Houston, All Systems Are A Go!

They say “it takes a village to raise a child,” but did you know it takes a team to launch a project? As we move into 2022, Apex Spring and Stamping is going to continue to focus on innovative technology and advancing our capabilities as a company. In order for us to elevate our services and successfully launch projects, it’s going to take commitment and the expertise of every team and department. Our cross-functional teams have developed launch procedures that not only set projects up for success but ensure seamless workflows resulting in on-time deliveries. How does our process work? Let’s take a deeper look.

 As soon as a quote is received, the launch process begins. Sales and Engineering activate conversations throughout departments to gain insight on lead times, materials needed, etc. Once this is established internally, we communicate with our suppliers to get an accurate and cost-effective quote. With the current state of the supply chain, urgency in this process is vital. Quotes from our suppliers may only be available for 24 hours before pricing changes. This is a hurdle we face daily and have confidently learned to navigate to meet our customer’s expectations. This is possible without the expertise, motivation, and dedication of our Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Quality team members.

Quality is our next area of focus in the launch process. Although we are always thinking about quality, we have specific tactics and standards in place that ensure the entire launch is executed accurately. Before products are manufactured, our Quality Team analyzes all drawings, specifications, and customer requirements to establish process parameters. It is during this time that all measuring capabilities are also reviewed to determine if new equipment will be required in order to verify part integrity. This system allows us to take a more proactive approach so we can confidently deliver on every order.

All the while our Purchasing Department is working diligently behind the scenes to locate the required resources for the most competitive prices. The recent shift in raw material availability along with hefty price increases have shown us how invaluable our purchasing team’s supplier relationships are, especially during these unprecedented times.

With many moving parts, our launch meeting is where everything comes together. It is during this meeting, we discuss and review the part in whole along with however element of the process affects the process. The designated Customer Service Rep sits down with the Project Manager to bring all of the research, quotes, and elements together to create the part in Apex’s internal system. Once all is approved, “Houston, all systems are a go!” The production process begins and all of the final details, such as shipping locations and quantities, are confirmed.

Without these checks and balances, Apex would not be able to provide our quality products to our customers at competitive prices. There are many more benchmarks that must be met before our products can be shipped to the final end-user but this is how it all begins. Our team is dedicated and committed to quality production in West Michigan Manufacturing. 

Whitney Ulrich
Quality Engineer/SQE
Apex Spring and Stamping

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