When it comes to outfitting your vehicle or vessel with quality lighting, it is important to find the right company that provides quality as well as safety. Austin Hardware® is in the business of securing solutions for our customers, and that means partnering with companies that offer quality products and solutions for the many industries we serve. We’ve partnered with TecNiq Inc., a pioneering lighting company, to provide even more solutions and quality products for our customers.

What is TecNiq?

TecNiq Inc. is an engineer-owned company that provides consistent quality in the form of quality lighting solutions for a variety of applications. Being engineer-owned means one thing, a commitment to providing quality products with high-quality design and functionality. In addition to quality products from TecNiq, Austin Hardware® also has a focus and dedication to customer service. This type of focus on quality and consistency is what sets TecNiq and Austin Hardware® apart from other companies within the lighting space.

When Cheap isn't Inexpensive

The cheapest drill bits are not necessarily the most cost-efficient in the long run. There are times when the cheapest product is all you may need. In most cases within a production environment; higher quality may ultimately serve you better.

Think of your company and its many goals, pain points, and other concerns for your business. Now think about how you can provide the best solutions for your customers. Custom engineering allows you to deliver what your customers need. You are creating one-of-a-kind projects, tailored to fit specific needs. The right engineering team works with your business to understand your unique set of goals. Still reading?  Great, think of your current business, and your long-term goals. Now, consider if any of the following would help your business:

Major benefits of custom engineering:

• Quality Control
• Additional Advice and Guidance
• Improved User Experience
• Resource Management
• Cost Reduction
• Reduced Engineering Overhead

Where to Start

When sourcing custom engineering, you need to find a company that has the experience, dedication to quality, and the right resources for the project. The right provider will take the time to determine what application you are designing for as well as specifics related to a project. Next, they will take the time to create what your company and customers need based on a thorough understanding of the solution required by you and your team. In this situation, time is on your side, because you can be sure that the right amount of time is being given to create the right solution.

How does custom kitting work?

Inventory kitting, custom kitting or bundling products together is a strategy that allows businesses to save time and money. Instead of buying products one by one, kitting is a way to buy all the parts and products you need – say for manufacturing a good – therefore cutting out unnecessary purchasing steps. Seems simple, yet many businesses do not offer or utilize this type of service. Essentially everything you or your customers need are grouped and supplied together to make things easier for you. There are different ways that custom kitting works, and different ways that businesses can use this service to their advantage.

If you run a business, you know how busy your day can be. There’s a lot to do, and a lot of hats you must wear throughout the day. Having one less thing on your to-do list can make your day run smoother, as well as give you a chance to focus on something else that is equally as important. One way to simplify your tasks is custom kitting. Basically, if you’re receiving parts and products from different vendors you’re spending time sourcing, price checking, and selecting these products. After that, your team then must sort and organize all the different parts. Sounds like a lot of work. That’s because it is. Kitting basically cuts this process in half. Everything you need arrives in one convenient package from ONE supplier.

Reducing Lead Times

Why should you focus on your business' lead times? It's important to ask yourself this question, especially if your business is serious about getting things done. When it comes to your supply chain, reducing lead times is essential if you want real performance for your business. If you want to increase efficiency in your business and focus on long-term growth strategies keep reading below.

Lead Time Factors

Many things can hurt your company's lead times. For example, if you are outsourcing products from overseas, these often have an extended shipping time, this could play a significant factor in your supply chain's performance. This may seem like a good alternative, but it could be costing you more money in the long run. Are you factoring this time into your sales, production and other important metrics? Shipping delays can often turn into months instead of weeks, causing slowdowns in production and ultimately hurting your bottom line.

"Southco has recently expanded on its successful line of mechanical actuators with a new version that combines reliable actuation with modern design. Constructed of high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials, the AC-11 Actuator features an ergonomic pull handle that is ideal for remotely actuating a latch in heavy duty equipment applications.

For many companies, a Vendor Managed Inventory program is a better way to handle replenishment.

The natural question for you to ask now is … why? What are the benefits of having a supplier manage MY inventory?  In a word … MONEY.

Now that’s obviously an oversimplification. But when you break it down and look at all the different parts of the replenishment cycle a VMI program can impact, it becomes easy to see the benefits.  

Let’s take a more detailed look.

There are a number of options, and plenty of decisions to make for companies considering a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program. Depending on a company’s goals, budget, and available resources they’ll have to decide on the type of VMI program, to what extent the VMI provider’s personnel will be used, how products in your program are going to be replenished and accessed, and more.

We’ll look at a few of these options in this post.

There are essentially two types of VMI programs

• Non-Consignment
• Consignment.

Both Non-Consigned and Consigned VMI programs offer customers a similar list of benefits, which you can read more about HERE.

For many companies, a Vendor Managed Inventory program represents a better replenishment strategy.

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is exactly what the name suggests. A program in which one of your vendors acts as a partner who takes on the day-to-day tasks and responsibility of managing your inventory.

For manufacturers, a VMI partner is usually a key supplier of component items, such as hardware, fasteners, or MRO products. Products for which it’s critical to strike the right balance between having enough to eliminate “line-down” situations, but not so much as to incur high carrying costs or run the risk expiration or obsolescence. The ideal VMI partner has the capacity to provide the majority of those parts which allows you to take greater advantage of the benefits of Vendor Consolidation.The VMI service provider works alongside you to implement a strategy based on your inventory management needs. They become an extension of you and your replenishment team, not a replacement.