Why Manufacturing Shortcuts Are A Bad Idea
Speed and cost-efficiency are top priorities in manufacturing, but when you cut corners, you create more problems. For instance, using low-quality materials, skipping quality checks, and rushing production can result in product failures and a damaged brand reputation.
Here’s why shortcuts should be avoided.
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Cheap Materials Can Be Harder To Work With
Cutting costs by choosing lower-grade materials can make the production process harder and more frustrating. For example, if you’re going to manufacture toothbrushes, you need a durable, flexible material for the handle that molds easily, like SEPTON. Using low-quality plastic with an inconsistent melting point and high shrinkage rates will only lead to more rejected parts and wasted time and money.
Often, cheaper materials are brittle and can crack, warp, or snap under pressure. This can cause costly equipment jams, damage, and halted productivity. Inconsistent materials can also expand and contract in unpredictable ways, making it difficult or impossible to use for parts that need a precise fit.
Where finishes are concerned, materials that can burn or cool unevenly can end up with rough or inconsistent finishes, creating more work to sand and coat later. Essentially, any cash you save on materials now, you burn in labor.
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Skipping Prototyping Is Risky
Rushing to production without thoroughly testing increases the chance of major design flaws – some of which can be outright dangerous to the consumer. For example, skipping certain steps in the coating industry can weaken the structural integrity of the materials. If your product causes harm to anyone, you can expect lawsuits and you may need to issue a recall. Once you’ve started mass producing products, it’s much harder to fix even small issues. Prototyping helps to catch errors before they hit the production line or store shelves.
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Neglecting Quality Control Will Damage Your Reputation
Customers always remember a product that failed, and if you don’t have quality control in place, it’s only a matter of time before customers start posting bad reviews online. Once you lose customer trust, it’s hard to rebuild. Quality control is an essential part of manufacturing, even for simple and small products.
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Poor Training Will Hurt Efficiency
Companies that try to save money by cutting labor costs and skipping training end up with more downtime and poor quality products. Employees who don’t know how to troubleshoot machines or spot early signs of an issue will bring production to a halt time and time again. In this case, a five-minute fix becomes an expensive service call or unexpected shutdown.
Well-trained teams will catch issues early on and build products better and faster. Investing in people pays off long-term by reducing errors and increasing product quality.
- Outsourcing Without Oversight Is Asking For Disaster
It makes sense to outsource as much as possible, but if you contract the lowest bidder without ensuring quality, you’re asking for trouble. Their output might not be up to par with your company’s standards, and you’re more likely to experience delays and miscommunications.
If your clients depend on you for timely deliveries, delays can make them walk. Not all delays are a matter of waiting a little while longer. For example, if the product quality is poor, your clients will have to wait for you to find a whole new supplier. Most will just find a new manufacturer.
Always vet suppliers before signing any deals. Request samples and conduct regular audits to ensure quality remains on point.
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Noncompliance With Industry Standards
Compliance regulations can be expensive to meet, especially where safety is concerned, but this is one shortcut you never want to take. Skipping regulatory compliance can result in fines, forced recalls, and lawsuits with hefty judgments. Your workers’ comp premiums will rise each time an injured worker files a claim, and you can also be barred from selling in certain markets or working with major buyers.
Meeting industry standards can be tedious, but it’s not optional. If you’re not sure what standards you’re governed by, talk to a lawyer or a company that specializes in helping businesses get and stay compliant.
Shortcuts Aren’t The Answer In Manufacturing
When you use shortcuts, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with defects, poor quality products, and a lot of work to redo. Even a single recall can wipe out a large portion of your profits. The long-term damage to your brand’s reputation and customer relationships may never heal.
Although shortcuts seem like a good idea when you’re under pressure, they’re a fast route to failure. Building a successful, well-respected business means doing things right from the start, even when it takes longer. Nothing wastes time and money like having to fix something that shouldn’t have been broken in the first place.
