Overcoming Challenges in Surface Finishing
Intro
Metal finishing and surface treatment manufacturers face tough challenges—unpredictable workloads, strict compliance, and complex logistics—all impacting efficiency and profitability. As the final step in production, they must stay agile to stay competitive. Here’s a look at their biggest hurdles and how to overcome them.
1. Lack of Incoming Order Visibility and Compressed Lead Times
The Problem:
Metal finishing companies are typically the last step in the production process, often receiving work unexpectedly with minimal lead time and unreasonable delivery requirements.
The Impact:
Overwhelmed planning, rushed work leading to quality issues, increased staff stress and being unfairly blamed for project delays.
The Solution:
Strengthen communication with customers to manage expectations and lay out requirements for a better working relationship.
Implement flexible production planning to be easily adaptable to new work landing.
Negotiate with clients on realistic lead times based on historic data.
Optimise processes and cross-train employees to give a more flexible and adaptable workforce.
2. Strict Compliance and Traceability
The Problem:
The industry is heavily regulated, requiring meticulous documentation and compliance with stringent standards.
The Impact:
Increased administration, risk of fines, production delays and customer distrust due to non-compliance.
The Solution:
Review and update part and process documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Track internal and supplier certifications.
Conduct regular internal audits.
Train employees continuously on compliance procedures.
Record all inventory, locations and movements to know where the parts are.
3. Complex Production Planning
The Problem:
Managing multiple jobs with unique specifications and deadlines is a logistical challenge.
The Impact:
Inefficiencies, missed deadlines and increased costs.
The Solution:
Use visual planning tools to combine or efficiently plan workloads.
Develop standardised workflows to keep the processes simple and optimised.
Leverage real-time information for planning decision making.
4. Inventory Management and Chemical Tracking
The Problem:
Handling a wide range of hazardous materials requiring strict tracking and regulatory compliance such as COSHH or REACH.
The Impact:
Wasted inventory, environmental hazards and high operational costs.
The Solution:
Track stock movements and expiry dates to maintain location awareness and ensure safe disposal.
Establish clear disposal procedures for compliance.
Conduct regular audits and risk assessments.
5. Quality Control and Inspection
The Problem:
Ensuring consistent quality through manual inspections of large volumes of parts can be inefficient and subjective.
The Impact:
High scrap rates, reduced profitability, customer dissatisfaction and reputational damage.
The Solution:
Implement automated inspection systems where possible.
Use statistical process control (SPC) for consistency.
Standardise inspection and testing procedures.
Train inspectors on the latest methodologies.
Use previouse quality information to inform future production processes.
6. Job Costing and Profitability Analysis
The Problem:
Accurately tracking costs, materials and labour to ensure profitability.
The Impact:
Difficulty in identifying profitable orders, inaccurate pricing and reduced margins.
The Solution:
Track materials and labour through the process to calculate costs.
Analyse the cost of rejects and reworks.
Standardise cost estimation for processes.
Conduct regular profitability analysis.
Relay accurate cost information to the sales team to enable informed decision-making for future sales.
7. Customer Communication and Order Management
The Problem:
Managing order requirements and keeping customers informed is difficult in the high-speed, fast turnaround environment.
The Impact:
Customer dissatisfaction, quality issues, delays and increased administrative workload.
The Solution:
Inform customers with good quality information at the right times.
Use technology to deliver information to customers in their preferred format.
Track customer interaction for internal visibility to ensure communications are not missed.
Conclusion
Metal finishing and surface treatment manufacturers face significant operational challenges that impact efficiency, compliance and customer satisfaction. However, by adopting digital solutions, optimising processes, and fostering better communication, these businesses can mitigate risks and improve overall performance. Investing in technology and proactive management strategies will be key to sustaining success in an increasingly competitive landscape.
TL;DR
Strengthen communication with clients, giving them real time and informative information throughout the process.
Implement robust flexible planning, standardising and optimising processes to meet constantly changing requirements.
Invest in your people, upskill and cross-skill staff to give you a flexible and powerful workforce.
Track inventory, production and certification, ensuring you are compliant with regulation.
If you find yourself with similar challenges or just looking to improve how you do things, drop us an email or book a chat below.
