Challenge
At SF, customizing the color of fan products to meet client demands is a cornerstone of our commitment to product aesthetics.
However, the low-volume orders presented a significant challenge, as the minimum order quantities (MOQ) requirements often led to delays in color adjustments for stands and plastic components.
This bottleneck was primarily due to the slow pace of scheduling adjustments for color changes at the plastic and powder coating facilities.
Solution
To address these challenges, we implemented a three-pronged approach:
- Advance Ordering: We began placing orders well in advance, allowing us to schedule our special color products during available slots at our plastic or powder coating suppliers. This planning ahead helped mitigate the delays traditionally caused by waiting for available production capacity.
- Premium for Priority: We introduced a system where additional compensation was provided to our component factories. This incentive encouraged the factories to prioritize our orders, aligning their workforce’s efforts to complete our color customization tasks ahead of schedule.
- Strategic Order Consolidation: We worked on securing longer-term, quarterly, or annual orders to increase the volume of our product orders. Additionally, we consolidated multiple products to adopt the same color scheme. This strategy reduced the necessity for our suppliers to change molds or clean powder coating equipment for new color adjustments, streamlining the production process.
Impact
The strategic measures taken by us significantly streamlined the color customization process.
These solutions not only minimized the lead times associated with custom color orders but also optimized overall production efficiency.
By enhancing our operational flexibility, we were able to maintain high levels of client satisfaction and expand our market competitiveness.
The impact of these initiatives was profound, leading to stronger supplier relationships, reduced costs, and an enhanced ability to meet diverse client demands without compromising on the quality and aesthetic appeal of our products.