May 18 2013
Managing a Metal Fabrication Job Shop during the busy months of the year
A metal fabrication job shop has to manage the ups and downs in the market. It is a balance beam at 50,000 feet! Jobs shops have regular customers but most all of those regular customers are unwilling to take product until they need it. This can wreak havoc on a job shop schedule.
A month at a glance in a metal fabrication job shop might show capacity on many machines one day and be completely over capacity the next day. To stay profitable the fabrication staff and engineering office is staffed for regular production. The stress to management and employees alike comes from the inability to predict customer demand. What looks like a regular production without overtime, can change at a moment’s notice with 2 or 3 large customers needing parts at the same time.
Customers and prospects expect an immediate turn around on their parts. They love the thought of a great metal fabricator with full service capability at their fingertips. They sell knowing their metal fabricator can deliver what they sell. Once they have an opportunity the pressure is on for the metal fabricator to turn their parts in two to three weeks. Some customers expect parts the same week.
At Noble Industries, we know time is money and on time delivery is a necessity. We have learned how to handle the ups and downs and work daily to minimize the stress of a job shop environment and still grow. We have a shop schedule. Knowing the environment, we start jobs before they are due so that we have capacity for urgent needs. We educate our customers so they plan ahead and communicate their upcoming needs. During the slower times we analyze ways to be more efficient, to streamline processes. During the peak period of 2012, the management of Noble Industries analyzed the bottleneck areas and added both machinery and manpower so the bottlenecks would be minimal.
For Noble Industries, a great workforce with many years experience in sheet metal along with management skilled at planning and the ability to execute a plan has made the busy season of 2013 a great and stress free metal fabrication environment.
We have capacity to continue to grow. If you have metal fabrication needs, contact Brenda Snyder at 317-773-1926 or send your files and quote information through our website at www.nobleindustries.com.
