The benefits of a Partnership Program with your Transformer manufacturer

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global supply chain has faced unprecedented and complex challenges. For manufacturers, these supply chain challenges have caused considerable disruption, exposed risk, and have driven many to reconsider their existing methods of reshoring and moving manufacturing. 

As companies continue to navigate the issues in the evolving global supply chain, and as industries that invested heavily in outsourcing, offshoring and lean manufacturing continue to experience dramatic increases in risk, the need to protect against serious and costly supply chain disruptions is paramount.

APPLY TODAY!

This is especially true for transformer manufacturers. For many transformer manufacturers, finding materials to build their products used to be a fairly straightforward task of calling suppliers and placing orders. But, with the disruptions caused by the pandemic negatively impacting supply, and with demand being driven by natural disasters, such as the forest fires currently plaguing many parts of North America, manufacturers are finding it more difficult than ever to deliver for their customers.

So, how can transformer manufacturers insulate themselves against supply chain disruption, mitigate risk, and even grow their business during uncertain times? It often takes a change in mindset. Companies that are proactive and agile, and that are open to new options, practices and procedures are better equipped to respond to unforeseen events, take corrective action, reduce negative impact on their business, and ensure their future sustainability. In a word: planning.  

Through its partner program, Crosslink works closely with its multi-national transformer OEM customers to help them plan their inventory and material requirements, and ensure crucial products are delivered on time, every time.

The importance of planning

Many transformer manufacturers are feeling the pinch right now, but the ones that are feeling it the most are those that have not made it a priority to determine and plan their future materials needs. While it’s impossible to plan for every contingency, by reviewing past sales data, current market trends, as well as making reasonable forecasts for upcoming potential business, transformer manufacturers can mitigate their risk, maintain the flow of material resources, and protect themselves against market and supply chain volatility.

The importance of partnering

There are many benefits of partnering with a supplier who understands how to help you plan your inventory. Planning your inventory helps you increase your chances of having on hand the necessary resources you need to meet the required lead-times and avoid long material queues. This, in turn, can help result in considerable cost savings, greatly mitigate the risk of your product sitting on the dock waiting for parts, and avoid costly penalties for not delivering on time. The key is finding and working with a supplier who understands the value of forecasting and inventory planning, has the experience and resources to help you plan effectively, and crucially, is willing to warehouse the added inventory.

Crosslink Technology

Crosslink Technology is a vertically integrated company that formulates and manufactures epoxies, a key material in the creation of cast components. Crosslink’s business model allows for greater direct control of manufacturing and supply chain processes, mitigating supply chain risks and issues for its customers. Through its partner program, Crosslink works closely with its multi-national transformer OEM customers to help them plan their inventory and material requirements, and ensure crucial products are delivered on time, every time.

Crosslink’s partner program delivers on short-notice 500% order increase

Recently, an established Crosslink customer - a multi-national transformer manufacturer – approached Crosslink with an irregular request. The customer needed a 500% increase on its usual monthly order, and needed it quickly. Thanks to close monitoring by Crosslink’s dedicated account team, a strong working partnership with the client, and stocking of the required materials for a longer-term output plan, Crosslink was able to act with agility and fulfill the customer’s massive demand-spike that month.


The ability for Crosslink to deliver in this crucial situation stems from the foundational approach of spending the time upfront to develop a planned release system with a back-up supply of key raw materials. This type of planning is highly effective for ensuring the continuous delivery of material to maintain day-to-day operations, and serves as a strong infrastructure for delivering greater quantities of materials in emergency situations and during demand spikes.


Mike Groves is Crosslink’s national sales director. He says working with customers to develop custom inventory plans and scheduled deliveries has greatly helped customers predict their inventory needs, maintain the flow of business, and created a strong sense of trust and teamwork between Crosslink and its customers.


"We keep two releases ready for this particular customer to ensure we keep a two-week lead time for their releases, and beyond that, to help in critical situations where we have an unexpected demand-spike,” says Groves. "Our dedicated account team intimately knows our customer’s business, which allows us to understand their requirements and work with them as a partner rather than as just another supplier.”

