SECURING THE U.S. SUPPLY CHAIN

Online Jobs, In-Shop Solutions

Online sourcing platforms like Xometry, Fictiv and Orderfox host global databases that connect buyers to thousands of part makers. Manufacturers can freely search for CNC work both locally and globally, filtering for jobs that suit their capabilities and areas of expertise, while buyers can confidently submit work knowing that it will be taken on by thoroughly vetted and qualified manufacturers.

The online sourcing process removes much of the hassle of quoting work. Xometry, for example, uses machine learning to calculate the likely cost and time needed to machine a part before the manufacturers ever see a CAD file. This means that by the time buyer and seller make first contact, both sides can already be confident in both the price and the shop’s ability to supply the part.

While some may chafe at the idea of letting a computer program filter potential business, the platform it provides for showcasing a shop’s capabilities is worthwhile. For example, landing aerospace work often depends on making personal connections and slowly proving yourself over years. Using an online procurement platform, the buyers can trust that your shop has been vetted and can manufacture the parts to spec, bypassing years of legwork.

Shielding Against Uncertainty

Another major advantage of using these platforms is the protection it offers from changing economic concerns. Because Xometry, Fictiv and Orderfox are constantly routing work to thousands of part manufacturers, it improves the capacity for part buyers to connect to more part makers. They facilitate connections that otherwise might not have occurred, making jobs that are perfect for your shop available when they otherwise could have passed you by.

Additionally, by providing a platform for machine shops to make connections with part buyers, it also insulates shops from falling into ruts. If, for example, a job shop that makes automotive parts experiences a slowdown in work because of factors affecting that industry, work sourced from these platforms can fill the gap. Importantly, both the customer and the shop can be sure that the work will fit the shop’s skills and equipment.

For another example, these marketplaces offer buyers the ability to quickly establish new supply chains makes both buyers and sellers. If one region is experiencing a supply bottlenecks, buyers can quickly find capable shops to complete work in another region. Both buyers and sellers can improve the flexibility of their operations, adjusting their work to the economic conditions affecting them.

Essentially, these platforms offer a degree of predictability to job shops. A steady stream of work that has been vetted to be well within your capabilities can make income more reliable.

Fully Online Job Shops

But sourcing platforms are not alone in tackling the future of supply chains. Some job shops like Plethora of San Francisco, California, have taken to on-demand online job sourcing. The company uses an online system similar in functionality to the above companies, but instead of a cloud of interconnected suppliers, the shop tackles orders itself.

Customers can upload a CAD file to the company’s online store, and its in-house automation system will program two-thirds of the toolpath automatically. The toolpath is checked over by skilled CAM programmers who finish the toolpaths before sending the job down to the machines. This system is the result of a collaboration between traditional machinists and on-staff mathematicians. Just as physical automation is designed to free up time for shopfloor personnel, this system automates tasks like programming simple toolpaths and procuring work, freeing up skilled workers to accomplish more tasks and bring in more work.

These are only some of the online tools available to manufacturers looking to grow their customer base and find more work.