Plant tours: Don’t slip on the hype

Everyone says that the first impression is the one that lasts, so if you’re a purchasing professional, most suppliers will want to schedule you for an overview of their company, and then go on a plant tour. As sourcing folks we all have had to do audits of some type, and a plant tour is like a mini-audit. The suppliers are trying to show you the best side of their business and you would like to see both what is wrong with it, and what works for you. 

If you are an expert on their core strengths asking pointed questions will be simple, but if you not, below are some tips I find that work for me.

• Follow the process flow
  • Start with order entry
  • End with shipping.

1. This is the long way around and I don’t recommend for executives.
2. But offers you clear line of progression and may help to identify gaps.

• When you walk the floor
  • Most companies will post their metrics for Quality/ Delivery
    • I tend to dig into one of them
      • Ask them to see what they did
      • Ask to show the  scares or quality root cause
      • Basically have them walk you through the actions they took and what other effects did it have.
  • Have them show you calibration stickers
  • Have them talk about in-line quality vs quality assurance.
  • Talk about LEAN and compliance with you industries certifications (IE ISO)
  • Talk about MTL processes
  • Production flow (what is it, and why is that good)
  • Ask questions!
    • They want to show off
    • This is a good opportunity if you are not an expert on the process you can get a free lesson

This is certainly not everything I look at, but enough to get you a good tour. I tend to make a checklist for myself so I hit the areas that are important to me. This is also good if you are visiting multiple suppliers so you can go back and compare. I like to ask simple questions and let them expand on explanations. They don’t want to show you their problem areas, but if you let them go they often will mention them. 

Let me know if you have other tips for folks by commenting below. Good luck!