4-M Precision stamps out VMI plan in new location

HORNELL - 4-M Precision Stamping, an Auburn-based metal-stamping manufacturing firm, opened a facility in Hornell in September for its first venture into a vendor-managed inventory production line.

4-M Precision Stamping has a large transportation client in Hornell that needed daily deliveries, so the firm believed a vendor-managed inventory production process would work best, says Steve Morin, 4-M Precision's general manager and vice president of sales.

Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) allows a company to manage a large quantity of unique parts on a daily basis and put them directly into the production line, Morin says.

4-M Precision Stamping's customer in Hornell needs a large volume of parts delivered twice a day, says Morin, declining to name the client. Any customer with a high demand for parts should consider VMI, he says.

VMI is a production method where a supplier generates orders for its customer based on demand information sent by the distributor.

It allows the company to manage parts closer to home rather than rely on staff for inventory requests, Morin says.