This year proved that no industry is safe from the aftermath of COVID, which has shown no mercy as all companies are linked together in the supply chain's universal truth. The further away your product is from its final destination, the more of a pain you are probably feeling, and as a result, mitigating this pain and avoiding it in the future are probably top of mind.
Reshoring, the manufacturing of components, seems to be the answer, or at least the flavor of the month, for alleviating unknowns, delays and costs stemming from expediting or finding new methods to get your products where they need to be. So, let's take a look at what this answer provides.
Reshoring for Manufacturing
- Assurance of a domestic source of supply
- Guarantee your parts aren't stuck on a ship
- Receive an immediate response from a supplier to get products delivered
- Reduce shipping delays, costs and dilemmas
- Cut tariffs and unknown future tariffs diminishing profits
Reshoring does generally come with higher prices for various reasons, which is why it is essential to find a partner who can help you reduce the total cost of your production and maximize the value you're getting for the price. Although brokers try to reduce the price by outsourcing suppliers and modifying processes, the outcome can impact your end-user when they receive an inferior product or costly delays. Additionally, you lose control of your IP and design the further away your manufacturing gets from you. Therefore, the money you may save today may cost you in the long run. However, when you find a partner that reduces total cost through providing value, you maintain everything that makes your product unique with quality and delivery you can rely on.
Reshoring for Quality & Delivery
Reshoring provides your company with superior quality and consistency of your product, along with more control over the manufacturing process as well as better distribution and delivery options. As a byproduct, reshoring helps the US economy. It removes language and time barriers while allowing you to efficiently perform on-site visits and resolve any problems that may arise quickly.
Reshoring for Control
To ensure efficient manufacturing of your components, you will want to provide prints or models to your supplier, which is why trust is critical. Reshoring your components is an excellent option to keep you in control to ensure you receive the materials and components that meet your requirements. At Scot Forge, we look at:
- Drawings: Has the drawing specified all witness requirements? Does the drawing include testing specifications? Are there flow-down requirements?
- Material Specification: Is it the most effective to meet your requirements? Is the material you are specifying commonly available in the US?
- Forging: Can it be forged? Can our expertise in working with specialty alloys and complex shapes save you time and money in downstream processes?
- Process: What other secondary operations are required?
- Quality: To meet the quality standards of your product, does it need to be re-engineered, redesigned and retooled?
Reshoring for IP Protection
As you can see, manufacturing a forging requires a partnership with a company that not only has knowledge and expertise but is one you can trust. Although an overseas supplier may fill out an NDA like a US supplier, do you know how that country will enforce it or protect you? And, by the time you find out about an NDA breach, it could potentially be too late, and your IP already compromised. Furthermore, your company could discover that the overseas supplier has found creative ways to cut corners through subpar material or processes. Unfortunately, by the time something like this is discovered, you have little recourse.
Reshoring with Scot Forge
When starting a new project, Scot Forge can provide design evaluation, collaborating to ensure the most effective manufacturing processes are chosen to help you meet all requirements and provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace. You can also use our team as an extension of your own with our in-house metallurgy expertise. You have the opportunity to take advantage of Scot Forge's engineers and get a thorough review of your entire process from forging to finish machining - supporting your project in its entirety, not just the component alone. Contact us today for a free consultation.