Tag: Project

The One Thing

Whether you’re talking sports, politics, or business – typically success and failure are not entirely attributed to one thing – but rather a series of good or bad decisions.

That doesn’t stop teams, like the Bears or Browns, who ended up again at the bottom of the NFL barrel, from looking for that one, hero QB that will change everything for them next season.

Likewise, some businesses also try to find a single lever that they can pull to send sales soaring.  They may say things like: “If only we had ­­­­________________, we would certainly improve our numbers.”  However, it’s typically a combination of things that will open the door to success.

Frain knows we’re not the one thing.  But, we do know that we’re one good decision to make every time you have a packaging or processing project and here’s why:

Qualification

We connect you immediately with engineers to get details critical to your success.  Our engineering staff won’t sign off on getting you equipment until they’ve matched physical samples of your product and your specifications with a machine in our inventory.  Some folks are just in a hurry to get a quote or machine, but we insist on getting you right quote and the right machine.

Speed

Once qualified, we’ll get your machinery to you much sooner than traditional channels.  An efficient route to market is certainly one key to success.  Our customers gain additional market share and revenue in this time span or are able to more quickly adjust planning based on the market performance, sooner rather than later.

Insurance

Your project is only as good as your idea.  Even if Frain can help you get an idea to market faster – it doesn’t mean it’s a good one.  However, getting to know what works and what doesn’t faster will help.  And, when you can rent the machinery and return it to Frain when finished testing the market, you can mitigate risk or exposure to bad ideas.  You’ll never be stuck with thousands of dollars of perfectly good machinery used to execute an idea that didn’t stick.  Good decision!

Budget

Your company has money, but may not have budget for your project.  Instead getting sign off on machinery purchase, you can get your project jump started for a fraction of the cost by renting or leasing.

Quality Inventory

80% of CPG projects fail and sometimes quickly.  Frain capitalizes on the new and like new machinery daily, which is no longer being used.  We have approximately 9,000 machines stored within four buildings, totaling 1.5 million square feet of storage.

Frain does not sell machinery “as is.”  We verify that the machinery we have will work for you and customize it to meet your needs.  Only after discussing your project with you (and your team if applicable) can we give you a quote to put you in the best position to succeed.

When you purchase from Frain, there’s no question that the machinery is going to work the way you want it to because it won’t leave our building until you’re fully satisfied and sign off.

Our technicians fully re-calibrate and customize each machine or complete line to your specifications and satisfaction – guaranteed.

All of our machinery comes with a 6-month replacement parts warranty so you can leave Frain with confidence in your investment.

 

 

 

5 Tips for a Successful Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)

At Frain, every project, machine or complete line of equipment is thoroughly inspected and put through Factory Acceptance Testing or FAT before it leaves our building.  Not only is this the customers opportunity to sign off on the equipment or machine that they purchased – it’s an opportunity for the customer to fine tune the machinery and learn any operating nuances before they take on the machinery themselves.

After successfully integrating over 25,000 packaging and processing equipment projects, Frain has developed the following tips to help ensure you get the most of your equipment with a successful Factory Acceptance Test.

  1. Bring the Right People
    The person paying for the machine is usually the person coming in for the FAT.  However, ask yourself – Who will install, operate and maintain the machine or packaging line?  It’s best to have all of those involved with the machinery to be present for a full day of training, fine tuning and hand off.  The devil is in the details as they say and this is a critical point to get sign off from all angles and people involved.
  2. Come Prepared and In Person 
    There’s a big difference between buying a running machine and one that you see running in person.  As important is seeing your machine running in person with your product. Make a plan to visit Frain to see your machine running with your product.  Take your time to validate that all your specifications and operational efficiency is addressed 100%.
  3. Plan for a Full Day
    Getting your machine to run the way you want it to run with your product is the ultimate goal.  The last thing you want to do is to waste time and resources at your facility in fine tuning the machine.  Fine tuning and ensuring every nuance of your operation is addressed prior to installation is key to successful machine installation, integration, and transition.
  4. Ask Questions
    Asking good questions is an art form and many times the difference between success and failure.  Take time to review your punch list, questions, specifications and ask the questions now, instead of later when it’s too late, bogging down your schedule, or putting the project or your career in jeopardy.
  5. Move Ahead with Confidence
    By default, Frain replaces all damaged, distressed, or worn machine parts and backs them with a 6-month replacement part warranty.  We also provide a two-week right of return to give you additional confidence in working with us.  If you’ve been due diligent in discussing the equipment with our engineers, all involved people from your company or client company, and dedicated a full day to the FAT – you can move forward with your project confidently.

Click here to see why the FAT is the most important step in the equipment purchase process or read more tips for a successful FAT.