• What are potential substitutes? Can my cast parts be substituted by welded structures? In case the answer is yes, then what can be the price of such a welded structure and what are delivery times? (In recent years, a clear trend toward welded structure substi- tutes of castings, especially for project business, has occurred where the demand can be only one or two castings per project and delivery time can be long enough. Also, tooling costs can lead to the increase of total cost of parts.) Does my customer work on substitution of cast parts?
• What do I offer my customers to bind them better to my company? Do we develop products together? Who is my contact in the customer’s design department? Do I regularly invite customers to workshops about new developments?
• What is the level of my price offers? Do I call the customer after submission of offers and ask him/her if my offers are competitive? (In about 60% of cases I’ve observed, the sales department of the metalcaster sub- mits an offer and does not ask later about its competi- tiveness. This is a waste of resources, as the offer stage already costs money and not asking about further steps is akin to throwing money out of a window.) An honest communication policy toward customers is vital to the success of the metalcasting job shop. Nothing makes a buyer angrier than receiving an email one or two days before a confirmed delivery date stating the castings will come later, as if it was not known or foreseen in the metalcasting facility a couple of weeks before.
After school, a young person starts an apprenticeship with a manufacturer, works and studies for three years, then becomes a regular employee. Such a system leads to high quality standards and productivity. Tis is espe- cially important for hand molding metalcasters, where it is impossible to produce high-quality products with a poorly trained workforce. If the system of vocational education is not strong, metalcasters need to train and educate their workers. High retention of personnel is equally important. Long-term business success for a jobbing metalcaster
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requires diversification of markets and the customer base, optimization of the product mix, a well established controlling system, process optimization, careful personnel selection for the sales department and workforce educa- tion. Every metalcaster undertakes activities in these areas, in one form or another, but in most cases these are only punctual, non-systematic actions. Te key to success is a permanent self-analysis and sustainable improvement steps. In the casting business, huge leaps are impossible; we need to meticulously improve every area, every process and never stop asking self-critical questions to avoid coziness and overconfidence.
July 2014 MODERN CASTING | 37
Train and educate your people.
German or Austrian metalcasters are sup- ported with an educational system for personnel.
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