Having a robust supply chain is critical to keeping your business running at peak efficiency. fuelcellmaterials understands the challenges and opportunities associated with robust supply chain management and will work closely with you to meet your supply chain needs. Whether it’s material inventory management, cost reduction, or flexible supply agreements, FCM is ready and willing to create a framework that meets your needs.
Mitigating Risk
The management of risk is at the heart of a quality supply chain. Risk can manifest itself in many ways, from having delays on raw materials to tying up cash flow at inopportune times. FCM is prepared to set up flexible blanket orders with weekly, monthly, quarterly shipments to ensure you have sufficient material in your inventory at all times. We also maintain strict inventory thresholds to make sure that, if you have an unexpected bump in your demand, we have you covered. We have conducted business in this way with many customers in the fuel cell and alternative energy markets for many years.
We can help get your company ready for demands that come with launching new products before it’s too late.
Understanding the Challenges You’ll Face as You Grow
Every company learns early on that challenges do not go away as you grow, they change. For many companies in emerging industries, that means going from developing technology and products to scaling manufacturing and managing inventory. FCM understands these challenges and how to address them for future growth.
One of the last things you want to happen is, once you’ve developed your technology, you have to change material suppliers because they cannot scale to meet your future needs. FCM uses processes that can be scaled to tonnage volumes quickly. So, as your material needs evolve from 1 Kg to 1,000 Kg, FCM uses the same process, ensuring there are no surprises along the way.
An added benefit to these larger batches of material is that it reduces the amount of time needed for incoming quality control. Incoming material verification can be a nuisance, especially if your company has to conduct it every time a shipment arrives. With the larger lots that FCM will inventory, monthly deliveries come from the same lot, which cuts down on QC needs.
Efficient and Effective
One thing that we learned early on in our existence is that batching material takes a lot of time. Depending on the process and number of materials, this could take hours to complete. We noticed that it would be much easier if our raw materials were delivered in premeasured containers instead of large drums. We decided the same may be the case for our customers as well. As we work with companies that are utilizing our large batch manufacturing process, FCM works to identify the correct packaging to reduce handling from a manufacturing side.
Updated packaging can shave minutes or hours out of your manufacturing process.
Always Innovating
Your company is always innovating to ensure you stay at the top of your industry; FCM is committed to the same goal. We are always working to create the next material or component that has a positive benefit for you and your business. Whether it’s adding better particle size distribution to meet new CTE constraints or to match a protective coating, FCM continues to find ways to make your life easier.