Regardless of your industry, there’s a good chance you aren’t getting the best performance from off-the-shelf equipment. Some things are fine, like office equipment, but if you’re running larger operations that require a substantial investment in equipment, you’ll get more bang for your buck with a customized solution.
Businesses that invest in tailored solutions are able to address challenges to avoid setbacks and maximize their potential output, quality, and customer satisfaction.
If you haven’t yet explored this possibility, here are all the best reasons to choose a customized solution when you have the option.
- Less wear and tear
The ability to customize equipment can help you avoid frequent repairs or replacements when your use case doesn’t quite fit the manufacturer’s specifications. For instance, a fully customized centrifugal pump is crucial for businesses that need a specific flow rate, pressure, or motor enclosure for use in a particular environment. Using a pump with the wrong flow rate can damage the pump, create higher energy bills, or result in a less-than-ideal function.
All of these issues can contribute to higher costs and lower customer satisfaction.
- Higher efficiency
Every business has a unique set of goals, processes, and challenges. Sometimes equipment can be perfect for one company, but not for another, even in the same industry. When something doesn’t fit perfectly, teams need to adapt with workarounds and that often requires doing things that are unsafe, can cause damage, or just waste time.
When you customize your equipment, it aligns perfectly with your needs from the start, creating a more efficient experience that doesn’t rely on workarounds.
For example, say you run a large bakery and you scale up production, only to discover that your dough mixers can’t keep up with your production demands, all because you’re making too much sourdough. As a result, you get torn up dough, inconsistent batches, and frequent mechanical problems.
Instead of continuing to use your current mixers and dealing with the issues, you’d want to invest in custom mixers with stronger motors, special blades made for sourdough, and programmable mixing cycles that can be tailored to work best with your dough. Making sourdough bread is hard, and by investing in a custom mixer, you’d get better bread, increase the efficiency of your baking process, and avoid the temptation to quit.
- Lower costs over time
While customized equipment will cost more up front, there are countless financial benefits long-term. For instance, when you have a custom solution, you’ll likely need less maintenance and see less downtime. Your efficiency will get a boost, and you won’t have to replace the equipment for wearing out prematurely. With a better product, you’ll have happier customers and more sales. All of this will contribute to a positive ROI.
- A competitive advantage
When you need to differentiate yourself from the competition, having customized equipment can give you the edge you need. You’ll be able to meet specific needs that your competitors aren’t able to manage. For example, say you’re in an industry where the shape of your product’s bottle makes a difference in sales and you want to use a unique shape and size. A standard bottling machine may not be able to handle your custom bottles, which will either slow you down or force you to do the work manually.
By investing in a fully customized bottling machine, in this case, you’d be able to package your products efficiently and automatically with ease and maintain your unique advantage in your market.
- Better safety and fewer legal headaches
Sometimes custom solutions come with better safety by addressing ergonomics and even workplace hazards. If you can get solutions that reduce the risk of injury based on your specific needs, it can reduce workers’ comp claims and lower your insurance premiums. For example, adjustable components can minimize strain and help avoid repetitive motion injuries. If equipment comes with ergonomic options to enhance the operator’s comfort, it’s worth the extra cost.
- Better support and maintenance
In most cases, purchasing a custom solution will come with dedicated support and a good warranty. Companies that make custom solutions want to build a good relationship with their customers, and that requires offering personalized support and maintenance to keep you up and running.
Customization is worth the investment
While an off-the-shelf solution can work sometimes, if it doesn’t fit, don’t settle. Investing in customized equipment is a necessity for running a successful, reputable business.
