SUPPORTIVE PROCESSES

When selective thrust washers, shims or spacers are required, there are many cases where volumes outside the “heart” of the part number usage are not as high. Because steel suppliers require relatively large steel minimum purchases, and customers may not always have demand for the equivalent volumes of parts made from the minimum steel purchase,  we have vertically integrated to include steel reduction in our portfolio. If there are situations that arise where we have steel that is close in thickness, we have the ability to reduce its thickness, allowing for smaller volumes of spacers, shims or thrust washers to be produced. This allows our customer:

• Reduced Lead-times
• Lower Min Order Qty
• Supply Chain Flexibility
• Reduced Inventory

• No one knows the struggles of forecasting selective thrust washers, spacers and shims like Northern Industrial. Having extensive experience with selective products, we have become a highly critical supplier to our customers who have traditionally had a very difficult time maintaining their supply on selective thrust products.

Leveraging our relationships and communications with the customer, we have become accustomed to vendor managed inventory. Customers like General Motors, Chrysler and ZF have looked to us to ensure their assembly lines are stocked.  Although forecasts for tomorrow are not known today, they entrust Northern Industrial Manufacturing to take their data and forecast on their behalf. There are many benefits to our vendor managed inventory programs, some of the greatest values we provide are:

• Product Availability
• Inventory Reduction
• Customer Through Put
• Reduction in Slow Moving and Obsolete Materials
• Supply Chain Flexibility
• Reduced Non Value Labor Hours
• Reduced Air Freight Expenses
• Reduction in Stress
• Happier Employees