Co maker

Co maker
See also
World class manufacturing Business improvement Efficient Consumer Response Operational excellence Heijunka Quality management Lean supply chain management Continuous process Customer driven

Co maker (called also co signer) is supplier who delivers materials or components to another company to enable creating the product. Usually there are called also partners or key suppliers . Co-maker idea has its roots in successful cooperation of international production organizations. The supplier and purchaser are chain partners and they deal together manufacturing and delivering processes. Products of such cooperation are usually high quality.

Benefits of cooperation with co maker

Benefits of long term relationship between co market and customer (another company) are coming from involvement, building trust, support and mutual effort to:

• deliver better quality of final product,
• reduce lead times,
• decrease level of inventories,
• produce less quality defects,
• deliver products faster to the market,
• develop detailed specifications,
• develop design,
• improve production,
• keep high-standard capabilities.

Strategic, tactical and operational goals for co maker

Being co maker of company will bring new goals to the co maker enterprise, both strategic and tactical which might be transferred into operational measurements:

• Strategic goals would be meeting or exceeding customer expectations, which will bring integration of both companies,
• Tactical goals would be improving:
  • customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention,
  • reputation and image by offering adequate technology and service,
• Operational goals which should achieve tactical and strategic goals, for example:
  • Average time between failures should not exceed 12h,
  • Unified product performance for all customers,
  • Measurement of issues with running the product.
  • Ratio of delivered components versus commitment,
  • How many times customer had possibility to try product,
  • The rating of training which was performed for customer,
  • Measurement delays in delivery to customer.

Logistic network with co makers

Logistic network is also called logistic chain co-makers, supply chain network, value-added network, production network or procurement network. It is situation when several co makers decided to cooperate - they create so called transcorporate logistics. Such network is usually managed by style called integral logistic management . It sometimes led to inventory model of joint economic lot size (JELS)

Examples of Co maker

• Automotive Parts Supplier: Automotive parts suppliers provide components such as engines, brakes, transmissions, and other components to car manufacturers so that they can assemble vehicles.
• Electronics Manufacturing Services: Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) are companies that provide services such as design, assembly, and testing of electronic products and components. They provide components and services to companies that do not have the resources or expertise to manufacture these products themselves.
• Pharmaceutical Ingredients Supplier: Pharmaceutical ingredients suppliers provide the raw materials and components needed to manufacture drugs and other health products. They provide the active ingredients, excipients, and other components that are used to create these products.
• Food Ingredients Supplier: Food ingredients suppliers provide the raw materials and components needed to create food products. These suppliers provide ingredients such as flavors, colors, stabilizers, preservatives, and other components to food manufacturers.

Limitations of Co maker

A Co maker can have several limitations that can impact the success of the business relationship. These limitations can include:

• Limited resources – A Co maker may lack the necessary resources, such as personnel, equipment, and materials, to meet the demands of the other company.
• Limited flexibility – A Co maker may not be able to adjust their production processes to meet the specific needs of the other company.
• Unreliable delivery – A Co maker may not be able to consistently deliver the materials or components in a timely manner.
• Lack of quality control – A Co maker may not have the necessary quality control processes in place to ensure that the materials and components delivered meet the necessary standards.
• Limited access to new technology – A Co maker may not have access to the latest technology, which can limit the ability of the other company to stay competitive.

Other approaches related to Co maker

Co makers are not only limited to providing materials and components, they can also play a role in many other aspects of the product development process. Here are some other approaches a co maker can take:

• Design and Development – Co makers often provide engineering services for the product such as design, prototyping, and testing. This helps the company to quickly develop the product with fewer resources.
• Manufacturing – Co makers can also assume responsibility for the manufacturing of the product, which can help to save time and money. They can provide access to the latest production technologies and manufacturing processes.
• Supply Chain Management – Co makers can also provide supply chain management services, which involves overseeing the sourcing, production, and delivery of the product. This helps to ensure that the product is delivered to the customer on time and within budget.
• Quality Control – Co makers can also provide quality control services, which involve inspecting and testing the product to ensure that it meets the required standards.

In summary, co makers can play a key role in the product development process, providing not only materials and components, but also design and development, manufacturing, supply chain management, and quality control services.

References

• Anuar K., Kamar M., Hamid Z. A., (2011), Supply Chain Strategy for Contractor in Adopting Industrialised Building System (IBS) in "Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 5(12)"
• Ksatriya A., Dharmanhikari V., Srivastava D., Basak P. C., (2017), Strategic performance measurement using balanced scorecard: A case of machine tool industry in "Foundations of Management, Vol. 9 (2017)"
• Schönsleben P., (2016), Integral Logistics Management: Planning and Control of Comprehensive Supply Chains, Second Edition, CRC Press
• United States. Office of the Federal Register, (2000), Code of Federal Regulations: 2000, U.S. General Services Administration, National Archives and Records Service, Office of the Federal Register
• Vijayashree M., Uthayakumar R., (2016), An integrated vendor and buyer inventory model with investment for quality improvement and setup cost reduction

Author: Anna Piechnik