Vietnamese Drum Maker Reduces Lead Time from 45 Days to 10 Days

Vietnamese Drum Maker Reduces Lead Time from 45 Days to 10 Days

Company Profile: A Ho Chi Minh City-based manufacturer of drums for the paint and coating industry, serving domestic Vietnamese brands and export markets in Cambodia and Laos.

Challenge: The customer's existing supplier required 45-day lead times and 100% prepayment. This made it impossible to respond to sudden demand spikes from paint manufacturers during peak construction season (November–February). The customer lost three major contracts in one year due to inability to deliver drums on time.

Solution Provided: We offered 0.20mm Single Reduced T3 Electrolytic Tinplate Coil with 2.8/2.8 equal coating from our regional warehouse stock in Ho Chi Minh City. Payment terms: 30% T/T deposit, 70% balance against BL copy (not requiring full prepayment). Surface finish: Stone Finish (R). Width: 900mm.

Implementation: Emergency order of 40 metric tons placed on a Monday. Material was loaded from regional stock on Tuesday. Shipped Wednesday. Arrived at customer facility Friday. Production began the following Monday.

Results:

• Lead time reduced from 45 days to 10 days (including ocean freight and customs clearance)

• The customer won back one of the lost contracts by guaranteeing 7-day drum delivery

• Inventory carrying cost reduced by 60% because the customer now orders in smaller, more frequent lots

• The customer expanded their product line to include 50-liter and 100-liter drums using the same 0.20mm material

Customer Quote: "Ten days from deposit to delivery is unheard of in this industry. You helped us say 'yes' to customers when our competitors were saying 'no.' That's a competitive weapon."

Follow-up: The customer has placed 12 consecutive monthly orders totaling over 500 metric tons. They have introduced us to two other Vietnamese drum manufacturers, both of whom have become active buyers.