by Natalie Edwards

Mike Christie Sheetmetals Ltd, Palmerston North - Success Story

 

‘It just looked like an obvious solution to help us out. It was a no brainer for us.’

 

We talk with Wayne Lewis, General Manager at Mike Christie Sheetmetals about how QUICKSTOCK helps with keeping lean overheads and has improved their bottom line.

Tell us a bit about Mike Christie Sheetmetals...

Mike Christie Sheetmetals was formed 36 years ago. We are 15 strong in our workforce. We are mainly involved in the construction and transport industry, and what our big focus is, is the company continuing to innovate, and part and parcel of that we employ a lot of apprentices. We’re very committed to training people for the industry.

How did you manage consumable stock inventory before QUICKSTOCK?

Before QuickStock, what was supposed to happen was as the guys notice low stock levels they note it on a whiteboard and then we would order it when we needed it. Human nature mean that that didn’t always happen, so we were often ordering on demand. We tried to do it at the start of the month, but that just doesn’t always happen.

What led you to exploring your options in how you managed consumable stock inventory?

We run the company with the leanest overhead possible, so anything that offers the opportunity to do the job for us by outsourcing, we’re interested in. So when Euromarc offered the opportunity, we ran with it.

What made you decide to give the QUICKSTOCK solution a go?

We are New Zealand’s largest ute deck manufacturer, we got to that point because we keep trying new things. It just looked like an obvious solution to help us out. It was a no brainer for us.

Were there any hurdles with getting used to QUICKSTOCK?

We had no hurdles getting used to QuickStock. Euromarc gave us our previous usage, we stocked it with what we thought we needed, we adjusted it along the way. It was very simple.

How would you say QUICKSTOCK has improved your business?

QuickStock has definitely improved our bottom line. We’re not worrying about re-stocking something as mundane as consumables. One less hassle, and one less worry.

 

‘'I suppose the big thing for us is that with a lot of guys, and a geographical footprint of a large workshop, we don’t want to have guys walking all around the workshop looking for consumables. So they’re trying to find one on somebody else’s bench or they have to shoot down to a shop to get what they need. So with the QuickStock we have it there as available so they know exactly where to go, so they can grab what they need and we’re good to go.' 

-Jim McCarten, Production Manager

Would you recommend the QUICKSTOCK solution to other engineering companies?

I would recommend it to other engineering companies reluctantly on the basis that it makes them more competitive as well, but there’s no reason not to take this on board.