Bringing Production Home: To Reshore or Retool?
As a result of global supply chains breaking down due to the pandemic, many companies have considered bringing their manufacturing back to the UK. Plunkett Associates investigates the options in terms of production tooling.
Reshoring has been an option for some clients and bringing production tools from the Far East back into the UK has been a viable solution to bring stability back into many production programmes.
Looking to bring production back to the UK? Plunkett Associates explores whether you should reshore or retool.
Reshoring – things to consider
- Shipping the tool can mean scheduling a lengthy pause in production with at least six weeks for sea freight.
- Then there’s the time to introduce the new moulder to the tool and allow them time to work their way around it and get mouldings running smoothly.
Why not just build up a stockpile before this all happens? While that is a solution, you have to remember to factor storage and cash flow into the equation too.
If that all sounds like a bit of a headache and something of a risk, Plunkett Associates advises against the hassle of reshoring and suggests you retool with the company instead.
Aluminium and steel UK tooling options
With aluminium or steel tooling options, it’s been a financially viable and stress-free solution for several of Plunkett Associates’ clients recently, as they’ve been able to carry on with their production programme – and now have a second source as well. Easy!
If reshoring your tool is not a viable solution, a new UK tool could be the answer instead, which is what one client of Plunkett Associates opted for recently (you can read all about it in the case study here). Alternatively, use the contact details below to get in touch with the team at Plunkett Associates.
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