Partnering with a manufacturing company can be a little nerve-wracking. As a business, you might not have the facilities to make every component of every project, so you contract that work out to someone else and hope they get it right. Every now and then, your manufacturing partner will get things wrong, which can slow down your project timeline and cost more money.
If you’re new to the idea of working with fabrication partners, it’s important to know what good quality looks like. Check out these most common fabrication quality problems.
Types of Quality Control Issues
There are two main areas where you can run into quality issues with your manufacturing partner. The first common problem is a flawed deliverable. Another common problem arises if the manufacturer treats you poorly as a business partner. When fabrication quality matters most, these problems are signs that you should find someone else to work with.
Quality Problems With Parts
When you order parts from a manufacturer, there are a number of things that can go wrong. The manufacturer might use sub-standard materials or poor equipment that leaves parts scratched and unfinished. If they’re disorganized, they may make the wrong sizes or assemble things incorrectly. A manufacturing company that cares about its reputation will avoid such embarrassing mistakes.
Quality Problems With Customer Service
Even if the parts that your manufacturing partner produces are fine, there are other aspects of quality they may get wrong. Failing to communicate a schedule and cost is a huge problem, as is neglecting to comply with policies in your purchase agreement. A simple shipping paperwork error can cost you time and resources even if everything reaches you on time.
Recognizing Good Quality
A quality manufacturer cares about their reputation and will make few errors. If they do make a mistake, they will follow the procedures in your purchase agreement and seek to make the situation right. Some manufacturers are even implementing artificial intelligence as a business strategy. For manufacturers, AI can help prevent problems like inventory errors and incorrect timeline estimates which can cause them to lose customers.
We hope this list of the most common fabrication quality problems helps you spot red flags in the industry. Pay attention to manufacturer reviews, and always get a personal recommendation if you can.
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