Increasing Cost Savings and Efficiency for Leading Oilfield Supplier

CHALLENGE

Schlumberger, a leading oilfield supplier, provides oil base shaker frames to the petroleum industry. Due to the fluctuations common in the industry, Schlumberger not only needed to provide high-quality products with on-time delivery, they also needed to handle demand changes without disrupting their business. At one point, even after diligent planning, the demand was too high to manage it on their own. Schlumberger identified the need to partner with a contract manufacturer that could react quickly to help manage significant spikes in demand. Schlumberger had strict requirements. They needed a contract manufacturer that could take ownership of an entire product line, produce all the metal components, and also assemble the oil shaker base frames.

SOLUTION

Schlumberger approached The Metalworking Group (MWG) after MWG delivered high-quality parts on-time in a previous project. To start the new project, Schlumberger asked MWG to manufacture a few SKU’s. MWG proved their ability to deliver quality parts, ramp up quickly, handle large capacities in a short period of time and maintain strong communications throughout the process. After continual increased efficiency and cost savings while partnering with MWG, Schlumberger chose MWG to aid in meeting their growing demand. Brian Dubay, President at MWG stated, “It’s been a pleasure working with Schlumberger in the past, so when they approached us about this project, we were happy to partner with them to meet their growing demand.”

APPROACH

MWG collaborated with Schlumberger to make sure they had all the appropriate weld certifications and an in-house CWI to complete the necessary weld inspections required. MWG and Schlumberger worked through this process on both the manual welding and robotic welding that was required on this program. Once the requirements and certifications were in place, MWG then began the welding process. The project began with a manual weld process. However, as MWG continued to deliver and the demand began to increase, MWG invested in a Weld Robot. This allowed the parts to be welded more efficiently and helped Schlumberger meet demand on time, while also decreasing costs. In the end, MWG managed the project throughout the manufacturing process. They collaborated with the welding engineers, sourcing team, and executive leadership to ensure they delivered high-quality parts on-time. This also included designing fixtures, creating custom packaging, and Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery. MWG also implemented a stocking program for over 25 different SKUS, enabling them to flex with the demand and serve Schlumberger at a higher level.

RESULTS

MWG manufactured 1,800 units of metal parts for the oil shaker base frames. MWG also saved Schlumberger more than $125,000 annually by investing in robotic welding. This increased Schlumberger’s efficiency and ultimately enabled them to sell more units, increase market share, and improve margins. MWG also provided a stocking program for over 25 parts, custom packaging, and design fixturing for these parts. This all played a role in delivering the product on time to the customer. The Sourcing Manager concluded, “MWG is always there when we need them most. They really step up to the plate to meet the spike in demand and do whatever it takes to get the job done right and on time.”