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Benefits of a Global Manufacturing Partner
A key lesson of this decade has been that shorter supply chains add flexibility to support varying market demand. They also reduce logistics costs and the inventory pipeline otherwise tied up in transit or “just in case” regional warehousing. Comparatively, some regions offer significant cost labor advantage. Ignoring that strategy for price-sensitive products can cost market share. There is middle ground. When manufacturing is outsourced to a supplier with a global footprint, it is easier to develop regional outsourcing strategies that make sense for specific market characteristics such as local content requirements, cost sensitivity, degree of demand variability and dominant market location.
Forefront Medical Technology, a vertically-integrated specialty contract manufacturer with a focus in disposable diagnostic, drug delivery systems and medical device systems with facilities in North America, Asia and the United Kingdom (UK), provides its customers with the benefits of regional manufacturing options, significant design and commercialization expertise, standardized key processes, and vertically integrated fabrication capabilities. This whitepaper looks at the key benefits of a regionalized supply strategy through a single contract manufacturer:
- Ability to leverage resources in lower labor cost areas globally
- Access to a broader set of vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities
- Simplified logistics
- Ability to evolve strategy over time.
Read the full whitepaper here.
Q1 2024 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter discusses the global contract manufacturing solutions Forefront can provide plus provides an update on the fit-up of its facility in Juarez, Mexico.
Read the newsletter here.
Is Mexico the Right Fit for Your Medical Product?
Developing an optimized manufacturing strategy requires more than just evaluating the manufacturing competencies of potential contract manufacturing partners. It also requires evaluating the benefits of regions in terms of manufacturing and logistics cost.
In this whitepaper, Forefront Medical Technology, a vertically-integrated specialty contract manufacturer with a focus in disposable diagnostic, drug delivery systems and medical device systems, discusses some advantages of the flexible, global manufacturing solution its new facility in Mexico provides customers.
Read the full whitepaper here.
FOREFRONT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ADDS MEXICO MFG FACILITY
Forefront Medical Technology is pleased to announce the addition of a manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico. The 68,000 sq.ft. facility is minutes from the U.S./Mexico border. Facility fit-up is in progress and production qualification is scheduled for the middle part of 2024. Capabilities will include injection molding, extrusion, clean room assembly and packaging, and automated high volume production.
“Our Mexico manufacturing plant will provide our global customer base with greater flexibility and choice in deciding where they want their products manufactured. Customers selling products into North America especially will gain the benefits of nearshore pricing and the simplified logistics of a border location. Shipments will be in the US within 24-48 hours of leaving our factory. This new plant combined with our comprehensive manufacturing capabilities in Singapore, China and the UK, gives our global customer base a variety of options for regional manufacturing strategies,” said Walter Tarca, Forefront Medical Technology’s president.
The new plant is Forefront Medical’s fifth medical manufacturing facility.
ABOUT FOREFRONT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Singapore, Forefront Medical Technology (www.forefrontmedical.com) is a medical device contract manufacturer specializing in medical disposables, diagnostics, drug delivery products, textiles and electro-mechanical products. Forefront Medical operates FDA registered and TUV ISO 13485 accredited, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Singapore, Changzhou and Xiamen, China, and Kington, Herefordshire, UK. Forefront is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vicplas International (SGX:569).
Q1 2023 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter explores best practices for teaming with a contract manufacturer to increase product competitiveness or eliminate unnecessary costs. Read the full issue here.
Are You Missing Opportunities for Cost Reduction?
While the supply-demand imbalances of the last few years may have made cost reduction seem to be an unachievable goal, the reality is that even in an environment of rising cost there are opportunities to eliminate inefficiencies. Forefront Medical Technology, a vertically-integrated specialty contract manufacturer with a focus in disposable diagnostic, drug delivery systems and medical device systems, sees three areas which often provide opportunities for cost improvement:
- Product development
- Continuous improvement in production
- Supply chain realignment.
Read the full whitepaper here.
Q4 2022 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter explores the added value selecting the right contract manufacturer can deliver. The benefits of repeatable processes are also discussed. Read the full issue here.
Is Your Contract Manufacturing Partner Adding Enough Value to the Relationship?
Outsourcing manufacturing is a good way to reduce production costs by accessing shared manufacturing resources. That said, when the benefits a contract manufacturer can bring to the product commercialization process are fully analyzed, there is often significant value beyond access to shared manufacturing resources. This value equation can also include:
- Reduction in product development cycle time
- Improved design for manufacturability
- A continuous improvement focus over the life of the product
- Supply chain and logistics expertise.
The combination of these elements can help improve competitive advantage, control costs and ensure that quality goals are consistently achieved. Supplier selection should evaluate not only assembly capability, but also the ability of each contract manufacturer to provide a solution that encompasses these additional points of value.
In this whitepaper, Forefront Medical Technology provides examples of ways these points of value have benefited its customers. Read the full whitepaper here.
Q3 2022 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter explores best practices in contract manufacturer selection and looks the role of new ISO certifications in creating more sustainable organizations. Read it here.
Key Areas to Audit in Supplier Selection
Achieving total lowest cost in outsourcing is rarely achieved by selecting the contract manufacturer with the lowest unit price. Instead, it often is the result of selecting the contract manufacturer with the best focus on eliminating non value-added cost through well-defined processes and efficient commercialization strategies. This latter type of contract manufacturer is often identified during the plant tour phase where audit teams can see how the contract manufacturer has managed programs of similar manufacturing technology, size and scope.
Areas where contract manufacturer efficiency or expertise improves outcomes include:
- Product development
- Product launch
- Manufacturing capabilities
- Logistics support
- Continuous improvement
- IP Protection.
This whitepaper discusses these areas and suggests questions to ask in the audit process. Read the full whitepaper here.
Forefront Medical Technology 