One of the publications we, and others in our industry, follow regularly is Industrial Equipment News. A recent article highlighted how competition and economic pressures often drive manufacturers to the low cost provider when they need a custom machine designed and built.
While we certainly see that trend playing out in the marketplace, one even more important observation is the higher ultimate costs that sometimes come from a low initial project bid. We’re very proud of the fact that we are regularly called in to finish or fix a project someone else started but was unable to deliver. Of course we recognize that’s not a good thing for our customer, ultimately they still end up with a solution that meets or exceeds their needs.
However, all too often the initial choice for the machine developer was made based largely on price. And later, when the project is unsuccessful, the customer ultimately pays much more for the solution because they have now brought in a second firm to finish the job. We know most manufacturers know that selecting a machine builder involves much more than going with the low-cost provider, but today’s economic pressures often lead to cost-driven decisions.
We’ve found, however, that if the cost concerns and expected outcomes are clearly identified during the planning and proposal stage, the overall project is much more successful. Beyond costs, companies should look at experience, past project success (you can see a few examples of our past projects here), the variety and diversity of skill sets involved, and the ability to provide repairs or maintenance.
We don’t like hearing about failed projects, but we are always willing to step in and help get a project back on track, even if it was originally started with another provider. Of course we’re also happy to discuss our project history and experience in detail early on in the process to determine if we’re the right fit for addressing a need. If you have questions about our planning and proposal process, or our past project history, please contact us today.