When you manage a business, you likely have a number suppliers who provide materials and components that are vital for helping your operation run smoothly.
You’re very familiar with the finished product they ship to you, but have you ever wondered about the production process for those products? A plant tour can answer a lot of questions about how suppliers do what they do.
Manufacturing tours are actually very important for the people within your company. These tours give everyone involved a chance to see the process firsthand, ask questions, and build at a stronger relationship with the suppliers you do business with.
In this article we take a look at the value of plant tours. Keep reading to discover why tours are such a great idea.
1. To Meet the People
It’s common for the employees of one company to view suppliers as simply another faceless company. You buy their products, but it’s easy to overlook the fact that there are actual human beings on the other end.
Visiting a plant allows you to witness the humanity and care required to produce quality products. Regardless of your industry, every company is staffed with motivated and hard-working people.
Having the chance to see people actively doing what they are good at and churning out the quality products that you’re very familiar with helps you take a greater pride in the overall process that you share.
2. To Experience the Energy
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your own attitude about the overall process is to step out of your everyday bubble. Visiting an unfamiliar work environment exposes your team to the synergy that you share with the members of your extended team.
3. To Create an Atmosphere of Teamwork
Taking a tour of a supplier’s plant also gives your team the chance to see how much their hard work is appreciated. Employees take a greater sense of pride in their work when they are able to see how their effort impacts their customers.
People also naturally inspired to do a better job when they feel they are part of a team. Contributing to the team effort is more satisfying than simply putting in your hours to collect a pay check.
Each employee represents an important piece of a huge and complicated puzzle. Plant tours enable a supplier’s employees to get a glimpse of the big picture, and to better understand that as a team you are able to accomplish more than any single person could on their own.
4. To Engage with the Management Team
Another important aspect of visiting your suppliers is to seize the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with their management team. Never underestimate the importance spending time with the management teams of the companies you rely on.
After all, these are the people responsible for making the big decisions that not only impact your profitability, but also the workforce on your payroll. The better you understand the way they think, and the logic behind their decision-making, the greater your knowledge base will be.
If you’re wanting to schedule a tour in the near future, take a look at www.plant-tours.com.
5. To See the Operation Firsthand
There is always something exhilarating about seeing a plant’s operation firsthand.
Most of your experience will be limited to the finished product and speaking with the sales reps and management team. But when you set foot inside the plant and see how the sauce is made and how much care and pride goes into the manufacturing, you’ll be able to view the overall process in a whole new way.
Many companies tend to operate in a vacuum. They function within the limited knowledge of their own policies and plans. By taking the time to experience a supplier’s operation firsthand, they are able to be exposed to not only the source of the parts and products they depend on, but they can also learn how to potentially make significant improvements in their own operations.
6. To Learn and Understand
It’s also important to have a better understanding of another company. This increased understanding goes beyond whatever parts or products a supplier produces. Touring a production plant offers exposure to another business.
Keep in mind that the ultimate goal for suppliers and buyers should be for both companies to grow and be profitable. Touring a plant offers insight into how another business functions, from the top executives all the way down to the machine operators and order fillers.
Everyone knows that continued learning is a vital part of life. This applies to business as well. Trying to convince yourself or others that you have everything figured out is a futile exercise. Keep an open mind, ask great questions, and you’ll be surprised how much an active curiosity can strengthen your business.
7. To Strengthen Your Relationships with the Sales Reps
The more time you’re able to spend interacting with sales reps from your suppliers, the better. These are people with a thorough knowledge of the parts and products your company depends on for success.
Spending time with sales reps on their home turf gives them a chance to put their expertise on full display.
8. To Inspire Your Own Team
Finally, touring a plant provides a great opportunity to inspire your team. Observing a supplier’s operation firsthand often helps the visiting team better understand that you are all in business together, and that everyone in the chain of production matters.
Keep in mind that inspiration is one of the key ingredients for taking the dynamics of a company to the next level. The more you learn, the more innovation becomes possible, and this leads to even greater inspiration, which ultimately benefits everyone engaged in the process.
The Top Benefits For Taking a Plant Tour
If you’re looking for ways to inspire your management team, a plant tour is a great idea. This is perfect for team building and for strengthening your relationships with suppliers.
Be sure to check out our website for more details on scheduling a plant tour.