Crosslink’s partner program is founded on four key pillars of success, including lead time and delivery, capabilities and expertise, communication, and quality. 

Key components of a supplier-customer partnership program

Partnering with suppliers to develop strong and beneficial relationships over the long-term can mitigate risk and contribute to business continuity and growth. Crosslink’s partner program is founded on four key pillars of success, including lead time and delivery, capabilities and expertise, communication, and quality.

Lead time and delivery

Crosslink’s partner program emphasizes working closely with partners to understand their businesses, including their challenges, strategic goals, and other important factors, and then develops custom inventory and delivery plans to meet client needs. Crosslink regularly works with customers to develop customized plans including scheduled monthly deliveries, quick turnaround requirements, long-term delivery agreements, stocking programs, direct-to-end-user shipping and labelling programs, raw material volatility procurement plans, and inventory management plans. Crosslink’s close relationship with clients ensures important information is communicated both ways, so amendments to existing plans can be easily made as customers’ businesses grow and evolve.

Capabilities and expertise

Crosslink offers in-house expertise on all fronts, including a variety of skill sets: engineers, designers, tooling specialists, manufacturing teams, as well as designated account and product managers. This combination of expertise helps keep all parties aligned and ensures an efficient process from start to finish, as well as the consistent delivery of high-quality products. In addition to expertise, Crosslink is equipped with a range of specialty equipment, resources, and manufacturing facilities to manufacture products and scale production to meet the needs of any customer.

Crosslink has collaborative multi-functional specialists with a variety of expertise to ensure all technical and business aspects of its customers’ supply needs are addressed and accounted for. 

Crosslink is capable of efficiently and cost effectively transforming an original idea into a unique end-product, handling every step of that process.

Mike Groves
Crosslink’s National Sales Director 

Communication

Effective communication is critical for the success of any relationship, and especially so when choosing suppliers. A supplier may provide exceptional quality products, but if they are not adept communicators, it could lead to serious disruption for your business. To ensure that your product vision is executed according to plan and communicated at every stage of the design and manufacturing process, you need a partner that speaks your language – literally and figuratively. Crosslink emphasizes effective communication as part of its company culture, and incorporates communication strategy and tactics throughout its processes. Crosslink has collaborative multi-functional specialists with a variety of expertise to ensure all technical and business aspects of its customers’ supply needs are addressed and accounted for. For each customer, Crosslink designates a single team member to act as a point person to manage the customer’s account and ensure efficient project management. Crosslink’s specialists are easy to contact and provide partners with quick and accurate responses. In addition, Crosslink’s diverse workforce allows the company to communicate in a number of languages.

Quality

When choosing a supplier, it’s important to ask them about their processes and certifications, and do your due diligence to make sure the supplier places emphasis on the quality of what they produce. Crosslink follows best-in-class manufacturing techniques, adheres to the highest safety and quality assurance standards and practices in the industry, and is backed by stringent ISO certification.

About Crosslink

Since 1981, Crosslink Technology has earned a reputation in the industry for consistently delivering high-quality products.


Crosslink primarily works with OEMs and ODMs, and has a research and development team dedicated to continually improving the company’s transformer bushings and parts offering. As an OEM partner, Crosslink creates products, parts, and pieces of equipment used in the manufacturing of other end products. Crosslink also partners with OEMs to create specialty cast parts based on their designs. As an ODM, Crosslink can work with its partners to both design and produce custom products.


"With our product design, electrical engineering, tooling, testing and manufacturing capabilities, we can provide customized products from first article inspection through to high volume production,” said Groves. "Crosslink is capable of efficiently and cost effectively transforming an original idea into a unique end-product and handling every step of that process.”

As the world continues to manage the difficulties of the current supply chain disruption, transformer manufacturers can benefit from partnering with companies that understand their issues, and are proactive in developing solutions that ensure the profitable continuity of business.

"Companies that want to stay ahead and maintain an efficient supply chain process would be well advised to focus on planning and partnership,” said Groves. "Working in partnership with suppliers like Crosslink Technology can help you reduce price volatility, mitigate risk, and provide supply chain predictability.”