Several leading industrial forecasting organizations, including the Institute for Supply Management and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), say they are expecting steady growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector through the end of the year and into 2015.
MAPI's latest U.S. Industrial Outlook report predicted that domestic manufacturing growth will pick up from 2.6 percent last year to reach 3.2 percent in 2014 and 4.0 percent in 2015. Industrial machinery is expected to be a key growth leader among the 27 industries tracked by the organization, with a 12 percent expansion. In a press release, MAPI chief economist Daniel Meckstroth tied the positive forecast to anticipated growth in consumer spending, driven by a strengthening job market, lower household debt and equity gains in the stock and real estate markets.
ISM has been producing a continuous stream of positive reports, showing growth in the manufacturing sector throughout the past 14 months and ongoing economic growth for more than five years. Besides contraction in inventories and order backlogs, all of the metrics tracked by ISM showed growth in July. Bradley Holcomb, chair of ISM's Manufacturing Business Survey Committee and author of the organization's monthly Report on Business, put the latest survey data in context in a press release.
"I particularly like the trend when I compare it to last year and it feels like we're on more solid ground these days," Holcomb said. "It's a great launching point for us to continue moving in that direction for the second half of the year."
Manifold distributors must watch out for the bullwhip
These positive predictions must sound like to music to the ears of companies that have been struggling through years of slow growth and false starts. However, it's critical to plan for the inevitable bullwhip effect that occurs when production growth starts to outpace demand. Manufacturers' fluid power needs will increase as the economy picks up, but it can be difficult and stressful to fill low-volume, repetitive custom orders with no visibility into customers' upcoming needs.
Daman Products helps manifold distributors strike the perfect balance: ensuring that they always have enough custom product on hand to meet demand while limiting their inventory commitments and providing the flexibility to respond quickly to changes in market conditions or customer requirements. Our company's roots are in the distribution side of the industry, which allows us to fully understand the frustrations caused by arrangements that favor the supplier over distributors. That's why we designed a unique supply system that puts our customers' needs first.
Order custom manifolds when you need them with fast shipping and maximum
The Daman Trigger System offers easy-to-buy custom manifolds without your having to place purchase orders long in advance or commit to a rigid delivery schedule. With this program, we establish standardized programming, processing, tooling and fixturing for your custom manifold, allowing us to bring the proven reliability of our standard product fulfillment systems to custom projects with an annual purchase level of at least 10 parts.
The Trigger program also allows our customers to replace cumbersome forecasting processes with simple conversations about expected and maximum usage. We use this information to maintain a small inventory of your custom product and replenish the supply as parts are ordered. This way, we can deliver the products you need, when you need them, at a fixed price and with no minimum order size, while building in sufficient capacity to respond to unexpected spikes in demand.
Are you tired of the constant micromanagement and follow up of inventory required by your manifold supplier? Contact Daman Products today to learn more about how we can contribute to your success with our unique Trigger System and other innovative solutions designed around your needs.
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