Manufacturing Today Issue - 216 September 2023 | Page 149

______________________________________________________________________________________ MSC
Industrial Supply transformation extends well beyond just e-commerce . When the digital buzzword initially emerged , it was assumed to be a choice between people or technology , but instead of investing in only one area , we subscribed to both ends of the theory .
“ Technology is not used to replace people , but to help them improve . We found that combining a human element with technology results in exponentially better outcomes . An example of this relationship is our MSC MillMax ® service . It ’ s a small , instrumented hammer that is used to tap milling tools . The vibration data measured is used to create a set of analytics that automatically highlight optimal machining parameters . The expertise of our technical specialists combined with the MSC MillMax is resulting in more than 200 percent productivity gains on milling applications , driving significant reductions in cycle times and manufacturing costs .”
The secret to MSC ’ s success is that it has retained its personal touch and consistent quality service , while achieving scale and geographic growth . “ While all businesses face a vast number of challenges , one major difficulty to navigate is the growth paradox ,” Erik proposes . “ Referring to the balance between growth and service , it ’ s the ultimate tension in business and the biggest challenge for MSC .
“ It ’ s no secret that success and growth come hand in hand . For any business to be successful , it needs to service customers well and maintain great relationships with suppliers . This often happens in founder-led businesses , but the problem is that as the business experiences success , it expands to more product lines , customers , and geographies , eventually reaching a stage where its structure is no longer manageable by the founder alone .

DON

’ T PLAY BY

THEIR RULES

The Apex Tool Group is proud of being a Trusted Supplier Partner to MSC Industrial Supply Co . for over 40 years .
GEARWRENCH ® and Crescent ® are registered as trademarks of Apex Brands , Inc ., a Division of Apex Tool Group , LLC ATG-67711
manufacturing-today . com 149