The relative accessibility of operating equipment and the flexibility of internet marketing has seen a steady groundswell of interest in small-scale and niche market manufacturing enterprises. For those pondering a move into the world of manufacturing, here are a few basic considerations to help kick-start your plan.

Location and premises

In the early stages of set-up and development, a small-scale manufacturing business may begin life in a small workshop or home garage. Irrespective of scale or complexity, two fundamental considerations in the selection of a suitable location for the business are:

• The type of product being manufactured
• The market where that product is intended to be sold

Local and regional requirements and restrictions may dictate the operation’s physical base. Does local licensing permit a home set-up? Or does the business operator need to consider a rental or lease in a commercial or light industrial zoned area?

Plant and equipment

A key factor that weighs into the determination of a suitable business premises is the consideration of the actual manufacturing plant and equipment required for the operation. The physical size of necessary equipment and the amount of working area required around those units form a basic starting point in the selection of a suitable location for a new manufacturing concern.

Considerations of industrial noise and environmental impacts also weigh in as determining factors in the selection of a suitable location.

Operating consumables

In the context of a business’s logistics and supply chain function, the selection and procurement of seemingly innocuous consumables and hardware product is worthy of a closer investigation.

In these days of mass production and cost considerations, many workaday consumable items suffer from the “near enough is good enough” syndrome.  A “disposable” culture very often means that the quality and durability of mass production items takes second place to cost.

With bulk consumables like shipping and packaging materials, relying on a good, cheap product may often prove to be a case of false economy.

Waste disposal and workshop upkeep

With increasing emphasis being placed on the environmental footprint of manufacturing and industry, consideration must be given to the concern of pollution and waste product.

The new business owner should familiarize themselves with local and state requirements with regards to the disposal of effluent and waste products, including petrol and oil products, and factory waste such as paper, carboard, and rag products. For the latter products, a 10 gauge steel wire is a common wire product used by commercial and light industry ventures for packaging and baling of cardboard and plastics and should also be considered for the cleaning and upkeep of the shop or factory floor.

Contracts for relevant waste removal and disposal need to be brokered, dependent upon specific manufacturing operations. Products also need to be made available on the factory floor for a routine clean up and for ‘emergency’ purposes.

A range of spill kits and hazardous waste disposal kits are available on the commercial market.

Choosing the right supplier for the task

Whether it be the selection of high-end operating plant and equipment or the purchasing of daily operating lubricants, hardware, and consumable items, a good supplier assessment regimen is key.

A good procurement manager will weigh several key factors in the course of making purchasing decisions.

These key considerations include:

• Product cost
• Product reliability
• Product availability and delivery
• Product support and after-sales service

Irrespective of the scale of the proposed operation, finding reliable suppliers and service providers that takes pride in product quality, delivery, and after-sales support becomes as critical as price, if not more so.