At Texas Metal Works, we’re hyper-focused on continuous improvement. We’re building teams, processes, systems, and designs to make our products the best in the world! In fact, our ISO 9001 processes have us constantly looking at data (and defining our goals and objectives of that data)!
We’re often asked, “How long will it take to build my table?” So, we’ve compiled stats from the last 12 months’ orders to give you a better idea. We segment Shop Time (the time it takes to build, pick, and pack your order) versus Ship Time (the time it takes a third-party logistics company to deliver). Our standard reply is, “Typically 3-4 weeks, but we’re running ahead of schedule!” We build 74% of orders in less than 10 days, and 93% are shipped within 9 days.
Weld Table Build Time Stats (in business days)
We build-to-order all our tables and some of our products/services influence build times. For example, powder coating adds an average of 4 days to our orders; custom leg lengths add an extra day; custom tables vary based on complexity and material and sometimes obscure tooling we need to order impacts times. PS: 4% of orders experience delays based on company-delayed payments.
Ship Time Stats (in business days)
Ship times vary as we have customers all over the contiguous 48 adjoining U.S. states. Typically, shorter distances and NFL cities deliver quickly. Residential deliveries linger when the carrier and customer have scheduling challenges. Lift gate services require specific trucks, which may impact time. Transportation companies may only deliver to certain rural areas on particular days!
We also have customers who sometimes delay their own shipments to work around schedules, or travel and things like that.
Carrier Time Stats
Like I said, we keep track of a lot of data! And we have to use many carriers because most only cover a small portion of the US. So we compile average carrier time stats, along with looking for anomalies and just managing the vendors as you would expect.
Keep in mind that the length of days doesn’t necessarily signify better or worse performance. As I mentioned, some of these carriers might serve rural locations, or be going the farthest from Houston on average trips. But here are the averages we’ve been seeing for deliveries:
We ship tables via Less-than-truckload (LTL) freight without guaranteed arrival times. Dedicated trucks can be reserved for $1,500-$3,000 extra on those occasions when there is a large batch going, or when time is far more critical than the cost. And we work with clients to meet emergency needs whenever they occur.
We evaluate all of these carriers and choose who to ship each order with not just based on price, but based on on-time pickups, delivery time, claims history, and more. If a carrier has a problem in a particular region we don’t use them there, even though we might in other areas. And when carriers don’t meet our performance standards, we get rid of them!
I just wanted to share this information because:
- A) Hopefully there are some other data nerds out there will get a kick out of these things.
- B) We believe in complete transparency and want everyone to understand the process since we’re all a team once you purchase from us.
- C) To let you know that we really care, and keep an eye on things like this.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out and let us know how we can help!