturer that holds quality certifications like the ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Allowing for More Accessible Inventory
If you manufacture your product in house, you need to ensure that you also have available space to store the inventory, otherwise you end up with two options:
- Make every product run to order. While this may sound like a viable option at first glance, if you get a call for an immediate rush order you may struggle to fulfill the request on time.
- Ship your finished products to a secondary location to store excess inventory. This option allows you to preassemble ready-to-ship products, but it does require you to pay for a secondary site and to transport the products to that location.
Instead of risking delayed shipments or overpaying for a secondary location, it can be more efficient and cost-effective to work with an outsourced metal fabrication partner that also provides inventory management services. This way you can keep your finished, ready-to-ship products at your manufacturer’s facility and have them available for rush orders.
Customized Product Needs
Custom products often require custom-fit solutions. These solutions can require specialized products, unique configurations, and team members with specific skill sets.
Between the expensive equipment, time to reconfigure machines between product runs, and the need to possibly hire a specialist, handling these products in-house can come at a high cost. By finding an outsourced partner that specializes in custom metal fabrication, you can get a custom product without the stress on your production line or overhead costs.
Choose the Right Outsourced Sheet Metal Fabrication Partner
If you decide to outsource your sheet metal fabrication, it’s crucial to make that decision confidently. If you’re not sure what to look for, we have some further tips on how to partner with the right company.
Ready to team up with a high-quality, ISO 9001:2015 certified partner that can help with everything from engineering to fabrication to custom-finishing and inventory management? Contact us today or get a free quote.