When looking for an industrial precision roller manufacturer, you need to find one that meets yours and your customers’ requirements. The purpose of outsourcing your industrial rollers is to save you the time and expense of investing in your own equipment and to allow you to meet customer demand on short turnaround projects. Working with a third party should therefore make things easier at all levels and not cause further difficulties. When looking for a supplier you should seek out the following five characteristics in a roller manufacturer.
1) Reliable Delivery
Possibly the most important feature of a supplier is their ability to deliver on their agreed timescales. A supplier might manufacture the best quality rollers in the world, but if they can’t deliver quickly enough, or they renege on their delivery promises, then it creates problems throughout the supply chain. A lot of the problems with delivery come from suppliers not understanding a manufacturer’s project requirements adequately, or from not having the right initial drawings. The order therefore takes longer than anticipated and runs into problems at the testing stage. To have the best chance of reliability, therefore, a customer should demand…
2) Clear Communication
Your industrial precision roller manufacturer should be keen to communicate clearly with you from day one. Take a note of the questions the supplier asks you and their level of understanding of your application and your delivery requirements. A supplier with clear communication and good industry knowledge will be able to proactively suggest solutions based on a knowledge of your timescale and budget. Getting the project requirements right, with complete product drawings and a full brief, is the best way to avoid a project going over budget or being delivered late.
3) Industry Experience
The chances of a successful customer / supplier relationship are increased when that business has direct experience of working within your industry. Broad experience is also a good sign, as it indicates flexibility and an established reputation. Suppliers that have worked for a range of different clients, e.g. within the aerospace, motorsport, petrochemical and automotive industries, will have the breadth of knowledge and expertise necessary to rise to any challenge and make a great job of it.
4) Production Quality
Substandard components are worth nothing, but there is more to high quality than a component simply being able to function. Ideally you should choose a supplier that not only meets the minimum standards for the industry, but that aims for the highest possible levels of quality. Using ourselves as an example, at Hone-All we are ISO 9001 and EN9100 accredited but we apply EN9100 aerospace standards for all our components, irrespective of sector. This entails additional traceability, testing and production standards that many non-aerospace suppliers do not follow. The result is a superior product that gives a longer life cycle and greater efficiency.
5) Competitive Price
We are firm believers that price isn’t everything – you should never compromise on quality to get a low price – but it is extremely important nevertheless! As a manufacturer, we understand that many jobs hinge on price, so we will always strive to offer the lowest and most competitive prices possible, within the realistic constraints of delivering the highest quality and timely delivery.
At the end of the day, you want repeat business from your customers and we want repeat business from you, so we try and set a price level that allows us all to be competitive. At the same time, your customers expect reliability and a high quality product, which isn’t always achievable at the lowest prices. There comes a lower limit beyond which it isn’t possible to complete a product without compromising on timescale or resources. We will never do this, and we will always be transparent about our prices; about what things cost, where savings can be made and why we charge the price we do.
Find Out More
To find out more about supplier relationships and how they affect the outcome of your project, download our Guide to Industrial Rollers. Our new eBook is full of hints and tips about sourcing the right supplier and avoiding the common mistakes that lead to missed deadlines and poor quality.
