Whether you are an engineer or manufacturer, finding reliable and rare industrial parts can be a great challenge. Especially after COVID-19, supply chains were significantly disrupted, leading to project delays, increased costs, and dissatisfied customers. However, with the right strategies and tips, sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts becomes a breeze. Keep on reading to learn all the tips and tricks!
Risks of Not Finding the Right Industrial Part
When an industry runs out of industrial parts, it faces challenges such as production stoppages, high expenses, and reduced efficiency. Let’s discuss these in detail:
- Production Blocks: Industries around the world are focusing on increasing their production capacities to cater to customer demands. However, without key industrial parts, your manufacturing lines can grind to a halt. You might not be able to launch products on time, hence losing market competitiveness and potential revenue.
- High Expenses: When manufacturers run out of rare industrial parts, they are forced to deal with suppliers that may not be reliable, resulting in counterfeit components and emergency shipping costs. All this can dent business reputation and increase already exacerbated expenses.
- Safety and Compliance Issues: Businesses that fail to source hard-to-find industrial parts often have to work with alternative temperature and mismatched fixes. This can lead to compliance issues, ultimately resulting in heavy fines, penalties, and accidents.
Tips for Sourcing Hard-to-Find Industrial Parts
Now that you are aware of the potential challenges associated with not sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts, you must be looking for some effective tips to handle that. If yes, here are the strategies to follow:
Use Sales Forecast
A sales forecast helps you identify which products are popular and at what time, making it a great solution for sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts. You can use the sales patterns to understand the components you need to create those products or machinery in the future. This enables you to find reliable suppliers and place your orders in a timely manner, so they can source the components in the desired volume, ensuring a speedy time-to-market.
To get sales forecasts, you can either work by hiring an external consultant or a forecasting agency. They prepare accurate sales forecasting models by providing insights into market trends and competitor analysis. You can also utilize tools like HubSpot Sales Hub or Pipedrive to gain a deeper understanding of your customer interactions.
For instance, your sales team, using the HubSpot Sales Tool, might find that orders for hydraulic pumps surge every summer, from July to September, due to demand in the construction industry. You can then predict that the spare parts for these, such as valves and bearings, will also be in demand. Getting them at the last moment could be difficult, prompting you to order at least 6 months in advance.
Diversify Your Supplier Network
Another way for sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts is to diversify your supplier network. If all your suppliers are in the same region, any issue in that area can disrupt the supply of components.
Let’s say you procure PLC systems from China, and there are issues at the Port of Shanghai, such as congestion or restrictions (which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic).
You will then not receive the required industrial parts on time, which will dent business growth. Therefore, ensure you have suppliers in regions across the globe, so that even when one route is blocked, you can still obtain the components on time.
Network With Industry Communities
Sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts also requires proper networking and connections within the field. Experts from communities often have insights into reliable suppliers and potential pitfalls to avoid when looking for components.
You can get referrals as well as the best places to find rare spare parts, ensuring your production efficiency is at its peak. Statistics show that 84% of B2B decision-makers initiate the buying process with a referral.
To find such communities, you can be part of professional associations and attend industry events. Other than that, you can also be part of Facebook groups relevant to your niche and seek professional advice.
Search for Refurbished Options
Well, sometimes your supplier might discontinue an industrial part that is critical for your business. Finding alternatives can lead to compliance issues, while redesigning at that stage might be expensive. In such a scenario, you should look for suppliers dealing with refurbished components.
They might have a huge stock of the desired component that you can obtain at a lower cost by refurbishing it. This is especially helpful for motors, drives, and control systems that are no longer in production.
Get in Touch with Local Suppliers
Don’t overlook your local suppliers, as they can be important for your industrial operations. They can provide you with time-sensitive parts, allowing you to complete your project on time and enjoy low shipping costs. Other than that, they also ensure good communication and proper attention, as they have fewer clients than international suppliers.
Things to Do After Sourcing Hard-To-Find Industrial Parts
If you have been successful in sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts, here are some suggestions to consider for their quality check:
- Conduct a detailed visual examination of the industrial part to check it for visible defects or cosmetic issues.
- Make sure the quantity of components received matches the order specifications.
- Verify the authenticity of materials via hardness and chemical tests to ensure they perform as expected in the application.
- Document all inspection results, including any non-conformity or discrepancies, for future records.
FAQs
Why are some industrial parts hard to find?
Some industrial parts are hard to find because of limited regional availability, discontinuation by manufacturers, and overall global supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic or other conflicts.
How to verify the authenticity of rare parts?
To verify the authenticity of rare parts, you should always work with reliable suppliers. In addition, you should ask them for quality certifications, warranty, and test reports before purchasing.
Where to buy obsolete industrial parts?
To buy obsolete industrial parts, you should contact reliable suppliers, visit auction sites, and get suggestions from industry experts.
Conclusion
Sourcing hard-to-find industrial parts can become easy if you are aware of all the tips and tricks. Wondering where you can get the best parts for your industrial projects? Look no further than Enicstra! We have a wide range of manufacturers and offer a warranty, so you stay assured that you are getting quality products for your investment.