The value of having stock on hand at Utemaster

Utemaster, Thames – Success Story

“Since we’ve implemented QUICKSTOCK, it’s given us lots more time to spend on the things that really matter.”

Josh from Utemaster explains how having stock on hand gives their team more time to focus on adding value where it matters most.

 

 

Tell us about Utemaster

At Utemaster, we’re making premium aluminium ute accessories for the Australasian market.

Whether it be a hard lid, an aluminium canopy, or one of our large service bodies, we make them right here in the beautiful Waikato.

We’re making all of our product in New Zealand with a workforce of close to 90 staff across New Zealand and Australasia.

 

HOW DID YOU MANAGE CONSUMABLE INVENTORY BEFORE QUICKSTOCK?

Before QUICKSTOCK, it was always that bit of a laughing joke, you know, we’ve run out of the sanding pads again.

We’re using these day in, day out and multiple people have a sanding disc on the end of their sander or grinder.

To have them run out means that they’re not adding value to the product that we’re making. Previously we’d run into issues all the time.

 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO USE QUICKSTOCK?

QUICKSTOCK’s really improved our business by ensuring that we never run out of anything.

Making sure the team who are doing the fabrication work, doing the final assembly tasks and who are adding value to our products, they never run out of the consumable items.

Since we’ve implemented QUICKSTOCK, it’s given us lots more time to spend on the things that really matter. Right from admin time through to the reality of the people on the shop floor doing the work.

It means we’re not spending hours a week on ordering, receiving, managing different purchase orders and putting the stock away.

It’s literally now minutes a month where we’re just checking the cabinet stock is there, we’re talking with the team to see if there is anything they want to add or remove, and checking within the online dashboard to see what we’re ordering on a monthly basis.

HOW DOES THE QUICKSTOCK SYSTEM WORK FOR YOU?

The way that we use Quickstock is that we have it right in the centre of our factory. Everybody is allowed access to it. The cabinets are unlocked.

We run a really high trust model, so if you’re needing a replacement pair of gloves or a new pair of welding gloves or glasses, the team can help themselves.

We make sure everybody has the tools that they need, when they need them, where they need them.

And the trust comes in that, once a month, the replenishers come, they do a full cycle count and make sure we never run out. And it just makes it so easy for us. We trust that the team will come in and do the replenishments.

Orders will come and refill the cabinet stock, and if it’s not here, I can easily pick up the phone, talk to one of the sales team, and very quickly, overnight for us, get a delivery the next day and open it up and give it to the team.

 

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE QUICKSTOCK SOLUTION TO OTHER ENGINEERING COMPANIES?

A lot of the products in the Quickstock system are really high quality. We use them right across fabrication environments. We really are putting them in a hard aluminium dust environment, so a lot of the PPE equipment is top notch.

Also, things like our sanding discs and our grinding discs, everything that we use on the end of a grinder or sander, proves the test of time when it comes to the consumable lifespan.

So Quickstock just improved the business right down to who’s doing the actual value-add job. It means that they’ve always got what they need at their fingertips.

We know that the trust in the system, everything’s replenished, everything’s on the shelf ready to go.

We know that the trust in the system and there’ll be an order come in sometime. Half the time we just forget about it because it’s just so trustworthy.

So I’d definitely recommend the Quickstock system to other manufacturers.

If you’re wanting to spend the multiple hours a week you’re managing orders and consumables and put it elsewhere within your business, I highly recommend going and talking with someone at Euromarc today.

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