Domestic vs. overseas sourcing — which is right for your business? This age-old question has beset U.S. businesses for many years, and supply chain issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have only added to the discussion.
Domestic and international shipping come with advantages and disadvantages. You may consider working with an overseas machinery builder to cut production costs, as international companies may appear at a lower price point. But what is your business sacrificing?
Here are six key advantages to working with a domestic machinery builder when sourcing equipment for your manufacturing plant.
1. Reduced Supply Chain Risks
Supply chain issues can severely disrupt your business’s operations, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more common than ever. A survey of senior-level supply chain executives found that 72% of companies experienced a negative effect from the pandemic, while only 2% of respondents were fully prepared for supply chain issues. Respondents reported a wide range of negative effects on supply chains, such as delays in:
- Sea transportation
- Air transportation
- Cross-border land transportation
Since then, continued supply chain disruptions have been caused by delays, changes in permit regulations, infrastructure issues and labor shortages when transferring from boat to semi or train.
By working with domestic suppliers, your company reduces these complexities and the risks of transportation delays disrupting operations.
2. Decreased Product Shipping Time & Expedited Lead Times
Shipping across state lines is much faster than shipping across the globe, and domestically sourcing your coil processing equipment, press room equipment, automation machinery and other important production equipment enables your company to take advantage of these expedited delivery times. Using domestic suppliers cuts shipping from weeks to days, allowing you to speed up lead times and not face delays due to waiting for equipment to arrive from overseas.
It also allows for more flexibility in the shipping timeline when handling equipment from the supplier directly to the plant vs. shipping internationally with multiple transitions and the potential to have to store the equipment if the factory is not quite ready for it to be installed.
Domestic sourcing also eliminates potential miscommunication due to language barriers that can further slow down shipping and lead times.
3. Greater Quality Control & More Flexibility
Working with suppliers who are only a short drive or flight away from your production facilities gives you hands-on control over the quality of products you’re receiving. At Machine Concepts, we are a domestic supplier, based out of Minster, Ohio, with staff in-house and equipment USA-made in our facilities. We develop strong partnerships with our customers built on transparent communication and face-to-face meetings.
By communicating regularly with our customers, we can ensure we’re all on the same page and overcome problems quickly when they arise. In contrast, partnering with suppliers overseas would make communication more challenging. You also would not have the opportunity to visit the facilities or evaluate the quality of supplier operations as frequently.
4. Increased Environmental Sustainability
Did you know global shipping accounts for 3% of greenhouse gases worldwide? Shipping products overseas releases considerable carbon emissions into the air, as planes and cargo ships must travel thousands of miles to deliver their goods using non-renewable resources as fuel.
By working with domestic suppliers to source your machinery, you reduce your company’s carbon footprint significantly. We only need to ship across a state or states to deliver press room and coil processing machinery and parts. We also do not need to store machinery in warehouses and cargo containers for as long as an international company would, further reducing the energy needed to maintain the integrity of the supply chain.
5. Increased Service & Support
At Machine Concepts, our strong partnerships with customers allow us to provide hands-on training on equipment and personable, prompt answers to questions. When maintenance issues occasionally arise, you can count on our engineers to be there for you — both figuratively and literally. You’ll maintain a close relationship with our service centers to ensure that manufacturing problems do not delay your lead times for customers.
6. Supporting a More Robust U.S. Economy & Job Market
By sourcing machinery from local suppliers, you also foster a robust domestic supply chain, driving economic growth and creating a ripple effect across various industries. This directly contributes to strengthening the U.S. economy, job market and innovation, all of which are essential for a thriving and competitive nation.
Looking for Custom Machinery Solutions? Contact Machine Concepts Today
Are you looking for a domestic partner who can design and build custom machinery? At Machine Concepts, we are a USA-based industry-leading machinery builder. Our team of highly-skilled engineers, machinists and assembly technicians partner with your team to design and build the cutting-edge machines you need to overcome your production challenges.
