Reduce Your Risk with a Global Supply Chain

With the advent of new technologies, the internet and the improvement of transportation infrastructures, the world has become much smaller in recent decades.

In fact, globalisation has affected every area of our lives – from politics, education and healthcare to employment, entertainment and culture at large.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that globalisation has also transformed the world of manufacturing; opening up entirely new opportunities for engineers to benefit from globally sourced expertise, fairer prices and a more diverse range of manufacturing services.

Today, we’ll be exploring the advantages of using a global supply chain, the challenges to keep in mind when ordering mechanical parts from overseas and how these challenges can be overcome with a reliable digital manufacturing platform.

Key advantages of ordering mechanical parts from a global network

In many ways, the globalisation of manufacturing has come as a real blessing to engineers across the globe. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

#1 The globalisation of manufacturing has expanded sourcing opportunities

A global market offers engineers opportunities to choose from a diverse selection of manufacturers, materials and services, meaning the highest-quality manufacturing services in the world are always at your fingertips, no matter where in the world you are ordering from.

#2 Engineers have a higher chance of getting the most balanced deal among speed, quality, and price

Using a platform like Geomiq, you’ll be able to see and compare up to five different quotes for each project. This allows you to benefit from more affordable pricing options than if you had simply gone with the first quote you were given by your local manufacturer.

#3 Engineers are able to receive parts from one location when another is disrupted

Sometimes, the unexpected happens, and you may not be able to source a mechanical part from your usual region or manufacturer. With a global network of suppliers, however, this ceases to be an issue, as another manufacturing expert can step in to get the job done and deliver you a high-quality mechanical part within days.

For suppliers, too, becoming part of a global network of manufacturers has many benefits:

#1 Global supply chains allow manufacturers to monetise idle machines

When suppliers start accepting more job and project opportunities from a diverse range of industries and engineers from around the world, they are able to consistently maximise output, keep their machines running and keep the payments coming.

#2 No need to worry about the admin

Traditionally, manufacturers would have to take care of admin and management tasks themselves when taking on new jobs and orders. However, working with a global manufacturing platform like Geomiq, suppliers have all of their job vetting, DFM, payment and customer support needs taken care of. This means they can simply focus on what they do best – making high-quality mechanical parts!

#3 Global supply chains helps improve cash flow

By taking on more jobs from around the world, suppliers are able to monetise their idle machines and make more money than ever. On top of this, when they partner with a credible digital manufacturing platform, they’ll have a more reliable source of income. At Geomiq, we’re committed to paying our partners on a Net-30 basis – so our partners never have to worry about chasing payments again.

3 key challenges to keep in mind when ordering parts from overseas

Of course, traditionally, jumping into a global supply chain hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. When buying, selling and communicating across borders, there are plenty of important issues and complexities that must always be taken into account. Here are three of the biggest:

#1 Communication challenges

There needs to be careful consideration of terminology and the type of communication methods used to interface with a global supplier to ensure information is interpreted correctly, and that both the supplier and the engineer are happy with the details of the job that is to be done. This is especially important to consider when ordering parts from countries where a different language from your own is spoken!

#2 Information collection challenges

With manufacturers based around the globe, data collection and oversight can crop up as common issues. It’s important that every supply chain manager has effective systems in place to manage and review all information being processed – and feedback on it effectively.

#3 Legal issues

Of course, most countries outside of the UK have different trading laws and regulations from our own, and when you order mechanical parts from across borders, differences in – for example – intellectual property laws and employment laws will need to be taken into account.

At Geomiq, we take care to ensure that our customers have the best experience possible ordering high-quality parts from our global network of experienced and trusted manufacturers.

Let’s take a closer look at how we ensure the digital manufacturing process goes smoothly for customers and suppliers alike:

How does Geomiq combat the challenges of globalised manufacturing?

At Geomiq, we partner with 260+ highly vetted and experienced manufacturers from 50+ different countries, so that you can benefit from more options, greater capabilities and the highest standards in the world – all from a single access point.

Earlier, we touched on the communication and information collection challenges that have traditionally been posed by ordering parts from overseas. We’re proud to say that we take great care to counter these challenges and reduce risk by providing instant direct messaging services to quickly receive updates on active jobs and resolve issues almost immediately.

We also provide detailed feedback on orders, conduct quarterly reviews, and provide detailed feedback on every quotation, helping our manufacturers work more effectively with us to deliver you the best quality parts for the fairest price.

At Geomiq, we also currently offer 5 levels of inspection when creating our detailed inspection reports:

• Additive Manufacturing Quality Inspection
• Standard Inspection
• Formal Inspection
• CMM Inspection
• Custom Inspection

We take great care to ensure that from start to finish, our highly vetted partners only deliver you the best mechanical parts.

To name just a couple of examples of the many quality checks we carry out throughout each part’s journey, we use DIFOT (Delivery In Full, On-Time) to measure the performance of our suppliers, and FPY (First Pass Yield) to gauge the quality of each part our partners produce.

Our dedicated team takes care of the legal and administrative details of each project, and upon each job being completed, all mechanical parts are delivered to the Geomiq office, where we carry out further detailed assessments – such as aesthetic inspections and spot checks.

Put simply, we want the best for our customers – and ensure that every supplier we work with – and every manufacturing project we facilitate – meets our incredibly high standards for quality, price and speed.

Here a few examples of key things we look for in our trusted suppliers:

• Efficient processes to ensure short quotation times and that lead times are met
• A competent assortment of metrology equipment to accurately test and ensure quality
• A wide range of capabilities, both specialist and generic
• Attentive staff who are able to respond quickly to queries or issues
• We ensure our suppliers have been accredited with credible ISO certificates, such as: ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100 Rev. D, ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14001, ISO 22002-4, ISO2600, IATF16949, ISO 29001, TL9000, AC 7004, FFL, ITAR and NADCAP

It’s time to go global

Ultimately, globalisation is here to stay. When it comes to the world of engineering and digital manufacturing, this is a hugely exciting opportunity to reduce risk, receive higher quality mechanical parts, and benefit (quite literally) from the fairest prices in the world.

Of course, ordering parts from overseas has not always been without its challenges, but with digital manufacturing platforms like ours committed to keeping the process as smooth, safe and successful as possible – for suppliers and customers alike – a global supply chain is the way to go.

Simply put, with the right supply chain manager, the risks of globalised manufacturing are lower – and the rewards greater – than they’ve ever been before.

To find out more about how our manufacturing platform can help deliver you the highest quality parts – on demand and at scale – get in touch with the team at Geomiq today. We’d love to hear from you!