Metalforming Matters

Content Provided By: Tom Titensor &  Revolution Group We can generally sort Manufacturing Business processes into three groups: Make to Order, Assemble to Order, and Make to Stock.  Make to Order is also known as custom build. Assemble to Order is used in repetitive manufacturing. And Make to Stock covers mass production of end products. Let’s look at each one and see where to apply scheduling and planning tools for the best order to fulfillment timing. Make to Order Make to Order is the manufacturing process in which a large group of components can be made into very specific end products. A printer may carry stock of many types and grades of paper and have the ability to create thousands of Ink colors. Skilled workers can use the tools and materials to create any item a customer may want printed. Then they can mass produce that Item into as many copies as the customer would like. A die maker has large billets of steel in stock and with tools and produces very...

Did you know that the average business-to-business (B2B) buyer reviews 10.4 sources in a typical buying situation? Or that, according to recent research, most customers are 57% of the way down the path to a decision before even performing an action on a website? These and more revealing stats help make up what Advance Ohio’s Digital Marketing Strategist Jason Plavic, writing for Metalforming Matters in late 2016, calls “ The Evolution of B2B Marketing .” The new normal: Buyers are more empowered, and more knowledgeable, than ever before. And now that buyers have upped the ante, it’s imperative for sellers to do the same. Sales and marketing departments in the manufacturing realm must evolve and embrace the changing, increasingly digital landscape in order to survive and thrive. One way to do just that is to embrace the most ubiquitous buzzword in all of business: data. A recent survey of metalformers conducted by the Precision Metalforming Association ( 2017 Sales & Marke...

The original format of marketing existed in a straightforward, clear progression: consumers saw an ad, developed an interest in the advertised product and made plans to purchase it.  Unfortunately, that simple path is no longer common anymore.  Now, buyers find information through external sources and their own research to make decisions, meaning that a manufacturer’s approach to marketing must evolve. This evolution flips the entire order of manufacturing sales on its head: instead of sales representatives approaching potential customers, buyers are coming to sales reps with their extensive research in hand. To stay relevant and in demand, manufacturers must consider the minds of their customers and how they can find the right products during their search for a solution to their problem. Below are two areas to consider when updating your sales and marketing strategies for the new age: Search Engine Optimization :   93% of online experiences begin with a sea...