My interactions with supplier factories has been constant throughout my career as a designer. These factories are major resources to our company, but also to anyone who wants to understand how products are actually made. I gladly share this knowledge with anyone who seeks to bring a design to market. I feel that this would be an invaluable resource to any design student, young professional, or even a seasoned designer who needs to growth their network or their general understanding of manufacturing. Here are just a few of the important lessons I’ve learned as a result of my relationships with our manufacturing partners.
TURNING AN ALUMINUM POT ON A MANUAL LATHE IN EL SALVADOR
UNDERSTANDING a MANUFACTURING PROCESs
Sometimes, there is no substitute for in-person learning. One of my responsibilities is to travel to factories around the world to understand the processes and capabilities that a supplier can offer. Very often, product designs are dictated by the suppliers we can rely on and the services they can provide. I must design products according to their skill-sets and manufacturing capabilities.
FACTORY TOUR WITH 1ST & 2ND GENERATION OWNERS AND EXPORT PARTNER IN CHINA
business PARTNERSHIPS
Our business partnerships are built on personal relationships. In order to understand pricing, supply chains, and production capabilities, you must know your suppliers. Very often, business decisions are made because of personal preferences as favors for friends. It is not simply order/produce/ship/pay. The longer the relationships last, the more trust grows to develop new products with new tooling, negotiate special pricing, and get samples or orders expedited. I have learned that regular annual visits maintain these relationships.
NEW PRODUCTS SET-UP FOR REVIEW IN A DEVELOPMENT MEETING IN CHINA
IMPROVING THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
Traveling to a factory allows you to assess the status of new products, but it creates an opportunity to speed up the development timeline. While visiting with our manufacturing partners, I am able to test product function, answer questions in real time, and resolve several questions about factory procedures and packaging. It is a very efficient process.