Stages in the process of manufacturing tooling 2

[HMCV]

Hello, good evening.
I've been working for 6 years in a company that manufactures tooling and machinery.
The process here is handled as follows:
1. The client has a need.
2. The mechanical design engineer visit the client and proceeds to quote.
3 .- If the client is agree, he generates a purchase order.
4 .- The mechanical designer starts with the design and produced drawings to to manufacture parts of the project.
5 .- These drawings are delivered to the machine shop. A person is responsible for distributing and organizing the manufacture of parts.
6 .- The mechanical design engineer makes a list of equipment that must buy, such as pneumatic cylinders, guides mechanics.
7. The electrical control engineer makes a list of parties that must be purchased, such as PLC, cable, etc..
8. After the fabrication of parts, we proceed to assemble.
9.-After testing the assembly, the machine is programmed, if required.
10 .- Finally they test performance.

This is a brief description.
I personally believe that this way of working is not the most appropriate. How the process is organized in your work or companies?

Maybe you find some errors in the writing, I apologize for that.
Thanks.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

What do you feel is in appropriate, and for what reasons?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Pud]

Assuming some of the tasks are done concurrently, I really can't see which could be eliminated.

Seems a pretty standard set-up to me.

MacGyversS2000 has a good point though. Perhaps your ideas might be a good start point for discussion. You, after all know your business better than we do.

http://www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

 

[HMCV]

I will discuss the problems that arise in this company. Probably these are not related to the process itself, rather with organization.
- First, we have 7 mechanical engineers, who are responsible for the projects, in part. These projects have on many occasions delivery times very similar and there is no coordination to determine what is required to finish first, because each engineer has a commitment to each customer that attended.
- The mechanical design engineer waste time in making the quotation. This is a problem when he has a project assigned. Depending on the project on occasions make a quote can take from 1 to 3 days.
- When a problem occurs and requires technical support, customer contact and the mechanical engineer has to talk with the machine shop for determining when a person can send. This sometimes causes a failure to deliver fast service.

My question is this. There would be more appropriate to hire a person who has the following functions: to sell, quote, coordinate and liaise with the client?

In the course on this disussion, I'll show other problems that arise in other areas. I hope that with the experience you have in their workplaces are encouraged to comment on some ideas.

Greetings.

 

[MikeHalloran]

A "person who has the following functions: to sell, quote, coordinate and liaise with the client" would be a salesman.

I've recently separated from an outfit where the salesmen did the quotes, which in turn means that they do the engineering, which they are not equipped to do particularly well.

So that company's engineers get sucked into each project, indeed first learn of its existence, after it's already royally and irrevocably screwed up. The results are not pretty.


Be very, very, careful what you wish for.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[patprimmer]

You need someone or a team who are responsible for overall project co-ordination and your sales engineers need to verify with the co-ordinators before they make promises.

The co-ordination team might be the company owner or the production manage or a team involving senior management from finance, production and sales marketing and the sales engineers as involved and depending on the size of the company.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

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[coatingengineer]

I agree. While you rely on the support from your team, you must have a single representative -- both your side and your customer's side. Anything else can lead to confusion, conflict, or chaos. Maybe you and your customer each need a "program manager". Keep in mind program managers don't have to have all the answers in the moment. Their obligation, really, is to respond/listen/report for the group. Good luck!

William Gunnar

http://www.IndustrialCoatingsWorld.com

 

[HMCV]

Thank you all for your help.