JANUARY 2019 SEEDWORLD.COM / 45 HAVE YOU EVER tried to save a buck and it ended up costing you $10? There’s a reason why things cost more: quality! I’ve been thinking about this as it relates to our business. We don’t have the cheap- est prices when it comes to our equip- ment and systems, but there’s a reason for that. We use quality materials and choose durable components and that will maximize the longevity of our products. It’s the difference between buying something made for industrial use com- pared to residential or consumer use. Think of the printer that’s in your home compared to the one in the office. Both print, but one performs far better than the other and will undoubtedly last longer — and there’s a cost to that. We know it’s important to be good stewards of money and there are times when it’s OK to sacrifice on quality. We continue to look for ways to lower the cost of our products for custom- ers, but it always comes back to qual- ity, longevity and performance. As an example, early on, we used consumer network switches as part of our automa- tion solution. They were less expensive than industrial switches and checked all the boxes of what we needed them to do. We soon realized that the support and product life cycle behind these consumer switches was not what we needed to be able to provide the best solutions to our customers. We made the decision to go back with the industrial switches — they’re dependable and we know that model will be available 10 years from now. We are forward thinking and consider how the decisions we make impact our customers and how we serve customer. It’s not just about what we purchase, but The Hidden Costs of Buying Cheap JASON KAEB KSI CONVEYORS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT @jasonkaeb_ksi • JasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.com • KSiConveyors.com what we choose not to purchase or use. Sometimes KSi may not offer a product, feature or part because we don’t think we can properly service it, or we think it might be obsolete in two years. If you go cheap on your seed treat- ment equipment, what are the conse- quences to your business? You’re risking the very thing that makes you money. It’s easy to want to go cheap on seed treat- ment equipment because it’s only used a few months each year. But during those few months, it must perform as close to perfect as possible. If you’re trying to save a dollar when it comes to your seed treat- ment business, it could cost you $10. Remember: There’s a time and place to save money, but something that’s vital to the success of your business is not the place to do that. YOU’VE WORKED YOUR way through the conceptualization stage on your jour- ney to a new or updated seed site. The next step to turn your vision into reality is the design and engineering stage. During this stage, a plan is cre- ated based on your vision and needs. Designers and engineers work with you to take your ideas to an even better place — or product. Over the years, these profes- sionals have learned what works at a seed site and what doesn’t. They understand there are certain things that must be put in place, whether it’s for a current foot- print or an expansion down the road. They’re also good at posing the question, “What if?” From your vision, a designer draws a plan that illustrates what the site will look like. Once the design process is complete and a plan is created, the designer will present this work to an engineer, who will determine the plan’s feasibility, provide all the required dimensions and demon- strate what the site will look like when it’s completed. However, an engineer does more than put a stamp of approval on the design: a blueprint is drawn up, which illustrates how all the elements of the site fit together and where each piece will be. Designers and engineers ensure you’re getting what you need, not just what you want. The details of the blueprint are impor- tant. If you don’t put things in the right place, you’ll lose capacity. As soon as you start losing capacity, the number of people you put through your site in a day decreases, which takes profits out of your business. You must be able to manage custom- ers in a timely and efficient manner while providing quality, not damaged, seed. In fact, one of your biggest limiting factors is the number of customers you can put through your facility in a day. Additionally, it’s important to consider your five- or 10-year site plans at this stage, as the site you are building must be able to facilitate expansion. This process provides you with the best finished seed site for functional- ity and future expansion. The right design, with the engineering to back it up, ensures a solid foundation for your business now and as it grows. In the next column, we’ll explore the third chapter of this process: the manufacturing stage. The Design and Engineering Stage: A Blueprint for Success GERALD UNRAU MERIDIAN MANUFACTURING PRODUCT MANAGER FOR SEED SITES AND CONVEYORS gunrau@meridianmfg.com • meridianmfg.com