No matter if your manufacturing business is old, new or somewhere in between, it is a safe bet to say you’d like to cut costs where you can and make the most of your expenses where you can’t. Since a major part of your expenses will be in the form of raw materials and parts, ordering custom parts in bulk supply is a great way to achieve the above.
The costs of ordering parts only when you need them might be negligible at the moment, but they will pile up over time. Plus, you have to wait on your supplier every time.
Ordering in bulk helps you skip all the extra waiting time while saving costs, and it relieves you of the fear of future breakdowns from any of your equipment. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of bulk orders.
4 Ways For Ordering Custom Parts in Bulk
1. Research Your Manufacturers
First and foremost, you need to partner with reliable manufacturers that can handle the custom parts in bulk orders you need. To find a supplier, you can network with other people in the same line of business or inquire from your local chamber of commerce. Once you have a list of suitable companies, conduct a one-on-one interview with the sales department or manager to be certain they understand your needs.
While researching suppliers, try to place more emphasis on using local companies. Local manufacturers place quality control above anything else with no tolerance for faulty materials.
Buying products locally rather than overseas means you will have close contact with your vendor, and you can be certain that your vendors handle hazardous products in the right way. Additionally, using a manufacturer based in the U.S. alleviates any overseas shipping issues or delays.
Plus, it allows you to keep your supply chain running smoothly. You can easily make changes to your supply chain and oversee the implementation of those changes without having to cross international timezones. And in case you need to supply parts directly to your customer, you can work it out more easily with a local supplier than a foreign one.
2. Order Ahead of Time
Since the entire point of bulk orders is to have all your custom parts in bulk available when you need them, it goes without saying that you should place your order ahead of time. This will also give your supplier time to come up with the parts of your order that are not readily available.
3. Always Take Shelf Life Into Consideration
Although the temptation to buy a larger quantity may set in, you will be at a loss if you buy more than what you need. Especially if the parts you are ordering are susceptible to issues like the build-up of atmospheric moisture, rust, damage from insects and pests, or if they are perishable goods.
4. Test the New Supplier Before Ordering in Bulk
If you want to know how reliable a supplier is, test them. You can order a few components initially and make sure you take into account the speed of delivery, accurate measurements, and quality of the product. If the few parts you ordered are perfect, then you can proceed and order custom parts in bulk.
Ordering custom parts in bulk allows you to always have the parts you need on hand. By fine-tuning your order process, you can make sure your supply chain is optimized and avoid any unnecessary headaches.
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