Due to scattered orders and weak economies of scale, small-batch processing is prone to cost control dilemmas. A refined control strategy can be established from four dimensions: process, materials, technology, and accounting:
Firstly, optimize the production process and reduce ineffective costs. By combining similar orders to minimize equipment changeover frequency, establish an internal information sharing platform, and achieve real-time synchronization of procurement, production, and quality inspection progress, we can avoid production stagnation caused by material shortages. Additionally, implement sampling quality inspection during the process to reduce the time and material waste associated with finished product rework.
Secondly, precise control of materials is essential to reduce procurement and loss costs. The procurement team should establish long-term cooperation with high-quality suppliers, consolidate scattered small-batch demands to obtain discounts through bulk procurement, and implement on-demand procurement for customized or special materials to avoid inventory backlog and aging losses.
Thirdly, optimize process testing to balance cost and quality. Conduct DFM/DFA process reviews before production to intercept design defects at the source. Adopt a hierarchical testing system, replacing high-cost customized fixtures with AOI automatic optical inspection. Only perform X-Ray inspection on first-article products with complex packaging such as BGA, to avoid excessive testing and increased costs.
Fourth, implement refined cost accounting and precise cost control. Adopt the batch method or full-process control method to accumulate costs. For example, for machining enterprises with multiple outsourced processes, each process is treated as an independent material unit, allowing for clear tracking of material, labor, and outsourcing costs for each order, thus avoiding control blind spots caused by chaotic cost allocation.
Metalstar looks forward to collaborating with you!