For businesses with recurring part needs, it can be tough to strike the right balance between cost and availability. On the one hand, ordering in large volumes makes sense—it gives you the best price for the parts you need. But there’s the upfront cost to consider, not to mention the challenges of storing everything onsite.
Instead of constantly guessing and managing that balancing act alone, work with Axis Fabrication. Our metal fabrication services go beyond cutting and shipping. We’ll also help manage your inventory so you get the parts you need when you need them, all while securing the best possible production price.
How Our Inventory Management Services Work
Our inventory management program allows customers to place a large part order, lock in volume pricing, and receive deliveries in monthly or as-needed shipments. Although we may manufacture the entire order upfront, customers are only invoiced when each batch ships. This approach helps with space limitations, supports cash flow planning, and allows us to respond quickly when parts are needed sooner than expected.
We’ve been offering this program to a select group of customers, and it’s been working well for both sides. As we prepare to move into our new facility, which will offer additional storage space and production capacity, we look forward to expanding this offering and using it to further differentiate our metal fabrication services from others in the industry.
Here’s how it might work in real life:
A customer needs 1,000 identical parts over the next 12 months. Instead of ordering 80 parts each month at a higher price, we recommend placing a single order for all 1,000 parts now. We run the entire batch in one production setup, store the parts at our facility, and ship 80 each month—or however many parts the customer needs. They still get the same consistent delivery schedule, but they also benefit from:
- Volume pricing
- The ability to adjust monthly quantities if needed
- Deferred billing
Most parts are stored in our Clinton, TN warehouse, where we can stage flat or boxed components and pull them for delivery as needed. Because we can run all 1,000 parts at once, this model also improves our internal efficiency, saving on setup time and helping us maintain competitive margins.
While not part of a formal Just-in-Time (JIT) system, this approach closely mirrors the benefits of JIT and works especially well for repeat parts with stable designs that aren’t likely to change. It’s a smart solution for customers who need flexibility without sacrificing cost control or part availability.
A Solution to Ongoing Supply Chain Issues
Since 2020, many manufacturers have pulled back from stockpiling materials and parts, relying more heavily on Just-in-Time (JIT) and minimal inventory models. At Axis Fab, we’ve seen this shift firsthand, particularly with steel suppliers, many of whom have reduced their stock to manage rising costs and uncertainty. As a result, it’s become increasingly difficult to source certain specialty materials, such as tubing and exotic alloys, on short notice. This issue affects customers across our machining and metal fabrication services, especially those with more specific or custom material needs.
Our inventory management program helps insulate customers from these ongoing supply chain disruptions. By staging parts in advance and storing completed parts until they’re needed, we reduce lead times and help avoid delays when suppliers are out of stock. It gives our customers the flexibility to stay agile and access the parts they need, without the risk of over-ordering or tying up working capital.
And when schedules shift, having a program like this in place makes it easier to stay on track. Because we’ve already built their parts, our customers can respond faster and avoid costly delays when timelines change unexpectedly.
One More Way We Add Value to Our Customers
At Axis Fab, collaboration is part of how we do business. Whether it’s through flexible inventory planning or design conversations that help streamline production, we’re committed to offering more than machining and metal fabrication services—we provide practical solutions built around each customer’s goals.
Our inventory management program grew out of ongoing conversations with customers who needed a better way to balance cost, timing, and space limitations. Today, it helps teams stay ahead of schedule, avoid material shortages, and reduce the time and effort spent managing repeat orders.
We take the same collaborative approach with engineering teams. By reviewing part designs and offering input on cost-saving or manufacturability improvements, we help reduce waste and support more efficient production. These DFM conversations can make a meaningful difference for customers who are open to it.
If you’re looking for a sheet metal fabrication partner who can support high-volume production and help you manage inventory more effectively, request a quote or contact the team at Axis Fabrication to see how we can support your goals and keep your operations running smoothly.