Over the past several years, the global supply chain has been in the spotlight due to public health crises, overseas military actions, market fluctuations, and changing government policies that continue to threaten its resiliency.
At Arrow Engineered Products, we’ve implemented several strategies that help protect the metalworking supply chain and keep our teams delivering customer projects on time. We thought we would highlight three of these strategies to demonstrate our commitment to building our industry and preserving our customers’ competitiveness.
Effective Partner Management With Suppliers
We build trusted partnerships with OEM fabrication suppliers through open communication and close collaboration to improve our processes and solidify the metalworking supply chain. For example, we integrate our suppliers’ processes into several of our workflows and ensure they have all the information they need to stay aligned with our production schedules.
We also collaborate closely with suppliers to understand our needs and encourage them to share their expertise in processes or materials. This approach helps us streamline our fabrication methodology and create higher-quality products more cost-effectively.
Another benefit of this close collaboration is that we gain better visibility into the supply chain. This allows us to track materials more efficiently and identify and solve potential issues that can affect the supply chain before they become critical problems.
Ensuring Materials Are Always Available
Most OEM metal fabrication companies experience relatively few interruptions to their material sourcing processes. However, a sudden shortage of raw materials, such as titanium, copper, or other metal alloys, can halt production until refreshed supplies can be secured.
Arrow Engineered Products’ goal is to stay dynamic and engaged with our suppliers so we can easily scale our material supplies based on market conditions. We also use a forward-thinking approach to create and analyze future scenarios where materials might become scarce, so we can formulate effective and timely responses that keep production moving forward.
Read More: Choosing The Right Materials For Precision Machining Projects
Hiring Practices That Focus On Future Growth
At Arrow Engineered Products, we understand our team is what makes our service thrive. Hiring and retaining the best and brightest people who take pride in their work ensures that we deliver products of unparalleled excellence.
However, our industry is experiencing a unique period in terms of employing skilled labour. Older workers are retiring in record numbers, triggering concerns among manufacturers that a labour shortage could result in project slowdown and a decline in productivity.
The key lies in attracting Generation Z workers to metalworking to help sustain the industry. However, this newest crop of workers is unique from their Baby Boomer, Generation X, and even Millennial predecessors in terms of their career aspirations. For example, Gen Z workers aren’t interested in being what they consider “background workers” but prefer to make impactful contributions to the company’s direction.
Gen Z workers are also unique as they are the first generation to grow up entirely in the Digital Age, making them more comfortable with technology than previous generations. Many Gen Z workers expect to be leveraging technology in their day-to-day assignments.
Arrow Engineered Products has invested significantly in metalworking technology, such as robots/cobots, CNC machinery, CAD design software, CMMs, and much more. Younger workers will be attracted to working with these advanced tools and will be able to shift dynamically as new technology is introduced. We also foster a collaborative atmosphere, where everyone has a chance to contribute to creating solutions that help our customers. This approach helps nurture future leaders who will take our company further into the 21st century.
Metalworking companies that embrace technology and offer young workers training, support, and advancement opportunities will be well-positioned for growth while preventing labour shortages and strengthening the supply chain over the long term.
Read More: Celebrating Team Members With Over 15 Years Of Service At Arrow Engineered Products
Arrow Engineered Products: A Holistic Solution To Protecting The Supply Chain
We believe that supply chains with the fewest links are the most resilient. That’s why we consolidate every aspect of the metalworking process, from design and fabrication to finishing and assembly, under one brand, ensuring seamless in-house process execution.
Our capability bandwidth allows Arrow customers to have access to a more comprehensive level of machine and fabrication services with a robust quality program. This unique model keeps your projects moving forward efficiently in the face of virtually any external supply chain crisis.
Contact Arrow Engineered Products With Your Next Design And Fabrication Project
Partner with Arrow Engineered Products for high-value design, engineering, and fabrication solutions to suit almost any application. Visit www.arrowmfgep.com/contact to experience the Arrow difference in quality, precision, and service today!