OCTOBER 27, 2010 – CHARLOTTE, NC – The Internet is a marvelous thing. Having the ability to communicate immediately within a medium that allows for such an abundance of knowledge and information is really changing the way we live. One of the changes most often missed, but oh so affecting brought on by the information age is the impact on manufacturing.We are quickly going from the age of mass production to a time of individualized production that meets the customer’s specific needs. No longer is it necessary to purchase 10,000 pieces of a standard part that will be useful to everybody and their uncle. Sure the product for everybody is still the proverbial pot of gold at the end of rainbow. But now the discerning consumer is no longer looking for something lined up by the thousands on the store shelf. They want the one of a kind - their own custom product.
And the fantastic thing about it is that because of the Internet the discerning customer is finding fulfillment in their quest. With the plethora of custom production resources like Shortrunpro.com, Spoonflower.com, Ustandard.com and others dealing with all major product categories, the online buyer has a custom selection that is almost endless.
We recently serviced a customer who purchased some plastic file holders that used magnetic strips to attach to metal surfaces. These file holders was purchased from the catalog of a nationwide office supply store. The holders were an imported product that was likely warehoused by the hundreds by the supply store. Unfortunately, after one night the adhesives used to attach the magnetic strip to the plastic container broke bond and the container fell to the floor. The issue results from poor engineering and a weak product made in mass.
Disappointed and frustrated since the plastic tabs broke off on the container making it useless, the customer began searching for a better mousetrap. What they found was more than a mousetrap. They realized after using Short Run Pro’s custom part design application that they could design the exact part that they needed and we could even place their logo on it in laser etching.
It really does not cost that much more to find fulfillment in buying opportunities. Our example customer paid just over 50% more for their custom products than they did for the cheap plastic file holders. But along with the 50% more they received a solid metal holder, self designed, personalized and made entirely in the USA. They learned something too - you get what you pay for and sometimes you don’t have to pay that much more to get exactly what you want, even with a little personalization! The Internet is a marvelous thing indeed.
