BDS Case Study: Optimisation of the Supply Chain

Supply chains are crucial to businesses, enabling them to keep a steady flow of products moving into the hands of their customers. Manufacturing simply wouldn’t be possible without the right supply chains to keep operations going, but many businesses neglect the fact that their supply chains could be flawed.

Companies like Pegrex can help with the optimisation of the supply chain that powers your business. Big Dog Styles (BDS) is a great example of this work, but how exactly can a supply chain be improved to increase your company’s revenue?

 

The Problem

BDS is a company that is specialised in providing head collars for large and giant dogs, with a wide variety of unique products. Originally, BDS was sourcing one of its components from China, but long lead times and high costs were making it difficult for the company to rely on their supply chain.

Providing a sample to give Pegrex something to go on, BDS approached the company looking to move their metal components manufacturing operation to the UK. But they also wanted to reduce the costs of their operation at the same time.

 

The Solution

With access to a sample, the engineers at Pegrex quickly determined that the methods being used to make BDS’s products required expensive tooling. This wasn’t required, though, and Pegrex was able to create a flat component to do the same job with much lower costs. It is often the case that parts can be made using standard tooling rather than having to invest in custom components.

Once a handful of new samples were provided to BDS, it was time for changes to be made. 3D printing is used at this point in the process, enabling Pegrex to supply precise samples that can be used to create basic prototypes. While these parts are made of plastic, their dimensions are the same as the finished product, making them extremely useful for testing.

The Outcome

It didn’t take long for BDS to accept a 3D printed sample, agreeing to commence manufacturing with Pegrex. Using laser cutting and simple metal pressing techniques, Pegrex was able to produce parts at the same cost as those from China, only without long lead times and large batches.

This has made it possible for BDS to improve their range of products, offer higher quality products, and have more input during the design process of its metal parts. The benefits of optimisation of the supply chain will continue into the future and as the business grows.

Manufacturing is a challenging field, and many businesses end up wasting money when they don’t know what they are doing. While BDS has a wealth of experience with dog products, it can be difficult for a company like this to improve their production processes on their own. Pegrex is always happy to help with this sort of project, with a team of experts waiting to help you with your manufacturing problem.

Final Thoughts

How could optimising the manufacturing process benefits the workflow of your company? Click here to read how Pegrex can reverse engineer and optimise the manufacturing process while offering a low-cost solution for your component needs and wants.