In the world of manufacturing, streamlining operations and increasing efficiency are key components of success. Whether you’ve been in the game for years, or are relatively new to the industry, at some point you’ll need to examine your processes and ask yourself if you’re meeting your targets.
While it may be tempting to handle these matters internally, partnering with a manufacturing process consultant can produce significant results. However, many companies put off hiring manufacturing consultants because of what they perceive to be prohibitive costs. Today, we’ll examine the factors at play, and answer the question: Are manufacturing consultants worth the effort?
What Can Manufacturing Consulting Services Do for You?
A good place to start in answering this question is by looking at what manufacturing consultants are actually capable of.
Let’s be perfectly clear. Manufacturing process consultants are not magicians, and they cannot instantly cure deep rooted organizational problems. They are not experts in your product, but experts in manufacturing processes.
What a manufacturing consultation can do is offer actionable advice to correct a variety of issues. Here are some of the ways they can help your organization.
Improve Quality and Consistency
A manufacturing process consultant can help your organization implement a Quality Management System (QMS) to help produce consistent quality goods. They can conduct a quality audit, and identify problem areas or defects to be improved upon. This can directly correlate to higher quality products and happier customers, all of which will have a positive effect on your bottom line.
Reduce Costs and Waste
A manufacturing consultancy can also help you identify and reduce waste in all aspects of your manufacturing process. Manufacturing consulting services can examine your entire supply chain to unearth areas where costs can be reduced. They can help you optimize your inventory management strategies, and identify other areas of operation that waste either resources or time.
By tightening up these areas you can reduce your production costs, while simultaneously lessening your environmental impact.
Increase Efficiency and Productivity
A manufacturing process consultant can help you achieve consistent high quality production by analyzing your workflow for areas of wasted time and resources. This can help you increase output, while simultaneously lowering production costs – a 1-2 combo that can lead to significant productivity gains.
Asses and Implement New Technologies
Manufacturing process consultants can also help you evaluate new technologies, such as robotics and automation, that might potentially be a fit for your organization. Embracing new technologies can improve everything from production capabilities, to worker safety.
Determining the Type of Manufacturing Consultancy Needed
Manufacturing consultancy comes in a variety of flavors, so it’s important to understand the types of consultancies available.
Process Consultants
These consultants look at the big picture of your workflow. They look for bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your process, and devise solutions to streamline them. Process consultants are often experts in implementing lean manufacturing practices.
Quality Control Consultants
This type of manufacturing consultation specifically works to ensure that you are producing high quality products that adhere to your standards. They can conduct quality audits, as well as help you develop and implement a QMS.
Cost Reduction Consultants
These consultants specialize in helping you reduce costs. They can examine your supply chain and assist in negotiating better prices, as well as identify areas where waste is eating into your bottom line.
Sustainability Consultants
These manufacturing process consultants specialize in helping companies reduce their environmental impact. They are experts in waste reduction, as well as implementation of energy saving practices.
How to Select a Manufacturing Process Consultant
Now that you have an understanding of what manufacturing consulting services can do for you, let’s look at what you need to consider when selecting one.
Identify Your Goals
Your organization should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve by retaining manufacturing consulting services. Identifying pain points is a critical first step to selecting a manufacturing consultancy.
For example, if you know that you’re struggling with quality issues, you can narrow your focus down to finding a Quality Control Consultant, rather than looking at general consulting firms.
Look for Industry Expertise
Another factor to consider is the consultant’s area of expertise. Their knowledge should align with your industry. A consultant should understand the specific challenges that your industry faces, and have experience in solving them for other organizations. Ask prospective consultants for references and/or case studies that can illustrate the impact they had on other organizations.
Ask About Their Methodology
Understanding how a consultant works is an important part of the selection process. No manufacturing process consultant can produce results overnight, but having a solid understanding of their process, and how long it can take to complete, can have an impact on who you choose to work with.
Communication Style
Communication is key for working with manufacturing consulting service providers. A good consultant should listen to your needs, and ask clarifying questions to understand the issues at hand. They should also be able to clearly communicate the issues they find in an understandable way for all stakeholders.
Cost and Value
Hiring a manufacturing consultant is an important decision. Be sure to speak with multiple consultants to find the best fit. While it’s important to set out a clear budget, don’t be tempted to settle for the cheapest option. Hiring a consultant is an investment in your organization, so be sure the consultant you choose is the best for your organization in a variety of factors, and not simply the lowest priced option.
Conclusion
So, is a manufacturing consultant worth the investment?
When carefully selected and weighed against a variety of factors, a manufacturing process consultant can absolutely be worth the investment.
Choosing the right consultant can have a significant impact on your organization by streamlining processes, reducing waste, lowering costs, and increasing quality. All of these factors can lead to a significant ROI.
At Manex Consulting, we have worked with manufacturing companies in a wide variety of industries to produce millions in cost savings for our clients.
Our experienced team of consultants is ready to help you invest in your organization’s future. Contact us today to see how Manex’s manufacturing consulting services can help you achieve your operational goals and gain a competitive advantage.
