If you’re running any manufacturing business, then there will come a time when you have to invest time and resources in scaling up your operations to maintain growth.
Scaling your business this way isn’t just about the production line but also encompasses other aspects. To successfully scale, you also need to consider.
Manufacturing technology
When calling your production line, you’ll either need to go bigger or better, often both. Adding additional equipment to speed up the process allows you to produce more products in less time. Technology incorporating an ultrasonic transducer or automation features can significantly increase your output without necessarily adding to your employee numbers.
Business Processes
It doesn’t matter how efficient your production line is if your back office systems are a mess. This can create huge inefficiencies and errors as you struggle to maintain records and systems. As you scale, you may need to completely overhaul your processes to fit in with your new and improved production system.
Focus on inventory, ordering, supplier management, and accounting systems.
Marketing
Even if you’re enjoying a strong growth period, that doesn’t mean you need to take your foot off the gas regarding your marketing strategy. A solid strategy can build your reputation in the marketplace and help you develop a customer pipeline in both the short and medium term. Many companies make the mistake of not investing in their marketing when they are doing well but suddenly find that when the work dries up, they’re starting from scratch when it comes to marketing, which is a much more difficult situation to be in and places immense amounts of pressure on your marketing team or partner agency.
Research and development
The products you sell meet your customer’s needs and make your company money. But consumers can be fickle, and the market can move very fast. Suddenly, your products may become outdated or less desirable due to competitor advancements. Continuous research and development are needed to keep your business at the cutting edge of what your customer wants, both now and in the future. Your research and development should incorporate consumer and market research, product design, sustainability, resourcing, and production techniques. A successful company will continuously evolve its product offering and production techniques rather than try rapid change to respond to dips in customer demand.
Personnel
Who do you need to help your business scale how it needs to? Whether you’re looking for production workers, business analysts, or marketing strategists, your growth plan should include resources to hire the needed talent.
Takeaways
Scaling up your manufacturing business is much more than buying extra equipment. Successful scaling needs to be comprehensively planned to ensure you have the processes and people to take your company through this period of growth and reach even more optimistic targets in the future.
