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You need to be a sharp tool to run a factory. You need to know how to manage people, resources, new technology, and risks. But you don’t have to go it alone. In fact, if you try, you will likely fail. A factory needs some friends to fill in the gaps and here and some of the friends you might consider inviting along for the ride.
A support network
Manufacturing businesses, plants, and factories make up an important core of most countries economies. That’s why you will find most states offer more support to businesses in that sector than most others. Keeping in touch with state representatives in your area could see you benefit from grants, research and development support, skills training and a lot more. You might not think you need the help, but it doesn’t take a genius to see the opportunity in asking for it.
Other manufacturers
Not everyone else in the industry is your competition. There are others who operate in completely different niches and different skills from you. Those skills and the tools they use could prove very beneficial to you if you are trying to expand into new territory, whether temporarily or permanently. There are a lot of manufacturing sub-contractors who offer things like plastic injection moulding, cleanroom environments, and much more. A few friends in the industry can give you the equipment you need to take on work that might otherwise be impossible under current circumstances.
Suppliers
Even if you have all the tech you need, you don’t yet have the green light to keep producing as ever. Manufacturing machinery is heavy duty stuff, but they also operate in some of the most hostile and demanding environments in business. A connection with suppliers of hydraulic hoses and fittings, gauges, mill parts and the like is vital. Without understanding the likelihood of malfunctions and the need for replacements, you can expect to see plenty of downtime.
Transport
Many manufacturers will take the logistics of their business in-house, but if you haven’t scaled up to that level yet then you need to look carefully at which transport services you hire. You need to make sure they have the right vehicle size for the kind of loads you need shipped, that they’re making use of logistics to ensure the most efficient transportation possible, and a full awareness of where they can deliver so you also know your own business’s potential reach.
Recruiters
The backbone of the economy as it is, a lot of factories are seeing drops in the level of new recruits. Attracting a workforce in this day and age isn’t as easy as it once was because manufacturing simply isn’t as attractive a choice for young workers as it once was. Skilled recruiters can help you turn the spin, however, showing the reliability and the learnable skills of the job as opposed to just a demanding workload.
Like most businesses that want to excel, a factory relies on a strong network of people who can help improve the quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction in their operations. Hopefully, the points above have given you a few ideas of which hands to start shaking.
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