Building Gunwerks | Vertical Integration

Published on June 9, 2022
Duration: 6:39

Gunwerks is implementing vertical integration across its manufacturing processes for rifle receivers, barrels, and stocks. This strategy aims to enhance quality control, reduce lead times, and provide better value to customers. The company is bringing in-house the machining of critical components like receivers and barrels, focusing on precision dimensions and proprietary processes. For stocks, vertical integration significantly reduced lead times from 12 months to approximately 12 days, enabling greater customization and faster delivery.

Quick Summary

Gunwerks is implementing vertical integration to control quality, reduce lead times, and enhance customer value in rifle manufacturing. This strategy involves bringing the production of receivers, barrels, and stocks in-house, allowing for precise dimension control, proprietary processes, and significantly faster delivery of custom-built rifles.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction to Vertical Integration
  2. 00:27Receiver and Bolt Manufacturing
  3. 01:22Precision Barrel Manufacturing Process
  4. 02:05Rifle Stock Manufacturing and Lead Time Reduction
  5. 03:22Cost Analysis and Investment Payoff
  6. 03:50Customer Benefits of Vertical Integration

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gunwerks' primary goal with vertical integration?

Gunwerks' primary goal with vertical integration is to gain complete control over manufacturing quality, significantly reduce lead times for custom builds, and ultimately provide a better overall value proposition to their customers.

How does vertical integration impact Gunwerks' rifle barrel production?

By vertically integrating barrel manufacturing, Gunwerks can meticulously control critical dimensions to within tenths of thousands of an inch, ensuring exceptional precision and accuracy that might be compromised when relying on external suppliers.

What were the lead time challenges Gunwerks faced before integrating stock manufacturing?

Before integrating stock manufacturing, Gunwerks experienced lead times of up to 12 months for rifle stocks, making inventory forecasting and custom order fulfillment extremely difficult and inefficient.

What are the key benefits for Gunwerks customers due to vertical integration?

Customers benefit from receiving a higher quality product with exceptional precision, significantly shorter lead times for custom orders, and the assurance that Gunwerks maintains strict control over every aspect of their rifle system's construction.

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