5 Signs You've Outgrown Your Current Plastic Fabrication Partner

Working with a plastic fabrication partner should be a smooth, easy process. When you first started working with your current partner, you might have thought that they were the one—the plastic fabricator to end your search for good.

Fast forward a few months or years, and you start questioning everything. Maybe projects are always late, errors frequently show up in your plastic parts, or maybe you simply can’t get ahold of a rep easily. To help you navigate the situation and come out on top, we’re going to cover 5 signs that you’ve outgrown your current plastic fabrication partner (and what to do next).

Signs Your Current Plastic Fabrication Partner Isn’t Working

If your plastic manufacturing company isn’t meeting your needs, it might be hard to pinpoint exactly where it’s going wrong. With these 5 signs that your current partner isn’t working, we’ll help you determine whether it’s time to move on:

1. Your current plastic fabricator can’t keep up with your company’s growth.

Starting out with the most unfortunate sign on the list, your current plastic fabricator simply can’t keep up. Maybe they are the best at communicating, do the most impressive work, and do everything right—but they still can’t keep up with your company's needs. No matter how great their communication may be, parts are simply taking too long, or they simply don’t have the capacity. It’s heartbreaking, really. However, if your current plastic manufacturing company can’t provide the services you need, it’s time to move on to one that can.

2. The quality of your plastic parts and fabrications is subpar.

The second sign you’ve outgrown your plastic fabrication partner is that the quality of your plastic parts and the fabrication process itself are lacking. If you’re constantly getting parts back that aren’t holding up for the purpose they are designed for due to plastic parts production issues, that’s a huge red flag. Maybe the parts don’t fit properly, maybe they break easily. Whatever the reason, if the quality of your fabricated plastic parts is lacking in any way, switching manufacturers for durable, longer-lasting parts can solve your problem.

3. Communication is unclear, delayed, or non-existent.

If communication between you and your plastic fabricator is rare, always severely delayed, or confusing, chances are that your fabrication partner isn’t as great as you had hoped. Whether they have too many projects happening to give your team and projects the attention they deserve, or they simply decide not to prioritize you, it can be a rough situation all around. Your perfect custom plastic parts supplier will make you feel prioritized, communicate clearly so you understand what’s happening, and respond in a timely manner. Any manufacturer who’s not doing this isn’t doing the bare minimum and isn’t worth your time and money.

4. They offer little to no innovation or design support.

Your plastic fabrication partner should be more than just a vendor—they should be a true collaborator. If they’re only fulfilling orders and not offering insight on how to improve design, material selection, or production efficiency, you're missing out on serious value. A proactive partner will help you stay competitive by suggesting cost-saving alternatives, recommending design tweaks for better performance, and staying ahead of trends and technologies. If innovation feels like a foreign concept in your current relationship, it may be time to find a more forward-thinking fabricator.

5. You’re constantly reaching out, clarifying project details, and managing everything yourself.

If you’re doing more work than your plastic manufacturer is, that’s a huge heck no. Note how much work you’re doing compared to your plastic fabricator and break down the reality of the situation.

Ask yourself, are you the one who reaches out nine times out of ten to ask questions, ensure details are upheld, and initiate projects? Are you getting prompt, detailed responses every time, or do you receive vague, non-specific answers that evade your initial questions? If you’re managing everything yourself, that’s not normal. A dedicated plastic manufacturer should be there to guide you along, answer questions, check in, and more. 

Your Current Plastic Fabricator Isn’t Working Out: What’s Next?

If your current manufacturer isn’t working, it might be time to try a new custom plastic parts supplier. If you’ve outgrown your current supplier or they don’t mesh where you need them to, finding your best parts manufacturer match can make projects so much easier.

Explore Custom Plastic Fabrication Solutions

Industrial Custom Products offers high-quality plastic fabrication solutions for various businesses in Minnesota and beyond. Whether you’re unhappy with the current cost, performance, and turnaround time of an existing part or looking for design recommendations and prototyping service, we’ll help you meet your goals, budget, and design needs. Equipped with the latest tech and operated by experts, we’ll grow with you to achieve your best results. Ready to get started?

Industrial Custom Products is a one-stop-shop for custom manufacturing and plastic fabrication, including: prototyping and product development, die cutting and dieless knife cutting, thermoforming and vacuum forming, large part thermoforming, CNC plastic routing, fabrication and assembly and drape forming.