How to Find the Right Facility for Your Precision Assembly Projects

By Seline Chen | 18th July 2022

Outsourcing has stayed popular through the upheaval of the pandemic, with roughly 300,000 jobs outsourced from the US every year. It’s a way for businesses to access global expertise and resources, all while cutting costs at home. And in an industry where cutting-edge technology is necessary to do the job right, it could change the game for your business.

With precision assembly, you need assembly services you can trust. Your standards need to be high, which can make finding the right services a real challenge.

If you’re struggling to find the right assembly service provider, have you considered outsourcing?

Keep reading, and we’ll tell you exactly what to look for when outsourcing your assembly work.

Why Outsource?

If outsourcing makes you nervous, don’t let it! There are plenty of great reasons to consider assembly outsourcing. Here are a few of the best.

Cut Costs

Across almost every industry, businesses cite this as their number one reason for outsourcing. When you outsource, you don’t have to pay full-time wages to employees at home. You only pay for exactly what you need, which means you can stick to a smaller and more manageable budget.

When outsourcing assembly work, you can also save money on the equipment and facilities you would otherwise need. Setting up a precision assembly facility can be difficult, expensive, and slow. But when you outsource, you gain access to existing facilities, along with workers who know exactly how to operate them.

Cutting-Edge Resources

Staying on top of new developments in technology can become expensive when you own your own assembly facility. But when you outsource, you don’t have to take responsibility for upgrading your equipment to the latest standards. Your new outsourcing partner will do that for you.

It’s in their interest to make sure their equipment and resources are up to the highest standards. Your business won’t be the only one they work with, so by making sure their facility is up to the minute, they’re ensuring that all the businesses they work for receive the best possible work. It’s also a great benefit to their reputation as they look to secure new outsourcing contracts.

Do What You Do Best

Outsourcing means that your business can focus on its core competencies, whatever that means for you. You can leave assembly in the hands of experienced professionals, while you dedicate your attention to sales, development, and marketing at home.

By freeing yourself up to do what you do best, you can ensure that your business delivers the best possible service. Meanwhile, you can trust that skilled experts in the industry will handle assembly. Some outsourcing partners may even take care of logistics, too.

What to Look For in Precision Assembly Services

If you think outsourcing might be right for you, it’s important to know what to look for as you search for the right service. Here are a few things to keep an eye on when weighing up potential new facilities.

Latest Technology

The techniques used in precision assembly are always evolving, and your facility needs to match its pace. Finding a facility that keeps its technology and equipment up to date can save you both time and money. It will prevent any delays caused by the need to upgrade equipment, meaning you can fulfill your orders on time.

Look for a facility that has proven expertise in the industry, but don’t stop there. You also need to make sure they have the means and the willingness to innovate. If your facility of choice knows of a more efficient way to get the job done, they should be prepared to tell you and apply it to your manufacturing process.

Design Skill

Does the facility you’re considering actually understand what you’re making? Can staff make adjustments to your designs as needed? If the answer to those questions is yes, you may have found a service you can trust.

This level of insight into your production shows real experience in machining and assembly, and it’s a good sign for your ongoing partnership. That expertise can also act as a great failsafe, increasing the likelihood that workers will catch any errors in the product designs before it’s too late.

Assembly Capacity

Can the facility really do what you’re asking it to do? Does it have enough staff, resources, and equipment to meet your production deadlines? And if you want to scale up in the future, will the facility be able to accommodate you?

Even at these early stages, it’s important to know the answers to these questions. Make sure you show facility managers your plans and timescales early, so they can be forthright with you about their capabilities. An overstretched facility can lead to delays, errors, and lost profit, so you could end up regretting it later if you don’t check now.

Willingness to Communicate

When you outsource, you’re trusting another company to carry out essential work on your behalf. Communication is a huge part of that trust, and so you need to be confident that you can reach facility experts and decision-makers whenever necessary.

With clear lines of communication in place, you’ll be able to communicate your needs from the very beginning of your project. That way, you can make sure the facility gets your project right on the first try.

Precision Assembly Outsourcing Made Easy

At Shield Works, we combine western standards with eastern innovation. We have 16 years of manufacturing and assembly experience in China, and we bring that long history of expertise to a wide range of projects – including precision assembly.

We’re committed to transparency, and we offer unprecedented insight into the day-to-day work of assembly. Our quality control is carried out to internationally recognized standards. Whatever your project needs, we’re prepared to go the extra mile to work with you.