Delille Oxygen, based in Columbus, Ohio, is a rapidly growing gas supplier. Such fast expansion could naturally increase the chance for errors, but this does not hold true for Delille. Josh Weinman, Vice President of Delille Oxygen, explains common concerns surrounding quick growth and how Delille manages to prevent problems: “In this growth phase, there are more and more moving parts (cylinders) that can get mixed up. Since we are advancing so rapidly, a strong quality control system is critical to helping us maintain the standards that our customers expect.”
Delille has identified an efficient solution from Ratermann Manufacturing to ensure proper quality control. Weinman explains: “At Delille, we have a 7-step quality control process, the final step of which is to shrink wrap each and every cylinder valve. Shrink wrapping shows our operators that the 6 previous QC steps are complete, because shrink wrapping happens just after filling the tank. Shrink wrap also signals to our drivers that the tank is full and ready to be delivered. We have been using shrink wrap from Ratermann for about 10 years and as simple as it is, it works.”
Weinman also offers thoughts on the risks of mixing up a full cylinder with an empty one: “Anytime empty and full tanks get mixed up, it is a huge embarrassment. The worst part is looking bad in front of the customer; the second big concern is the expense of having to replace the empty cylinder. After the cost of a driver’s time, plus fuel and operator expenses, the company takes a large loss.”
Delille has found that shrink wrapping not only helps their quality control process in-house, but it also benefits customers. Weinman confirms that, “For our customers, shrink wrapping the cylinders makes it easier on them to distinguish a full tank from an empty tank. Here at the fill plant, we can use a pressure gauge, or use a sound test, but our customers don’t have that option. To complicate matters, they may have on hand just as many cylinders as we do. If a customer mixes up a cylinder at their lab or construction site, they too are at a loss of expense. We have found that they now rely on shrink wrap more than anything else to help with their own quality control.”
Weinman shares his final secret on shrink wrap: “By buying from Ratermann Manufacturing, we learned that shrink wrap is also a valuable marketing tool. Not only can we put our logo on the shrink wrap, but we can also post our phone number. Our customers rely heavily on our shrink wrap, so it makes sense to include our contact information. Now, when they peel off the shrink wrap and are in need of more gas, they know who to call because our phone number is right there in front of their face.”