Hitaltech explains how a chance meeting helped a customer reduce hassle, labour, storage and costs.
In 2016, Energy Technology and Control’s manufacturing and supply chain manager, Julian Newton-Turner, met Hitaltech at Southern Manufacturing. Julian was looking for pad printed connectors for the company’s burner safety controls.
Julian explained: “We were buying in connectors, sorting them and sending them to a local pad print company, 1,000 a time per different type. On their return we held them in stock but minimum runs went to 5,000 total pieces. We use 23 different connectors. For a business that runs lean, that was an awful lot of stock to be carrying.”
Switching was not simple as ETC’s CE and UL approved controls required approved connectors.
Julian continued: “Hitaltech explained they had approved connectors and could pad print. They keep them in stock and can restock us quickly, which makes us more responsive. I was paying £2 per connector and 25p for printing. Now I get the printed connector at less than the previous cost of the connector alone. When you get through a couple of thousand a year for most lines, and have 20-plus lines, that soon adds up.”
Julian estimated the switch saved ETC up to £10k per year in pad printing alone, but the switch to Hitaltech did more than cut costs.
Julian concluded: “Our partnership with Hitaltech fits the way we work and enables us to run lean, meet our supply chain commitments and avoid the hassle and inefficiency of carrying large stocks. When the connectors arrive, we just use them. I don’t need to think about anything else or pay a premium for short order parts.”
ETC’s relationship with Hitaltech also includes enclosures, with the supplier involved in the development of a new product, including the customisation and printing of the enclosure.