Offshore outsourcing for plastic moldmaking and plastic injection molding turned out to be one of the best decisions
Offshore outsourcing was probably the last thing my friend would have ever thought about doing. Then, his number one client began suggesting that they start searching for an offshore outsourcing company.
Eventually, the client demanded that my friend find outsourcing companies or he would lose the account. Thus began the decision-making process that had a very good outcome.
Like many companies, his was facing competition on a global scale. Once he overcame his fears, he could rationally analyze the problem. To his surprise, he realized that he could not only survive, but prosper.
It takes a paradigm shift in thinking to grasp and accept what is happening in industry today. Offshore outsourcing is a reality that is here to stay.
What offshore outsourcing can do for you
- Enables you to focus on your expertise
- Enables you to better anticipate future costs
- Enables you to find skilled help
- Expand into new markets
Educate yourself to in order to make good decisions
There is little room for error in the plastics industry. Time spent educating yourself is time well spent. Here are some highly recommended books to learn about global marketing.
Why is it so hard to find good help?
It used to be fairly easy to make a good living in the plastic injection molding business. All you needed was some know-how, a lot of determination, and a garage to get started in.
Those who were good at it grew into real companies with payrolls, employees and and endless stream of work. Plastic injection molding was new and hot. Just ask the Graduate.
My, how things have changed. Nearly everything manufactured has an offshore supplier in at least part of the process. At first the quality was laughable, but not any more.
With the immediate transfer of information via the internet, any technology that you have will be acquired by somebody else across the planet. The same machinery, tools, knowledge, and skills are available to anyone, anywhere.
Some countries, such as Singapore, have very well-developed apprenticeship programs to train new moldmakers and molders. Instead of learning on out-dated WWII vintage equipment, they have up-to-date CNC EDMs, WEDMs, electric molding machines, high-end controllers,etc.
Not every school system sends the “non-academic” kids to vocational school. In Germany, for example, toolmakers are regarded with respect. Their system trains young people to excel through a very demanding program. The European immigrants who came to the USA with their metalworking skills felt fortunate to be in the land of opportunity. They helped build up the plastics industry to what it is today.
Those same men who went from toolmaker to injection molder to successful businessmen are now fading out of the picture. In the last decade, hundreds of plastic molding companies have gone out of business for one reason or another.
With the emergence of first Japan, and now China, as the new focus of the outsourcing of injection molding, European and American companies are facing a new playing field.