Choosing the project team
At the outset of the process, you will need to assemble a team of experts to oversee the project.
The team should have as wide a range of skills as possible – ideally, it ought to include representatives from engineering, quality, manufacturing and procurement.
Setting your objectives for outsourcing
It’s recommended that you make sure any project plan you create, (SMART). remain specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely within the milestones.
Questioning candidates
The purpose of sending out the questionnaire is to determine quickly whether there is a potential fit between your company and the EMS provider.
In this blog post we explore some of the key questions you may want to consider if you choose to visit a prospective electronics manufacturer in person A tour of your potential assembly
Once you’ve confirmed a date for a site visit, what are some of the questions you may want to consider?
- First and foremost, do you think you can work with this company? Can you see yourself working alongside their management team? And can you visualise your product being produced in that environment?
- Is your prospective assembly partner comfortable for you to see every aspect of their business in action and are they happy to be quizzed on all elements of their capabilities and operations? Is their workforce skilled, dedicated and passionate about what they do?
- What’s their capacity to meet seasonal demands or spikes in activity? Do they operate dual shifts or do they have off-shore facilities which may offer technical and after sales advantages or assist with disaster recovery solutions?
- Will the people you’re in conversations with now be part of the same team that will oversee production in the long term? If not, then it may prove a frustrating and time-consuming experience to have to repeat your requirements further down the line to people who weren’t part of those initial discussions?
The importance of site visits
A site visit can be an invaluable exercise in helping you to better understand your #electronics manufacturing services (EMS) outsourcing options and to see first-hand the operational capability, procedures and culture of a prospective #EMS partner
Structuring the Request for Quotation (RFQ)
It’s important that the #RFQ provides all the information the potential supplier requires from both a commercial and technical perspective.
Audit your potential EMS partners
Ask potential partners to explain how they will manage specific elements of your manufacturing such as planning, demand fluctuations or engineering changes.
Transferring the Operation Post Engagement
During this phase you will work closely with your nominated partner to ensure that the key elements needed to manufacture your products are transitioned smoothly across.
Knowledge and resource transfer between you and your partner
A good #EMS partner may choose to replicate the manufacturing layout that you have today to give you a sense of stability.
Getting the first build right
There may be a temptation to jump straight into the volume build but it’s better that any small issues surrounding missing data or design tweaks are caught now.
Ongoing Relationship Management
In the early stages of the relationship it makes sense to hold reviews monthly between you and your main contact. Conclusion It’s not easy to outsource manufacturing to an EMS provider. It requires careful planning from start to finish. But even with the best intentions, things may not always go to plan.
East India is an Electronics Manufacturing Services partner, offering low risk, end-to-end procurement, manufacturer and supply chain solutions.
