Here are 10 points Aalto says to consider before you out-source for waterjet services:
How experienced is the company you are considering? Have they been around for a while? Have they worked on any large and prestigious projects?
Does this company work with combining different materials together? Quite frankly, some waterjet firms that are offshoots of tile manufacturing companies have been working primarily with their parent company's tile materials. Combining stone with metal, glass and other stone materials cannot be learned overnight. And this is perhaps one of the most significant items that waterjet fabrication offers.
Does the company have an art department? A true waterjet company serving today's diverse market needs a high-tech art studio. One that has been producing tombstones or mausoleum facades is really not ready to work on a multi-color, multi-material shopping mall wall mural.
How many waterjet machines does the company have? If your customers are like so many others, they want their waterjet-cut and assembled materials yesterday. If the firm you are considering only has a handful of machines and has any kind of volume, your customer is bound to get his/her order "tomorrow." Select a firm that has the capability to handle rush jobs.
Does the company understand installation'! Just because a firm can cut it and assemble it, does that firm understand tile and slab installation? Frankly speaking, there are some sorts of metal that are not advised to be installed with certain types of stone. A top water jet firm knows all about epoxy mortars, unsanded grout, sealing processes, etc.
How does the company ship its work? When you consider that thousands of dollars of stone have been intricately cut and assembled into masterpiece quality work, would you allow someone to throw that work into a UPS box with Styrofoam popcorn and ship it out? A true waterjet fabricator knows how to palletize material, how to build wooden crates, how to protect its work.
Is the company on-site at installation? A good, professional waterjet firm will insist on being right on-site for the installation of its work. Smart customers agree to this. In many cases, the waterjet person can give intelligent pointers to the installation team.
Is the company going to be around for a while'! Waterjet is really long-term, on-going project work. Let's say you do the floor for an upscale jewelry retailer that has 60 stores in 12 different states. The stores all have the same floor design, with repeating company logos, brass in granite tile, appearing every seven feet. Obviously, you won't be supplying stone material for all the stores at the same time. But with a good waterjet supplier, you will be able to give your customers their flooring, complete with logos, whenever they want it. A waterjet firm that is a solid business will be around in the future when this sort of customer needs repeated water jet cutting and assembly.
Does the company understand your industry? There is a statement that sounds something like "artists are not businessmen." A true high-tech waterjet art and production company has to understand the infrastructure of the stone business. There are contractor/installers, distributors, architects, end-users, etc., that all playa major role in this game. Your waterjet source has to be a good, solid business. And, a true waterjet company not only knows your industry, it is part of it.
Is the company fun? An up beat, progressive firm with an eye on the future is going to be young-at-heart, enthusiastic, relaxed and pleasurable to work with. Everyone likes to work with people they like.
