Global Sourcing & Supply Chain Management

Industrial Printers

This sophisticated thermal bar code printer is assembled from parts obtained from all over the world, a true example of strategic sourcing. However, the actual assembly takes place right here in Washington State, something you won't find with every company that depends on material and plastic sourcing in China and elsewhere in Asia. When we first began working with this customer, NIC Global provided some of the sheet metal components. But the customer was concerned about finished costs and considered taking the entire assembly project offshore.

NIC Global offered a better alternative. We moved parts of the business offshore ourselves and supervised all of the logistics to simplify life for the customer. We essentially manage all supply chain operations for this product, making it a true NIC Global hybrid.

The sheet metal components come from the Washington plant, the Tennessee plant, and even Asia. In addition, we manage extrusion, wiring harness, PC boards, stepper motor and plastic sourcing from China, bringing them into our Washington facility in bulk. We inventory the components and subassemblies so we can produce near-finished product on an as-needed basis. We sometimes make twice-a-day deliveries to the customer to meet their manufacturing requirements. Final assembly and testing is conducted at the customer site, but NIC Global’s involvement has enabled the customer to eliminate significant portions of their assembly lines. NIC Global takes on all of the headaches of managing suppliers, vendors, and plant inventory. This lowers the end cost for the customer while keeping many of the operations here in the U.S.