Partnership Manufacturing

IQ Metal's customer is one of the major players in their industry in Scandinavia, operating in an extremely competitive market. After over 10 years of collaboration with the customer, it was a question of winding down or evolving. The latter was chosen, replacing previous price negotiations with strategic workshops. This transformation elevated the classical subcontractor vs. customer paradigm to a genuine partnership.

An IQ Metal Partnership Manufacturing™ agreement is always individually tailored to solutions that create the most value for the partnership. In the current case, the partnership led to an expanded collaboration and integration across the partners' value chains. While upstream activities are often outsourced, the most significant savings were realized through downstream integration. In reality, IQ Metal insourced activities that were previously handled by the customer. Today, IQ Metal manages inventory, assembly, and shipping not only of the products IQ Metal already produces but also of third-party products, ensuring comprehensive solutions and significant cost-effectiveness. Such require a high level of transparency, openness, and mutual trust in the collaboration—all aspects ensured through a mutual long-term IQ Metal Partnership Manufacturing™ agreement.

The new partnership customer is a well-known and significant supplier of truck-mounted cranes. In the context of planned growth, expansion, and the design of a new factory and headquarters, the decision was made to outsource a substantial part of their own production. In the qualification and decision-making phase, IQ Metal was chosen as the new supplier, despite the fact that the competing Polish supplier was already an experienced and existing supplier to the customer. Ultimately, the IQ Metal Partnership Manufacturing™ concept played a decisive role. The project involving the relocation of the existing production including the transfer of knowledge and technology is expected to be realized according to the plan in the first half of 2024.

A Northern European management & supply chain consulting firm approached IQ Metal on behalf of one of the largest European suppliers of commercial vehicles. They were in search of a new high-volume supplier for demanding welded constructions.

After a lengthy and intensive process, IQ Metal Partnership Manufacturing™ was chosen as a primary supplier, handling thousands of tons of steel in a customer-specific, high-tech setup. All aspects are governed by a shared partnership contract.

With the implementation of the major semi-automotive customer, there came demands for substantial investments in automation and capacity. The financing was realized with reference to the long-term commercial contract.

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A larger Scandinavian manufacturer and supplier of heating solutions for private homes faced ongoing demands to achieve further savings in their production and supply chain, all while encountering significant requirements for investments in product and market development. The ownership decided to outsource a significant portion of their production. IQ Metal entered the scene, and over the course of a year, the production transfer from the Scandinavian country to IQ Metal in Szczecin was established. IQ Metal set up a dedicated value stream, trained specialists, and provided management and supporting functions, all 100% devoted to the customer's products and needs. Since the outsourcing to IQ Metal Partnership Manufacturing the customer has established their own large factory in Poland. However, the partnership with IQ Metal continues, now under a new IQ Metal Partnership Manufacturing™ contract, with no expiration date.