How can you determine if a manufacturing company is legitimate and trustworthy?
Networking with other professionals within your industry is one of the best first sources for learning about new, trustworthy manufacturers. Keep in touch with peers you meet at trade shows, conventions and other industry events, as well as current and former coworkers and even competitors who can provide first-hand recommendations or warn you away from untrustworthy companies.
When considering using a new manufacturer ask them for references in the same way you would for a potential new employee, then follow up on those references with a phone call or email. If they are unable or unwilling to provide you with references, it could be a red flag.
If practical, ask to tour their facility and/or meet face-to-face meeting with the manufacturer’s top executives. This not only allows you to ask questions, but also to make a personal assessment of whether you feel they would be a good fit for your company.
How do you know which products are the best and most useful in the manufacturing industry?
In materials handling, or any other business, the more information you have at your disposal the better equipped you are to make decisions. That’s why it’s essential that you keep up with the latest developments and newest products within your industry.
The easiest way to do this is to subscribe and read as many trade journals, blogs and websites related to your industry as possible. It’s also helpful to attend major conventions and expositions related to your industry so you can see first-hand the latest cutting edge products, learn about the latest developments within your industry and make valuable connections with other industry professionals.
Networking with other industry professionals is also recommended. Spend at least 30 minutes per week simply phoning, texting or chatting online with other leaders in your field. They can often provide valuable insight and guidance that allows you to benefit from their experiences.
How does janitorial and office equipment equate with material handling?
Material handling products are those that are related either directly or indirectly with moving items from one location to another — from across your warehouse floor to across the globe.
While janitorial products may not be directly related with material handling, having a clean and orderly warehouse, manufacturing facility or other work space is essential to efficient operations, adhering local and federal workplace health and safety regulations, and maintaining a satisfied and productive work staff.
Similarly, providing administrative workers and other employees with the office equipment they need to do their job efficiently and productively may not be directly related to the act of material handling, but it certainly plays an important role in getting the job done.
Why is efficiency such a common theme in the manufacturing workplace? I’ve noticed your articles focus on this quite often.
This is an excellent question. In material handling, or any other business for that matter, every second you are in operations costs money. There are employees to be paid, overhead to be maintained such as rent and utilities, and expenses such as equipment, raw mateirals and supplies. All of these things need to be paid for whether you are in production or not.
By taking steps to make operations as efficient as possible while keeping production at its maximum peak, you spread these inescapable operational expenses over a larger production-for-revenue base. So the more efficient your operations are, the more units-per-hour you can produce and the lower your cost-per-unit operational costs will be.
For example, in an inefficient operation, your operational costs might cost you $.50 for ever $1.00 you earn. But by increasing efficiency within that same operation — such as reducing duplicated tasks, maximizing worker productivity, and eliminating unnecessary actions –you may be able to decrease this cost to $.25 or less, increasing your profitability by the difference.