AKI investigates Low Cost Manufacture

Many companies are seriously considering the potential for moving their manufactured parts to overseas locations where costs are lower, to enable them to compete in today’s fierce market place. Everyone seems to be heading for China . Some have tried it and used their considerable international presence and financial strength to do it and take the benefits. Others have found that the real costs of the exercise were not as advantageous as they had at first thought. The hidden costs of mistakes, technical arguments, travel costs and time, language problems, delays, cultural differences, time shifts, currency movements, political barriers, terrorism fears, and others are worrying enough. When the lead time is 12 weeks and the minimum quantity a container load you need something more than just a foreign company owner saying "Don’t worry, trust me" before you commit your company’s future in this way.

One British manufacturing company has grasped the nettle. A K Industries is a well regarded injection moulding company making parts for prestigious OEM customers. To help such businesses compete in their markets aki has invested a considerable amount of time investigating an opportunity closer to home in the "new economies" of Eastern Europe. Considerable resources are needed for such an exercise, not only time and money, but also the technical and manufacturing expertise that aki has in its chosen speciality. In this way aki can act as a technical consultant, a commercial agent and a logistics co-ordinator. aki has reviewed a number of companies in several eastern European countries including Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic.

The shortlist is being reviewed carefully and aki will soon be able to offer a safe, managed, quality assured and advantageous supply line for injection mouldings and associated services including prototyping, tooling, design, and finishing.

You could do it yourself, but why not let aki take the strain?

Email sales@aki.co.uk or call 01432 375100 for an easier life.