6 Reasons to Work Directly with a Trusted Contract Manufacturer

We live in a digital world. With one click of a mouse, you can buy almost anything and have it delivered right to your front door.

But when it comes to manufacturing precision parts, does the “click and ship” model really work?

In recent decades, the manufacturing industry has seen the rise of on-demand parts marketplaces. Manufacturing brokers like Xometry aim to reduce production lead times by virtually connecting customers to suppliers across the world. These companies claim to do all the heavy lifting for you, delivering perfect parts at any desired volume.

Sounds like the dream, right? It’s not quite that simple.

The major problem with the outsourced model is that customers have no real visibility into—well, anything: where your part is coming from, how it’s made, and who to contact (aside from the broker) about any issues that arise. Lack of visibility means lack of control—something we all want to avoid when dealing with high-precision parts.

For quality work you can bet your money on, skip the manufacturing broker and work with a contract manufacturer you can build a relationship with instead.

6 Reasons to Work Directly with a Trusted Contract Manufacturer

1. Consistency. Whether you love McDonald’s fries or hate them, you can’t deny that wherever you get them, they’re the same. This level of consistency is important in manufacturing. A broker order might get you great parts—or not. Why risk the uncertainty? (In case you’re wondering, we love McDonald’s fries. Ronald McDonald House is one of our favorite customers!)

2. Customer service. One thing’s for certain: a broker will never go the extra mile for you. It’s just not the way they’re set up to do business. Manufacturing brokers are essentially salespeople who are simultaneously managing hundreds of clients all over the world. For them, you’re just another transaction. A good manufacturer who is your go-to shop takes the time to get to know you and make sure you’re happy. We’ll do things a broker can’t or won’t do, like adjusting a drawing last minute or pulling out the stops to get a rush order to you on time.

3. Design feedback. Instead of playing telephone with an account manager, wouldn't you rather talk directly to the person making your part? In an outsourced model, you’ll never speak directly with the shop. That makes it difficult to correspond about potential design challenges. You’re receiving feedback and recommendations secondhand (at best), which makes communication difficult. When you work directly with your manufacturer, you can get on the line with the person reviewing your design or the machinist programming it on the shop floor.

4. Partnership. When you’re producing parts to scale, it’s crucial to build a rapport with a shop you can trust. If you have a strong working relationship with your machine shop, you can rest easy knowing they have your back. In a manufacturing marketplace, you won’t know who’s working on your part, let alone have the opportunity to foster a lasting partnership. A shop like ours sees the value in building relationships, which matters as much if not more than the bottom line on your quote.

5. Information privacy. When you outsource your manufacturing, you never really know who’s looking at your quotes. That’s the nature of an online marketplace: not only does the broker have access to your part information, but multiple shops also gain access so they can quote your parts. While every shop should be acting responsibly with that information, it’s more about your lack of control over where that information goes. When you work with a trusted contract manufacturer, you know exactly who you’re sending that sensitive information to, and you’re limiting exposure as well.

6. Wire EDM. Many outsourced manufacturers don’t offer Wire EDM services, even though this contemporary machining process is often the best option for certain machined parts. Wire EDM is a dependable process that produces quality parts that often can’t be machined.

Although the “click and ship” model may seem like a convenient option, the risks may outweigh the benefits. At the end of the day, working directly with a manufacturer you trust minimizes risk and maximizes opportunity in ways that outsourced manufacturing simply can’t.

Arbiser Machine will deliver the quality parts you need at the right price every single time, so request a quote and let’s build a great relationship—no middleman needed.