REGO-FIX designs, manufactures and tests all its toolholders in a state-of-the-art, ISO-certified facility in Tenniken, Switzerland. These toolholders are then shipped around the world and to the REGO-FIX North American headquarters in Whitestown, Indiana, where they are stocked at maximum capacity to meet the needs of customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Thousands of toolholders and collets are kept in stock, well positioning us to quickly respond to customer needs. Our stock levels allow us to ship more than 95% of all order line items the same day. When we do run out of stock, it’s quickly replenished because we receive weekly air freight shipments from REGO-FIX Switzerland – and that’s on top of the large volume of sea freight shipments we receive as needed. This combination of air and sea freight delivery not only allows us to have any back-ordered product in stock within a relatively short period of time, but also large quantities of the most popular items to handle package deals without issue.
When it comes to special orders, the process is a bit more complicated and requires additional time. Our Engineering department in Switzerland must first design the part, which requires the customer’s approval prior to moving it into production. The typical timeframe for a special order ranges from eight to 10 weeks depending on quantity and the type and complexity of the part being manufactured. More likely than not, if it’s just the modification of a holder, we’re able to do that at our REGO-FIX USA office in a week or less.
Our inventory system is managed by an Operations department that uses analytics to forecast stock levels. In other words, we use the previous year’s sales and trend information, talk with our sales organization, then adjust based on projections for the upcoming year. Another benefit we have is we only buy from REGO-FIX Switzerland, which has its own inventory control system that can be flexed by adding part numbers to production if projections are short or adjusting production down should an item not meet sales expectations.
We also have a very close relationship with our distribution network. When a large project is in the pipeline, we usually have enough lead time to react and build inventory, allowing us to have the product in stock well before delivery is needed.
Even if a product is backordered, the delay is minimal because of the weekly air shipments coming from Switzerland. Our weekly shipment is ordered from and packed at our shipping department, which is a certified customs facility, at REGO-FIX Switzerland. This means our freight gets to skip customs at the airport and go straight to the plane for loading. This is a pretty big deal when shipping weekly and factoring in the time the customs process can take under normal conditions. It’s an even bigger deal when the customs process becomes much slower during the busy holidays or when faced with worker shortages similar to what we’re experiencing now amidst the global pandemic. From the time the part was backordered, it’s usually received by the customer within one or two weeks.
Even the process of quoting and engineering a special part is relatively easy. During the quoting process, we create a quotation drawing based on the customer’s needs. We then calculate a cost and delivery time. Once the quote is accepted, but before the special can be manufactured, we send an approval drawing of the design and profile with more detail than the quote drawing to the customer. The customer can request changes or approve the drawing. At this point the clock starts for delivery. Depending on the product, delivery can range from a few weeks to 10. Projects like holder modifications, laser marking, balancing, cut to length, and RFID chip install can be done in a week or less at our North American headquarters in Indiana.
Providing high-precision Swiss tool clamping systems to a diverse customer base around the world, REGO-FIX is known for quality and value. Whether it’s our precision tooling, or our customer care after the sale, our goal is to give our customers the best experience possible.