When we quote a project and take an order, we review the drawings carefully to ensure we meet the requirements. Customers may not realize that we’re just as particular about determining how a metal fabrication order will be shipped and packaged. For us, shipping and packaging are every bit as important as using quality materials and conforming to specifications. In this blog, we’ll explain why.
Satisfying Customer Expectations
Customer satisfaction has always been our top priority here at Wiley Metal Fabricating. Since the day Verne Wiley opened the doors back in 1982, we’ve always done our best to give customers what they want and need. That’s why, when you ask us to quote a metal fabrication job, we’ll ask a lot of questions. We’ll also listen to the answers because that’s how we get to a true understanding of what’s required.
Part of every job is getting your fabrication or fabrications to you, in the condition you expect, which is to say, perfect. That means thinking about the best way to package whatever it is we’ll be making, and figuring out the best way of shipping it.
This leads us to the four reasons why reliable shipping and packaging matter.
#1. Protect Products from Damage
Arriving undamaged is one of those implied requirements. Hardly anyone ever spells it out but it’s understood that the fabrications we dispatch to our customers must arrive fit for use.
This isn’t just about appearances either. Yes, if you’ve specified a powder-coated finish, you expect it to be free from blemishes, but you also expect an absence of dents, cracks, chips, marks, or deformation.
To achieve this, we’re careful how we move orders through our shop. We’re also careful about how we wrap, package, and protect the finished items because we don’t want anything getting damaged in transit. It adds some bulk, sometimes, and a little cost, but in our view, this is all worthwhile if the customer is happy with what they receive.
#2. Ensure Timely Delivery
We understand that many of the metal fabrications we make are part of a larger project. They could, for example, be going into an agricultural or industrial building, they might form part of a factory re-layout exercise or Lean implementation, or they could be a component of a larger assembly.
Whatever they’ve been ordered for, they have to arrive when expected. Late delivery could cause a host of problems and expenses.
To avoid this, we’re very thorough about our production scheduling, planning, and control activities. We also coordinate our shipping strategies to ensure we meet delivery deadlines and avoid delaying our customers’ projects.
#3. Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Our customers are busy people, and we don’t want to add to their headaches. One way of meeting that goal is to ensure every order we take on is delivered on time and undamaged. That way, we believe people will come to trust us to keep our promises. The fact that many of our customers have been with us for a long time speaks to how we’re achieving this.
#4. Reduce Costs
Using appropriate packaging and efficient shipping processes helps lower total costs. That’s good for both us and our customers. And in case you’re concerned that packaging and shipping are just costs, it’s important to note how they save money.
The reality is, good, well-designed packaging minimizes damage, so avoiding damage-related expenses. Likewise, planning and optimizing logistics means the goods we ship are made on time and delivered on time, so there’s no need to pay for premium shipping.
Our Shipping and Packaging Services
There’s a page on our website devoted to our shipping and packaging services, but we know you’re busy, so here are the highlights. Our services include, but are not limited to:
- Customized Skidding
- Returnable Packaging
- Off-Site Inventory
- Inventory Management
- Line Side Presentation
- Kitting and Staging
- Milk Run Management
In other words, we don’t just put your metal fabrication on a truck and consider the job done, (unless that’s what you asked for). We will make sure you get what you need, when you need it, packaged in a way that meets your needs.
More Than an Indiana Fabrication Shop
Our business is metal fabrication. We fabricate a wide variety of parts, shapes, and structures for customers in industries from general manufacturing to semi-trailers to agriculture. Giving these customers what they need is our passion, and that extends to ensuring everything arrives when needed, and undamaged.
If you’d like to learn more about our services and capabilities, or you have a project you’d like to quote, contact us to get started.