Improving Your Job Shop

At Global Resources, we use our renowned expertise to help small business owners solve challenges that they are experiencing in the evolving marketplace.  We have comprehensive experience in the job shop industry and often help business owners improve upon their practices in order to achieve success. 

It’s no secret that North American manufacturing has taken a huge hit in the recent years, as more manufacturing moves offshore. This has left many job shops with reduced business and many more out of business completely. As challenging as the situation may be, it is possible to survive and thrive in today’s manufacturing environment. It merely requires a shift in thinking. 

No longer is it enough to be a skilled machinist or a good fabricator - you must become a smart business person as well. Here are tips that may assist you in growing your job shop:

1. Understand the cost of doing business - You need to know all the specifics of the work that earned you money, and the work that didn’t. You can only do this by understanding the true cost per hour by individual department or work center, and appropriately costing the work that goes through those areas of your shop.
2. Realize the value of your customers - Good customers are the lifeblood of a business and relationships with customers become even more important during a weak economy. Good customer relations require that you be proactive, contacting your customers frequently to understand what is happening in their business.
3. Prioritize quality management -It is not uncommon for most small and mid-sized shop owners to believe that quality is what sets them apart, that it’s their key differentiator. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.  To stay competitive, you must have a formal quality management system in place that is integrated with your shop floor management solution. Factors such as efficiency in your business, and relationships with your customers, are far more likely to differentiate your shop than quality if your competitors offer the same quality products. Don’t assume that quality alone will carry the day in a highly competitive marketplace.  Today’s highly competitive economic environment requires quality products, competitive prices, and valued relationships.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business consultants at Global Resources LLC, call us at 855-338-0266.