Case Study: Power Steering Hose Supply for a supermarket chain in Europe

Power Steering Hose for A supermarket chain in Europe

A supermarket chain came to us with a power steering hose programme for Europe. The brief was ordinary and unforgiving at the same time: a fixed launch window, a landed cost that had to survive freight and duty, and a part that had to match an existing sample. This case records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order landed.

The starting point

• Inconsistent hardness between lots
• A supplier who changed material without saying so
• Lead time that slipped twice before bulk started

What was specified

How it was resolved

1. The specification was rebuilt around Ceramic Composite and the tolerance locked before bulk.
2. A pre-production sample was approved and kept as the golden reference.
3. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
4. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
5. Documentation shipped with the goods instead of after them.

Result

• 2,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
• Unit cost held within 1.5% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 0.5%.
• The specification is on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.

Planning something similar?

Send the part number, the annual volume and the target market, and we will come back with a specification and a sampling plan.