The COVID-19 pandemic has brought lasting changes to the way businesses operate worldwide, particularly in terms of supply chain disruptions. This has caused companies to seek more stable long-term solutions in their operations. Additionally, the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, with a focus on delivering high-quality products quickly and cost-effectively.
As we enter 2022, we are seeing several trends in on-demand digital manufacturing:
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Onshoring: Many companies are turning to onshoring as overseas sourcing has become too risky due to supply chain disruptions. This has led to an increase in the number of companies seeking USA-based on-demand digital manufacturers. While this may mean sacrificing savings, the predictability of quality and lead time is deemed more important, particularly in industries such as medical devices, automotive, aerospace, and defense.
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Diversification of suppliers: Companies are moving away from relying on a handful of manufacturers to source their products. Diversifying their suppliers helps to mitigate potential supply chain issues and create a more agile supply chain. This trend goes hand-in-hand with onshoring, where companies are seeking to source from more USA-based manufacturers to regionalize and diversify their supply chains.
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Evolution of digital manufacturing: Digital manufacturing is critical for delivering high-quality products quickly. Manufacturers continue to invest in technology to advance their digital manufacturing process, from automation in quoting projects to leveraging e-commerce portals for fulfillment. Companies want to make it easy for customers to do business with them, and this has led to an innovative evolution in manufacturing processes.
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New manufacturing solutions: The growing demand for local on-demand digital manufacturers has led to companies adding more manufacturing solutions to their platforms. Additional services, such as post-production part processing and assembly, are being added to the mix. Some manufacturers are even offering raw materials as a service to be considered a one-stop-shop.
Quickparts is evolving and improving its operations to meet the changing needs of its customers. The company has increased its capacity in its Michigan manufacturing facility by 40% to meet growing demand caused by onshoring and supplier diversification. Quickparts is also enhancing its technology to make doing business with them easy, such as improving their customer portal and enabling online credit card payments. As an innovator in on-demand digital manufacturing, Quickparts is poised to embrace these trends and help its customers bring their products to life.
About Quickparts:
Founded in 1996, Quickparts & Engineering is a leader in on-demand digital manufacturing, injection molding, and rapid prototyping. Quickparts employs a team of experts in injection molding and takes an engineer-centric approach to everything they do. With tens of thousands of product developers and engineers across North America trusting them to bring their products to life, Quickparts is ready to help with your project. Contact their friendly sales team or get started on their website.
