Becoming a Next-Gen Supplier
Becoming a Next-Gen Supplier
How VMS Meetings Customers' Ever-Changing Needs
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are changing — or they should be if they want to keep up with their customers' evolving needs and expectations. Increasingly, clients are demanding more from an OEM when it comes to services, delivery times, and cost savings. What's more, they want to feel like their supplier can be trusted to provide high-quality service, especially on complex jobs.
Supplier vs Partner
With end-to-end service offerings, VMS is a different kind of supplier. So much so, that the very word
"supplier" feels a little constraining to some.
“I don't think the word 'supplier' truly reflects all we do. We work closely with our
customers from the very beginning of the relationship through final product delivery.
We're really more like a trusted partner.”
Jean Horvath, GM of Custom & Speciality Products at Vollrath Manufucturing Services
looking for. Our clients often seek us out because their project is complex, and they're looking for an
OEM with the resources and knowledge to help improve the design and quality of the part before
beginning production.
Offering a Superior, Streamlined Experience
Because VMS fulfills both the supplier and partner roles, we're in a unique position to not only meet the
needs of our customers, but go above and beyond.
We offer a robust suite of services in-house, which all work together to offer a smooth, cost-effective
manufacturing experience:
• Engineering Design Consulting that helps customers design products for manufacturability
• Manufacturing Capabilities, including deep draw, custom tooling, anodizing, and more
• Support Services, including project and inventory management
“We do more for our clients than what's typical of other suppliers. That includes
having honest, realistic conversations with customers up front about the design of
their product and what it takes to manufacture it."
Jean Horvath, GM of Custom & Speciality Products at Vollrath Manufucturing Services
Here at VMS, our approach is methodical and thorough. We spend a decent amount of time refining the
design and production plan at the start of every project, which allows us to work through any potential
setbacks and solve them before a product is in production. When we work with a customer from the very
beginning, there's less of a chance that a project will get delayed as information is shared at every stage
of the process.
Customers that work with smaller shops will have a different experience, which may impact the timeline,
budget, and quality of the project — or all three.
"Customers that work with job shops will often have longer timelines because there's a lot of back-and-forth among different service providers. Or, a smaller shop may not have the resources available to provide the most efficient solution. Not to mention shipping the product from one place to another along the supply chain."
Bill Engler, Director of Sales at Vollrath Manufacturing Services
domestic manufacturers with the capabilities to do everything in-house, like VMS. When you consider
the cost of international shipping, and the communication challenges that arise when multiple time
zones are involved, it makes sense that a domestic, full-service supplier could deliver significant
peace of mind.
Altogether, it's easy to see how VMS can transform complex, expensive projects into a smooth,
streamlined process.
Change with the Change
Vollrath has a unique perspective as an OEM and manufacturer for others in the industry. Thanks to
decades of experience with a wide range of clientele from a collection of different industries, we've
pretty much seen it all. It's easy for us to anticipate where challenges may arise, and get ahead of
them before they do.
This does not mean, however, that we sit back and rely on past success to drive us forward. We're
constantly tracking the market and evaluating changes in the industry to ensure we have the most
accurate and up-to-date knowledge to share with customers.
“We always need to be ready to change and adapt. It helps us build stronger relationships with our customers by providing them with the solutions they really need."
Jean Horvath, GM of Custom & Speciality Products at Vollrath Manufucturing Services
Work With Us
We provide custom manufacturing and engineering design consulting, standard and made-to-order parts, and custom tool fabrication.