Out Sourcing

It seems no matter where we look outsourcing of manufacturing, especially off-shore is a buzz word consistently found in business journal articles, association meetings, and at trade shows.  Outsourcing is not a new subject, 15 years ago, the change was movement to the southern US, then a few years later it was Mexico.  Today there is no way to avoid the issue, headlines and conversations are ablaze with CHINA. 
 
Recently, I had the unique opportunity to attend a corporate training program in China, specifically in Shanghai.  I have traveled extensively around the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe...but this was my first visit to the Far East.  Our specific training sessions occupied a large portion of the time, but we did have the opportunity to visit a number of manufacturing locations and a variety of local sites.   Shanghai's city of 16 million people certainly does not reflect the broad reaches of the country, but it provided some interesting insight.  Even in this brief visit, it was easy to feel the rapid expansion, growth, and change that are driven by economics without doubt.  In many cases this includes local consumption of goods at a level much higher than before and as consumption increases; more of what they produce will be required internally.  What I personally witnessed went a long way to verify the written accounts of change and growth. 
 
The focus of United Grinding is supporting manufacturers based in North America.  The competitive challenges from off shore companies are the realities they face, and they are real, and here to stay.   However, the answer is not to throw in the towel; this is real competition and winners can continue to be based in North America.  The competitive difference is not in the labor or the machine, in fact the individual grinding machines utilized globally are the same with our factories producing products delivered around the world.   So how can your company stay ahead of the competition?

- Know when to invest in improving technology.  Technologies are constantly changing, so it is important to stay current and keep yourself educated as to what new solutions are available.  Timing is critical and waiting too long can leave your company behind the competition.  If you have questions about the latest technologies, contact the United Grinding staff and let them put their resources and tools to work for you.

- Investigate the total savings and improvements in change.  Savings are more than just the dollar figure at the bottom of a quote.  There are real costs involved in how you currently operate and the savings and improvements that can be obtained through change.  Let United Grinding’s staff provide this data to you and work with your staff to better understand, research, and demonstrate the improvements that you need to increase your competitive advantage. 

- Recruit the best people both internally and externally.  Knowledge is a very powerful tool that can differentiate you from the competition, but in these demanding times it is difficult to find the time to stay on top of the ever changing technologies.  So, select partners, like United Grinding, who can share with you their knowledge and resources and in turn drive continuous improvement in your company.

In closing, the manufacturing world gets smaller every day and global competition is here to stay, so if you want to remain competitive and successful, you need to continuously evaluate new technologies in a timely manner, then take advantage of the resources and partners you have at United Grinding.