Businesses around the world utilize contract manufacturing. These businesses understand the benefits of partnering with a quality CM. For new businesses or businesses just starting to look into the opportunity of outsourcing, the concept of contract manufacturing can be hard one to grasp. While most people understand the general idea behind contract manufacturing, many don’t understand how or when to utilize these services.
What is a Contract Manufacturer?
A contract manufacturer helps with the production of products and components. Businesses utilize contract manufacturers during various stages of production. Some businesses use CMs to handle all parts of production from design to manufacturing.
Although other services exist, the following are the most common ways in which organizations utilize contract manufacturing.
Design Services
When utilized in the design process, a quality contract manufacturer provides a second set of eyes for design plans. The right CM will work with you to help locate areas of the design that could benefit from improvement. This is usually minor changes that improve quality and/or reduce the cost of production.
Many contract manufacturers provide a variety of design services. However, not all companies provide the same level of service. Make sure you choose a CM with experience working with the type of product you wish to offer. This is especially important when designing complex electronics products.
Production Services
Contract manufacturers produce parts or products under the name of the company that hires them. This helps reduce costs, improve time to market, and increase the overall quality of the finished product. An experienced contract manufacturer provides a variety of production services including complex box builds, precision machining, high purity welding, clean room assembly, and more.
When choosing a CM to work with, make sure you locate a respected company with robust NPI processes in place.
Product Testing
Testing helps ensure the quality and consistency of parts and products. An experienced CM will test parts and components several times throughout production. This makes it possible to catch potential issues long before they are able to cause a problem.
Means Engineering, Inc. provides a wide range of contract manufacturing services to businesses both large and small. Please contact us for more information about our design, production, and testing services.
