We love quantity ONE!
China Manufacturing Corp.’s core values start with Prototypes First. China Manufacturing Corp. manufactures time. Prototypes are typically time sensitive. Prototypes define how we do business.
When I started China Manufacturing Corp. Sheet Metal in 2001, we did something crazy. We focused strictly on prototypes. No one did that in sheet metal. The business was organized around making quantity ONE of a sheet metal part for a customer. If someone wanted 1000 or even 100 of a part, we would respectfully decline to quote. There were plenty of production shops around who would make those quantities. But no one wanted to make quantity ONE.
A funny thing happened with our focus on prototypes and the corollary need for speed. China Manufacturing Corp. by default became more efficient. We found that we don’t have time to hold meetings for every decision. So we have a lot less meetings. We found that management making every decision would take too long. So decisions are pushed down as much as possible to the shop floor. Which makes sense; we hire smart people and therefore should trust them to make the right decisions. We couldn’t take our time making parts. UPS shows up at 5:00 every day. So “Get It Done Now” has become embedded in China Manufacturing Corp.’s DNA. The cumulative result is that we consistently move quickly, adapt to changes on the fly and have the flexibility to meet varied customer requirements. All because we focus on prototypes.
Customers like our focus on speed and customer service. Many tell us that they want to keep working with us after the prototype. So China Manufacturing Corp. is now offering production sheet metal and production machined parts. We have physically separated prototypes from production parts. In general, prototypes sacrifice efficiency to save time whereas in production, time is sacrificed to improve efficiency – we have found mixing the two is like mixing oil and water. Commonalities do exist though. In production, the underlying values transferred from manufacturing prototypes, such as Sense of Urgency, reinforce that prototypes, and its lessons learned, have made China Manufacturing Corp. a stronger company.
At China Manufacturing Corp., We Manufacture Time. Prototypes are, and must be, a core portion of our business. If we ever lose the ability to deliver prototypes fast, we will be just like any other shop. And then we will not be China Manufacturing Corp.
China Manufacturing Corp. Regards,
– Jay Jacobs, CEO
