Whatever product your company makes, the bulk of your budget is most likely spent on materials. And like other manufacturing businesses, you want to keep expenses down as much as possible. But, how do you balance the material cost and quality of the final products? Here are four tips.
Implement cost-cutting measures
Mass production is generally a good cost-cutting procedure since you manufacture a large number of products in a short amount of time. One popular method of mass production is custom plastic injection molding. Through this procedure, you can enjoy the following benefits.
- Products are easily customizable – It is easy to use a different material or change the color of a product so long as the mold is finished. So, it is easy to enhance a product’s features like strength, flexibility, or resistance with minimal costs.
- Production is fast – With plastic molding, you can churn out products in 30-second cycles. This leads to a large quantity of output in a short time. For businesses that deal with mass-produced items, this is an ideal process to use.
- Products are less expensive – Since this process is fast and efficient, businesses can lower their expenses. You also save on time and manpower since production time is cut almost by half.
- Products are immediately ready for deployment – If a product does not need additional finishing, then it can be packed and sold immediately. This saves businesses expenses on secondary processes.
Substitute materials whenever possible
Modern technology continues to create new materials that can be good substitutes for existing raw materials. For example, fiberglass can be used as a substitute for wood. It can take on the appearance of wood without its usual problems like high cost and rot. However, fiberglass can break, so you need to weigh the pros and cons of the substitution.
Consider what impact a new material will have on your buyers, current manufacturing process, and labor. For instance, there are hundreds of types of plastics that can be injection molded. Make sure that you consider what your product’s function will be. Does it need to be rigid? Does it need to withstand high temperatures? You may have quality materials, but if they are the wrong ones, then your product could fail.
Reduce your waste
Manufacturing will always have scrap materials. Find ways to minimize your waste. For example, if you use plastic molding, you could recycle test parts and rejected products. You could also be wasting other resources like time and labor. Check your entire manufacturing procedure. Identify steps that can be combined. You could combine label printing with painting, for one.
Eliminate unnecessary features
As stated above, mass-produced items are cost-effective, especially compared with custom products. Each additional feature needs another step in the manufacturing process, leading to more expenses. So, evaluate your product’s features vis-a-vis your clients’ needs. Do away with the features that are not important to your customers. You can then streamline your product’s looks and production costs at the same time.
Lowering expenses is important for any business, especially it is just starting out. Make sure that you are constantly on the lookout for cost-cutting measures.