At Ricaurte Precision, a significant amount of work goes into each job we take on. We strive to do as much as possible behind the scenes, but we can’t create a frictionless customer experience without some help from our customers.
The buyers, engineers, and research and development professionals we work with are the true experts regarding their parts, so we rely on their input and perspectives to provide the best precision machining services possible.
Our process is better and more efficient when customers understand what we need from them during the quoting stage.
How Customers Can Minimize Friction During Quoting
Our goal is always to make the buyers and engineers who interact with us look like heroes to the rest of their team by delivering the highest quality parts at the best price. It’s surprisingly easy for customers to help ensure that goal is met. Here are a couple of suggestions to minimize friction:
1. Ask questions and share relevant information
If it’s the first time we’re working together, we encourage you to ask any questions you may have about your part and the manufacturing process. When a customer understands the steps involved in making their part, they and their manufacturing partner can make better decisions to impact the project outcome.
It’s equally important for us to know all the relevant information about your part. If you’ve made the part before and encountered challenges with previous precision machine shops, we want to hear about them. The more information we have about the history of your part, the better we can prepare to do our job.
2. Don’t assume we know what you want
We’re a highly skilled precision machine shop, but we can’t read your mind. Excellent communication is one of our core values because it’s crucial to manufacturing parts that meet our customers’ needs. Here are a few ways to ensure we know exactly what to do to make your parts successfully:
- Supply appropriate documentation. Ideally, we want to see 2D drawings and 3D models that align and are up to date with the latest revisions.
- Call out critical dimensions and tolerances. It’s essential that we know which dimensions and tolerances require special attention. Likewise, if there are dimensions that may allow for slightly wider tolerances, let us know—we may be able to make your part faster and more cost-effectively with a few adjustments. If a certain feature requires specialized or very small tooling, we want to know that before we begin precision machining.
- Provide context for part features. When we understand the part’s fit, form, and function, we can guide customers to the most successful part outcomes. For example, if a customer indicates a tight corner, it’s helpful to know why the part was designed that way. If it’s unnecessary for the part’s functionality and could drive up the cost and lead time, we may recommend a slight modification.
- Ensure we have updated specs. If your drawing doesn’t align with your internal spec documents, we’ll have to reach out to clarify whether it needs to be updated. Ensuring your internal spec documents are up to date (and that your drawings reflect them) prevents time-consuming back and forth.
When buyers and engineers communicate this information to us during the quoting stage, the project is set up for efficiency and success from the start.
Ricaurte Precision’s Role in Minimizing Friction During Quoting
We ask customers to do their part to minimize friction during quoting, but rest assured the onus isn’t only on you. Here’s how we facilitate a smooth and efficient experience when you request a quote from Ricaurte Precision:
1. Start a dialogue right away
When a new customer requests a quote, they can expect a call from us as soon as possible. During this call, we aim to learn more about you and your project: your pain points, part history, quality requirements, and anything else you can tell us. These details help us better understand how we can provide a solution to your precision machining challenges.
2. Document everything
We document all of our questions and the answers we receive from customers so we can share the information with our team. We’re always internally aligned on customers’ projects.
3. Maintain open capacity
We provide over 10,000 machine hours to customers each month. Don’t be afraid to have us quote multiple jobs at the same time. We likely have the capacity to get to work on all of them right away!
If you want an efficient precision machining partner who prioritizes excellent communication from start to finish, request a quote today!
