Choosing an electronic manufacturer is one of the essential steps to achieve success with an NPI (New Product Introduction).
The perfect contract manufacturer (electronic manufacturer) must be able to offer you effective production procedures, PCB board designs as well as reduced costs. When you choose an ideal provider using the right approach, you can establish a partnership that will foster the growth of your organization. On the other hand, if you make the wrong choice, you may not only lose capital, but also lose customers trust, and this will eventually put you out of business.
With hundreds of options on the market, how do you know you have chosen the right electronic manufacturer for your business? For many companies, decisions are made based on the price factor alone. While unit cost is a crucial factor, it should not be the only thing to consider. When looking for an electronic provider, ask these five essential questions to know more about the company and to gauge whether or not you would entrust your business to such a firm.
Are the finances of the electronic manufacturer reliable?
Remember, the future of your company depends on your electronic manufacturer. It does not matter whether the price is competitive, competent or service oriented, if you notice any instability in finances, then you may want to think twice about investing in such a company. A reliable electronic manufacturer should be in a position to support heavy capital investments and has sufficient funds for additional requirements.
Often, products need their electronic components bought before receiving customer payments: can the contract manufacturer cater for the costs? If an electronic manufacturer is not financially stable, they would not be able to secure components. This type of financial instability may compromise shipping for your products and eventually tamper with your product development schedule.
Is communication with the electronic manufacturer effective and transparent?
The process of building electronics is highly sophisticated and complex. Your contract manufacturer should be able to explain the business structure in depth. Also, they should allow you or your representative to visit the production facility whenever possible. Furthermore, they should be open to discuss issues and find permanent solutions as soon as they arise. Communication should be open and honest for a relationship to work and grow. Your electronic manufacturer should see you as a partner and not as a client or a supplier.
If the manufacturer takes part in the design process and structuring of other details of the product, you will want to have the freedom to discuss who possesses the intellectual property rights openly.
What certifications have been secured?
Does the contract manufacturer have the appropriate certifications required to build your electronic assembly? Each industry has specific certification requirements such as ISO9001 and ISO13485 quality management certifications or RoHS compliance. It is prudent to discuss all requirements in advance to make sure your EMS provider is compliant to complete your product build.
How is information handled?
When it comes to handling and managing large sets of data, manufacturers need to be quick and accurate. Every day, components keep on changing, especially when it comes to revisions and going End of Life (EOL). Also, delivery dates tend to change a lot. Therefore, your electronic manufacturer should confirm that they are building your product with the correct revision of the component, just as you have directed.
Does the manufacturer know how to handle changes in engineering, especially when new revisions for your products emerge? Also, the production schedule should be dependent on ever-changing delivery dates. Now, if your electronics manufacturer does not have a reliable ERP system, it will be daunting to keep all this data compact. Therefore, you should make sure your electronics manufacturer has a trustworthy system to control their data internally as well as to the customer and you.
Is the electronic manufacturer using the advanced and modern equipment?
The electronic field is versatile and keeps on changing. Designers are making smaller components to fit on the PCB perfectly. Today, multilayer boards are highly preferred and commonly used. IoT and wireless components continue to prevail. Make sure your ideal contractor is well informed and knows how to use modern electronic manufacturing technology. It will be hard to build your product if the manufacturing equipment used is outdated.
Conclusion: Consider the aspects most important to your organization when assessing an electronic contract manufacturer
When determining the credibility of an electronics manufacturer, also referred to as an electronic contract manufacturer, you can consider numerous aspects. Choose the right contractor, and your product will be in safe hands. Choose an incompetent service provider, and you may end up spending a lot of money in the long run.
Getting answers to the above questions will help determine the right contractor for your product. With relevant information, you too can choose a reliable electronic manufacturer to work with on your product.
