Expansion Satisfaction: Building Out to Streamline Production
Master Builder
As a manufacturing leader, you know that growth is essential for success. But how do you know when it’s time to expand your facility? Here are three signs that it might be time to make the move:
- Your Current Facility Is at or Beyond Capacity
Is your team running back and forth to portable storage units to retrieve supply? Are your managers frustrated with cramped conditions? This can lead to a number of problems, including delays in production, increased costs, safety issues and even lost sales. Building out can help you realign your production and distribution and increase job satisfaction.
- You’re Housing More Materials to Manage Supply Chain Disruptions
Demand isn’t changing, but the availability of product is. Expanding your facility to house more supply will allow you to meet increased demand and keep your customers happy.
- You’re Adding New Systems and Products
If you’re adding new systems and products to your lineup, you’ll need to make sure you have the space to execute them. Expanding your facility will give you the room you need.
Of course, expanding your facility is a big decision. It’s important to carefully consider all of the factors involved before taking the investment on. But if you’re seeing signs that your current facility has reached its limits, expanding is the best way to keep your growth positive.
Here are some additional factors to consider when deciding whether or not to expand your building:
- The timeline to plan and contract with the right builder
- Construction costs, long term savings that could be engineered into the addition
- How will construction impact operations
If you’re considering expanding, it’s important to begin the conversation with a qualified, experienced contractor like Wolverine Building Group. Since 1939, their teams have thoughtfully demonstrated how to successfully expand manufacturing facilities.
Here are some points to cover in your initial conversations with a builder:
- Planning the project. How will they schedule around your workflow? Are there specific needs in the physical building that need accommodation (H3/H4 rooms, Clean Rooms, etc) that will equal better safety and/or profits?
- Do your research. What kind of projects have they accomplished that are similar to yours? What challenges did they encounter and how did they solve them?
- Consider the long-term. Are you building big enough for future growth?
- Get the right team in place. Experienced Project Managers, Engineers and Superintendents make your job easier, make sure you choose a builder that can answer the questions, rather than ask them.
Expanding your operations can be a big undertaking but take a look around you. Have you run out of space? Is your team frustrated by shifting locations, temporary operations? Start the conversation that will transform your building into the space that your team deserves, your product needs and your growth demands.