As reshoring returns jobs to the US, the once-universal harbinger of quality “Made in America” is making a comeback.
Photo courtesy of Ken Fager (Creative Commons – modified)
It’s amazing the power those three words can have.
Boldly emblazoned upon countless products, “Made in America” symbolizes a commitment to quality above all else: a well-made product drawing from an artisanal legacy that stretches back centuries.
You’d think we’d have taken better care of it.
Over the years, as offshore outsourcing has grown in popularity, we’ve begun to see those three words mentioned less and less. A once common identifier of quality was growing increasingly endangered, supplanted by foreign locales like China, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Myanmar. It’s simple economics, really; offshore workers work for less, which passes the savings onto the business and the customer.
That tide is finally starting to turn, though. As rates have risen offshore, the efficiency and excellence of American workers have been rediscovered through reshoring, and countless companies are bringing jobs back—largely through onshore outsourcing (or rural sourcing) companies like us. Domestic assets don’t just make for a good story, either; they’re more productive, better collaborators, and require much less management than their offshore counterparts.
For the longest time, this was far too expensive for our newly globalized world. But now, as the wage gap is tightening, “Made in America” is once again the standard of quality for domestic goods—both in the consumable and business process markets.
A measure of the finest quality, indeed.
Cheers,
Mike Hodge
Lighthouse Technologies, Inc
Software Testing | Quality Assurance | Oracle ERP (E-Business Suite)
