Where to expand your manufacturing capability

Realizing you’re ready to expand your manufacturing capability is a great feeling. It means you’re doing it right. You make a good product or products. You deliver top-notch service. You have steady customers you can rely on for revenue. And it’s time to level up.

Creating space to expand your manufacturing capabilities.

The “obvious way” would be to find a bigger facility, but that takes time and a sizable investment. The second most obvious way would be to build onto your existing site, but again, there’s that “time and money” barrier again.

A less obvious, incredibly easy and overnight way of creating more space to expand your manufacturing capabilities is to reclaim space currently being used as a cost centre instead of a revenue generator. And the place to start is your containers.

Moving your container storage, maintenance and washing offsite will immediately unlock significant square footage of previously unmonetized floor space.

And unlike looking for a bigger space or building onto your existing space, outsourcing container management will save you money when you factor in the opportunity costs and downtime expenses caused by the container in your fleet that is going to fail you at some point in the next year. This won’t happen if all your containers are being monitored by Container Pros.

Six ways to use your newly reclaimed space.

When your containers are moved out and processed at Container Pros HQ, you’ll stare at the previously hijacked space now free, clear and ready to work for you. Your mind will start racing with possibility, so think carefully before acting. Consider these directions as part of your decision-making.

Bring on a new product.

What aren’t you producing right now that you should or could be? What have your customers expressed interest in? What’s trending in the industries you serve and how can you get in front of those trends? This is your chance to get creative. Take it.

Scale up production of an existing product.

What’s your number-one seller? Could you sell more of it into more markets? What’s your #2 seller and could it become your #1 seller with a bit of a push? What’s your newest offering, and is it good enough to warrant additional investment? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” this is a strategy worth considering.

Level up your technology.

This could look like investing in new machinery to augment or improve your process. It could be beefing up on-premises server space to integrate more AI into your operations.

These last three ways are a bit different.

Expanding your manufacturing capacity doesn’t always have to mean adding physical capabilities. By thinking outside the traditional factory mindset, you could get more out of your expertise and/or your people. And you could become a leader in your industry.

Create a consultancy.

If you were to use the reclaimed space to set up a boardroom and a couple of offices, you could add to your manufacturing capability with strategic services to support your clients with more than just production.

You could be helping clients plan out their next five years. You could be adding tremendous value to that plan with perspectives you’ve gained working with other clients. You can charge accordingly for that experience and expertise. And then you can do the manufacturing.

Start a mentorship program.

Turn the reclaimed space into a classroom so you can tap into the next generation of experts in the kind of manufacturing you do. The added benefit is that the young people you bring in will probably know about things you don’t, so you’ll be learning along with them.

Invest in your people.

One often overlooked way to expand your manufacturing capabilities is to create an environment that inspires your people to want to work harder for you. Maybe it’s an on-site gym and scheduled time for your people to work out? Maybe it’s an on-site daycare so the parents in your workforce aren’t frazzled every afternoon? Or maybe it’s as simple as a swanky staff lounge. You know what your people need. This could be your chance to give it to them.

But before you do anything with that reclaimed space…

Take a few months to chart the savings you’ll enjoy when container management is taken off your hands. Note the smaller water and electricity bills. See less lost revenue from downtime. Be thankful for more revenue potential from being a more reliable partner to your clients. And be excited about the better reputation you’re earning every day by addressing the “when-not-if” realities of container failure.

You may have more to invest in your new space than you think.