Using “pull production” rather than “push production” -- meaning, using a demand-driven approach rather than a supply-driven approach -- is a manufacturing philosophy that’s existed for decades at this point. In an industry like metal roll forming, “pull production” means everything from raw[...]
Customers don't ask for much. All they want is the right product at the right price, delivered on time and free from defects. That doesn't seem unreasonable, but many manufacturers struggle to hit all four points simultaneously. Hitting all four on a consistent basis is harder still.
Kanban inventory management was developed in the 1950s by Taiichi Ohno, a Toyota executive. He took notice of the way supermarkets handle and replenish their inventory, and applied those strategies to the manufacturing process. Today, kanban is a major component of lean manufacturing[...]
The idea behind a
supply agreement
-- whether with a roll forming company or another manufacturer -- is pretty simple. The supplier provides everything a customer needs for a particular service, and the customer can count on a specified price and single-source service. Everybody wins.[...]
There’s nothing new or mysterious about “just-in-time” or JIT manufacturing. The idea has been around since the 1970s, and all it means is that you receive what you need just when you need it -- hence the popular term just-in-time delivery.
Yet, when it first came into practice, it shook up[...]
A continuous improvement mindset encourages both initiation and implementation of changes to manufacturing processes to improve “customer delight” (our quality policy statement) and other measures of company performance. In Dahlstrom's case, manufacturing process improvement helps us offer both[...]
In the old days, it looked good when roll forming companies produced a lot of stuff.
OEM projects can be hectic. The nuances of why raw materials cost a specific amount are probably not something you think of often. Your main concerns are likely lead time, reliability, quality, satisfying your customer, and controlling overall costs. But when it comes to that last one … wouldn’t[...]
Just roll forming isn’t very valuable to you. You can do just roll forming in-house. To be competitive, a manufacturer has to offer value throughout your supply chain, from beginning to end of the project.
When you think about supply chain risk mitigation, what are the first things that come to mind? For us, the usual suspects are:
