Pro competitive advantages for an electronics manufacturer
Good day, ladies and gentlemen!
Initially, it was a small paragraph in one of the articles about startups ( one , two , three , four ), and then after some reflection this small article turned out.
We briefly consider some competitive advantages that customers can take into account among all sorts of other things (such as price) and play in favor of choosing a company as a manufacturer of the final product.
')
I hope that what is written below may be useful to someone and projected onto another field of activity. I want to make a reservation right away that this is not any advertisement (open or hidden), since We have never worked with ex-USSR, and there are no such plans.
As I have already told here, I work as the head of a team of mechanical engineers in one Swiss holding at a factory in China. By the nature of my position, I have to intensively communicate with all departments of the plant, offices in Switzerland, Germany, Sri Lanka, as well as with suppliers. Some of what is written below is drawn from solving work issues with our sales department, some from conversations with subsidiaries, and something from my own experience and some moments from direct work with clients.
Since I love not only the bare theory, but also practice, a few examples will be given below.
Well, now let's get straight to the point and see what can be a priority for a client (and for us an advantage), for which the client is ready to pay in hard currency (well, or a soft note):
1. One language. It can greatly simplify the life of customers and remove from them a certain amount of smut.
Example: It is convenient for some customers from Germany who can hardly speak English to work with us, because the head of the sales department is from the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Soon he will be replaced by a new seils from Germany, because The client is one of the largest (for the entire holding as a whole) and so convenient for them.
2. Examination. We can advise on some not obvious questions. Not obvious, especially for those who (development engineer, on a vskidku) is far from production. For example, how to change the board, so that it was easy to test, where to add points for functional testing. Suggest how you can recycle the device to reduce the price, etc.
Example: for one customer from Switzerland, I analyzed a product that they had already been in production for several years and they wanted to reduce the price by 2 times. Not a bad claim for success, yes. I managed to reduce the number of assembly operations from 26 to 11; 2 boards to replace one; 4 plastic parts replaced by 2, plus one rubber. Honestly, if I did it now, the result would be even better. It is noteworthy that the client was interested only in the price of the final device; the cost of the injection molds, prototypes and development were violet to him, he was willing to pay and pay well (more such clients :))
3. Local market. Usually our customers use those electronic components that are common in Europe. We here, in China, can tell what alternative components of local manufacturers can be used to reduce the price of the product.
4. Speed. If specifically, the speed of response to requests. It's one thing to get an answer in an hour, another thing in 6 days.
Example №1: It takes an average of 6 days to issue a commercial offer. Previously, before the arrival of the new managing director, the average time was 25 days. Feel the difference what is called.
Example number 2. In this case, I'll be the client. When you expect an answer from suppliers for many days in a row, it begins to enrage. It infuriates even more when they, at a meeting, and then in writing, confirm all agreements, but in fact they simply ignore you and do not do a damn thing. After this, they don’t want to work at all. Last week I received samples of parts from some casters, brought by their manager, who leads our projects. The details were with jambs, which we discussed a week ago and they vowed to fix everything. I could not stand it anymore, I went to the purchasers' boss and said that I would not work with him and let the casters change the manager, because for many months I had already gotten his constant jambs and it was time to stop.
5. Transparency of the process. In this case, I mean regularly informing the client about how things are going. Not only, they say, everything is according to plan, but also (oh my goodness!) Coverage of problems, as well as actions taken. I will say frankly that it is not customary to do this in China, and here, with my approach, I stand out against the general background. Usually you are confronted with the fact that such and such garbage happened and that's all. For example, the day before the delivery of parts you are confronted by the fact that the form broke. To the question, they say, when this happened, they honestly answer that the day before yesterday. And do what you want.
One client from Switzerland, when he placed another project with us, agreed to the proposals of the managing director to appoint me as a manager and famously manage their project.
Example: time was pressed for the production of molds and parts for one project that I developed. As a result, I went to the casters every few days. On the first sample of the form, for fitting and checking colors, etc. Each time the client sent reports, photographs and adpetyty. The customer was tense (time was still pressing), but he reacted calmly, because saw my efforts and overall progress.
6. Neatness. Or rather the buzzword "5S". For those who do not know, the system of maintaining organization. We have this strictly.
Example: here you come to the factory, and there the forms right next to the injection molding machines are rusty. This means that your forms will be treated the same way. And, worse, the details before sending it to the newspapers to pack. Here this case is loved, if not further discussed. Well, or samples of what they produce are in dusty bags somewhere in the far corners. So your details will be planted with flies and it is good if not obgazheny birds.
7. Availability of suppliers directly from us sideways. Well, that's understandable. If anything, then I rush to the factory and insert the piston to the manufacturer easier than the customer to frantically call and fly from Germany or the United States with the same goal.
8. Geographical location. It has a strong effect if you are in a 2-hour drive from Hong Kong and you can even rush to the customer for a meeting if he flies with a transfer somewhere through Hong Kong. I did not go myself because there is no visa, but seils and the managing director sometimes go to Hong Kong to talk with customers. It is quite another thing if we were in any wild farther Anhoy. Production hubs of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan are very close here.
9. Terms of payment. It's one thing when you need to make a prepayment and a few more when payment is within 30 days after receiving the goods. Well, here the client needs to be careful, because the delay in payment immediately entails various consequences from brain consumption by the sales department, changes in payment terms and before the trial.
Well, briefly, something like that.
Initially, it was a small paragraph in one of the articles about startups ( one , two , three , four ), and then after some reflection this small article turned out.
We briefly consider some competitive advantages that customers can take into account among all sorts of other things (such as price) and play in favor of choosing a company as a manufacturer of the final product.
')
I hope that what is written below may be useful to someone and projected onto another field of activity. I want to make a reservation right away that this is not any advertisement (open or hidden), since We have never worked with ex-USSR, and there are no such plans.
As I have already told here, I work as the head of a team of mechanical engineers in one Swiss holding at a factory in China. By the nature of my position, I have to intensively communicate with all departments of the plant, offices in Switzerland, Germany, Sri Lanka, as well as with suppliers. Some of what is written below is drawn from solving work issues with our sales department, some from conversations with subsidiaries, and something from my own experience and some moments from direct work with clients.
Since I love not only the bare theory, but also practice, a few examples will be given below.
Well, now let's get straight to the point and see what can be a priority for a client (and for us an advantage), for which the client is ready to pay in hard currency (well, or a soft note):
1. One language. It can greatly simplify the life of customers and remove from them a certain amount of smut.
Example: It is convenient for some customers from Germany who can hardly speak English to work with us, because the head of the sales department is from the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Soon he will be replaced by a new seils from Germany, because The client is one of the largest (for the entire holding as a whole) and so convenient for them.
2. Examination. We can advise on some not obvious questions. Not obvious, especially for those who (development engineer, on a vskidku) is far from production. For example, how to change the board, so that it was easy to test, where to add points for functional testing. Suggest how you can recycle the device to reduce the price, etc.
Example: for one customer from Switzerland, I analyzed a product that they had already been in production for several years and they wanted to reduce the price by 2 times. Not a bad claim for success, yes. I managed to reduce the number of assembly operations from 26 to 11; 2 boards to replace one; 4 plastic parts replaced by 2, plus one rubber. Honestly, if I did it now, the result would be even better. It is noteworthy that the client was interested only in the price of the final device; the cost of the injection molds, prototypes and development were violet to him, he was willing to pay and pay well (more such clients :))
3. Local market. Usually our customers use those electronic components that are common in Europe. We here, in China, can tell what alternative components of local manufacturers can be used to reduce the price of the product.
4. Speed. If specifically, the speed of response to requests. It's one thing to get an answer in an hour, another thing in 6 days.
Example №1: It takes an average of 6 days to issue a commercial offer. Previously, before the arrival of the new managing director, the average time was 25 days. Feel the difference what is called.
Example number 2. In this case, I'll be the client. When you expect an answer from suppliers for many days in a row, it begins to enrage. It infuriates even more when they, at a meeting, and then in writing, confirm all agreements, but in fact they simply ignore you and do not do a damn thing. After this, they don’t want to work at all. Last week I received samples of parts from some casters, brought by their manager, who leads our projects. The details were with jambs, which we discussed a week ago and they vowed to fix everything. I could not stand it anymore, I went to the purchasers' boss and said that I would not work with him and let the casters change the manager, because for many months I had already gotten his constant jambs and it was time to stop.
5. Transparency of the process. In this case, I mean regularly informing the client about how things are going. Not only, they say, everything is according to plan, but also (oh my goodness!) Coverage of problems, as well as actions taken. I will say frankly that it is not customary to do this in China, and here, with my approach, I stand out against the general background. Usually you are confronted with the fact that such and such garbage happened and that's all. For example, the day before the delivery of parts you are confronted by the fact that the form broke. To the question, they say, when this happened, they honestly answer that the day before yesterday. And do what you want.
One client from Switzerland, when he placed another project with us, agreed to the proposals of the managing director to appoint me as a manager and famously manage their project.
Example: time was pressed for the production of molds and parts for one project that I developed. As a result, I went to the casters every few days. On the first sample of the form, for fitting and checking colors, etc. Each time the client sent reports, photographs and adpetyty. The customer was tense (time was still pressing), but he reacted calmly, because saw my efforts and overall progress.
6. Neatness. Or rather the buzzword "5S". For those who do not know, the system of maintaining organization. We have this strictly.
Example: here you come to the factory, and there the forms right next to the injection molding machines are rusty. This means that your forms will be treated the same way. And, worse, the details before sending it to the newspapers to pack. Here this case is loved, if not further discussed. Well, or samples of what they produce are in dusty bags somewhere in the far corners. So your details will be planted with flies and it is good if not obgazheny birds.
7. Availability of suppliers directly from us sideways. Well, that's understandable. If anything, then I rush to the factory and insert the piston to the manufacturer easier than the customer to frantically call and fly from Germany or the United States with the same goal.
8. Geographical location. It has a strong effect if you are in a 2-hour drive from Hong Kong and you can even rush to the customer for a meeting if he flies with a transfer somewhere through Hong Kong. I did not go myself because there is no visa, but seils and the managing director sometimes go to Hong Kong to talk with customers. It is quite another thing if we were in any wild farther Anhoy. Production hubs of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan are very close here.
9. Terms of payment. It's one thing when you need to make a prepayment and a few more when payment is within 30 days after receiving the goods. Well, here the client needs to be careful, because the delay in payment immediately entails various consequences from brain consumption by the sales department, changes in payment terms and before the trial.
Well, briefly, something like that.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/293014/
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