“There are three primary reasons companies use shared services: to reduce costs, to improve services and to leverage information."
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Podcasts | Valuable insights from leaders in offshore operations
As a leader in the Mexico manufacturing industry, the Entrada group works closely with many of the top experts and brightest minds in the field. We are proud to be able to bring you their insights and experience about Mexico manufacturing through a continuing series of informational audio interviews hosted by Doug Donahue, Vice President of the Entrada Group.
“If I were looking at a product where I could source more than 50% of my raw material locally, that would, in my mind, open up other interior locations as being more potentially competitive."
John Cecilia, Manufacturing Consultant
John Cecilia is an independent consultant, working with manufacturing related companies. He is the former director of global manufacturing for Kimberly Clark Corporation, Healthcare Sector. He spent 27 years with the company and at that time, set up and led manufacturing operations in North America, Central and Eastern Europe.
His whitepaper created for Entrada Group explains why it is better to source medical supplies or devices offshore, specifically from Mexico.
Major reasons include rising costs in healthcare in the US, the need to reexamine competitiveness as more global markets open up, and emerging markets.
John also discusses how to approach choosing a location in Mexico, naming the total cost structure as the strongest underlying factor.
- Sustainability to move regulated product from country to country, region to region
- Risk analysis
- The reliability and complexity of the supply chain
- A border versus an interior location
- The overall business plan
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
“Best Locations for Offshore Manufacturing in North and Central America“ 11 minutes“We think the important takeaway is that investors and operators need to consider that these risks are difficult to attach a dollar sign to, and to make sure that they’re fully understood and vetted before venturing into these foreign production markets."
Kevin Jackson, Strategic Planner in durable goods manufacturing
Kevin Jackson has worked as a strategic planner in durable goods manufacturing since 1990, evaluating operational risks and benefits of projects on a global scale, including in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America. In this interview, Kevin discusses a study he conducted that compares total delivered cost and risk for hypothetical manufacturing enterprises in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico, with aims to identify the most suitable of these locations for light manufacturing.
- Strengths and weaknesses of each location
- Best offshore location for light manufacturing in North and Central America
- Comparisons of labor and freight costs
- How to assess risk for manufacturing in a foreign country
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
“A Complete Strategy in Offshore Operations” 20 minutes“We don’t refer to them as low-cost countries; we call them “emerging markets", because that’s exactly what they are."
Tony Vernaci, Director of International, Textron Corporation
Tony is responsible for developing and executing global strategies for Textron. Textron is a Global 150 multi-industry company with locations in 20 countries and over 40,000 employees.
Tony discusses offshore operations? current benefits that go well beyond the simple cost savings of the past. He explains how Textran?s focus evolved from simple cost reduction to a Four-Pillar strategy of
- Growth
- Sourcing
- Footprint
- Talent
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
“The New Face of the Auto Industry and Its Affect on Offshore Manufacturing” 22 minutes
“The face of the auto industry has changed drastically and changed forever."
George Magliano, Director of Auto Industry Research, North America at IHS Global Insight.
IHS Global Insight is recognized as one of the leaders in economic forecasting, covering more than 170 industries in over 200 countries. George is the group’s auto economist responsible for analyzing the overall economic and market environment for North American light vehicle sales.In an interview recorded June 5, 2009, George discusses the latest developments
in the auto industry and their affect on
supply-base manufacturers with
offshore Mexico manufacturing operations.
- The short and medium term future of the auto industry
- Affects on 1st and 2nd tier suppliers
- Political ramifications to manufacturers in low-cost countries
- The new players in the auto industry
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
“Things manufacturers should think
about before moving to Mexico“ 20 minutes
“What you save in Mexico is time, delivery, just-in-time or hand-to-mouth concept and lower inventories. And the larger the volume, the more advantage there is."
Jerry Brochin, President of Brochin & Comapany
As the former head of manufacturing for Sony ? Mexico, Jerry has over 40 years of success operating in the offshore environment.
Jerry explains due diligence on planning a Mexican operations.
He discusses:
- Evaluation of cost savings
- Differences between border and interior locations
- Working with foreign currency
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
“The World of Contract Manufacturers“ 22 minutes
“Many large companies today no longer have the ability to manufacture the products that they sell. They come through the contract manufacturer."
Randall Sherman, founding partner and president of New Venture Research
Randall specializes in contract manufacturing and outsourcing management consulting services. New Venture Research reports on the Electronic Manufacturing Services industry are among the most widely quoted in the industry.
Randall discusses the latest developments in contract and their relationships with OEM manufacturers around the globe.
- The efficiencies of using contract manufacturers
- When OEM?s become contract manufacturers too
- How to choose a contract manufacturer
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
“Using Shared Services in a Manufacturing Environment“ 16 minutes“There are three primary reasons companies use shared services: to reduce costs, to improve services and to leverage information."
Brad DeMent, of the consulting firm of Scott Madden, Inc.
Scott Madden is a leader in Shared Service design and implementation in the USA and Latin America. They service Fortune 500 companies and recently earned the Best Shared Service Vendor Award from the International Quality and Productivity Corporation.
Brad explains the economic, quality and productivity advantages of today?s shared-services models. This model is used extensively by the Entrada Group to leverage economies of scale to give clients added value and efficiency to manufacture in Mexico.
- What is shared services?
- How is it implemented in low-cost countries?
- What are the gains manufacturers can expect?
Read the transcript or download in MP3 Format
These programs are offered as a free service by the Entrada Group. If you have any questions on these or any other topics related to offshore Mexico manufacturing operations, email Doug Donahue at ddonahue@entradagroup.com
Check this page frequently for new interviews on other important topics.
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