Case Study: Drive Shaft Supply for a spare parts retailer in East Africa

Drive Shaft for A spare parts retailer in East Africa

A spare parts retailer came to us with a drive shaft programme for East Africa. 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

• A supplier who changed material without saying so
• Lead time that slipped twice before bulk started
• Warranty claims traced back to a single lot

What was specified

How it was resolved

1. The specification was rebuilt around Reinforced Nylon 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

• 5,000 pieces delivered inside the 5-week window.
• Unit cost held within 4.5% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.5%.
• The specification is on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Keep one accountable owner on both sides. Most delays come from hand-offs, not from machines.

Planning something similar?

Send the specification you are working to and we will confirm what we can match, what we would change and why.