Starting any business is no easy task for even the most successful of entrepreneurs amongst us. There is much to consider but sometimes that idea just won’t go away and you feel like you have no choice but to explore the options of producing the idea, packaging it up and bringing it to market. But where do you start in the whole process?
If you have never manufactured anything before this can seem like a big thing to overcome, but by considering the main factors you shouldn’t have a problem with manufacturing and packaging up your items. You may have the idea, and the ambition, but I wanted to share with you exactly what you might want to consider before taking that plunge into the manufacturing world. I hope it enables you to become better prepared for what you want out of your business moving forward.
Necessary production planning
There are several key things that contribute to the success of production planning for a product or even a service. In general, your production planning must align with your overall strategy for your business, which in turn must align with your overall objectives. Consider your internal and external environments as well as your company’s vision, mission and values. For example, ff you wish to make a low-cost product that can be delivered to the consumer within a 72 hour period, then make sure your strategy and production planning processes align with that vision. The same can be said for more complex products or services.
Your production planning and the production processes must be able to deliver key performance objectives. This, of course, will vary from business to business. But the levels of performance must be defined by your customer and overall market objective. Here are some examples to consider when planning.
The quality – Minimize the potential mistakes and provide your customer with the level of product and service quality they are requiring. Quality reduces cost in the long run and increases dependability. Making your product and your business reliable and trustworthy to the customer and client.
The speed – You need to react quickly to customer requirements. Increase the availability of your product to meet the needs of the business. Speed decreases the risk of stocking as well as losing dependability. Which brings me onto my next point.
The dependability – You need to deliver your product or service with the quality you and customers expect, when and where the customer requires it. Dependability saves your customer time and money and is vital in developing trust with your customers.
The flexibility – You need to adapt to constantly changing customer demands and needs. Make sure your planning and production processes provide flexibility. For example, changing types of product or services and changes to product mix and production along with volume and delivery.
The cost involved – Every customer cares about cost relative to value. We do it ourselves, don’t we? So you need to develop an efficient and waste-free supply chain to minimize costs. The other performance objectives will affect costs accordingly.
The actual production and packaging elements
Now that you have planned for every eventuality, what next? The actual production line and manufacturing process. There is a lot to consider in this side of things as well, from the production of the product down to how you do it, where you do it, and the machines you use.
Where you manufacture – The location of your manufacturing is important because you also need to think about the end user and how quickly you can get it there. Or even if you are supplying an order to shops and stores it is easier if you are close by or near good transport links for the delivery methods.
How you manufacture – The production line is necessary for creating the best product for your consumer. So the machines you use and the speed of which you do it is vital. This is when you may want to consider researching some of the best feeder machines that can feed parts into the production line. Websites like https://www.goughecon.com/product-details/twin-rotary-feeders-conveyors-screeners/ have some great advice on the type of feeders you may need to think about.
Training and staff requirements – As a manufacturer of your product, you will need to be able to produce it to the highest of standards that will be expected from your customer, and this is when staff requirements and the necessary training involved will become important and a high priority and focus for you. Of course, if you have some financial backing then you can afford to recruit the level of expertise you need, but you may also need to consider other options in order to get the right people into the role.
The financial aspects of the production line – Launching a company is difficult enough, but you may also need to think about the financial side of things. This is when you will need some form of investment or backing to get you up and running. Anyone can start a business, but bringing something into production and selling can be a completely different ball game. So this is when a business plan will be an essential part of your business start up. The business plan will then be put forward to potential investors or you could even speak to your current bank, who would then analyse your business venture and offer up the investment needed to make the production of the product a possibility. Here’s a quick guide to help creating one yourself https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247574. The best advice is to make sure you include all financial aspects, the good and the bad so that you are transparent with potential investors.
Think about the packaging to the end user
Finally, you need to consider the packaging element at the end of the actual production line of your product. This can be the make or break of your product as you need to ensure that it arrives intact. You also need to consider what materials you use and whether or not it is being delivered overseas.
I hope this has made you more aware of the production side of things to consider when manufacturing your own product.