Product category:
Electronics Manufacturing Services
News Release from: Jaltek Systems
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 December 2005
Choice of EMS provider is crucial
Choosing the right EMS provider, making the transition and running a successful outsourcing partnership is not easy, but done properly it can be the route to success.
Choosing the right EMS provider, making the transition and running a successful outsourcing partnership is not easy, but done properly it can be the route to success Transparency, honesty, integrity and a positive attitude to working together are all key, so, how should a company go about selecting its manufacturing partner?
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 Oct 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Jaltek Systems is a UK EMS provider that has expanded tenfold since its formation eight years ago.
A provider of high end products and services to blue-chip original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and multinationals, Jaltek also actively seeks out promising start-up companies with which to get involved at an early stage, testimony to its innovative spirit and its eye to the future.
There are many reasons to outsource manufacturing to a company like Jaltek: cost is one, and for many the most obvious.
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But outsourcing is also the solution for many technology-led OEMs whose manufacturing is not a core competence, or where it is not central to profit generation or competitiveness, or where it is inefficient.
In some cases outsourcing represents the opportunity to redirect resources, or improve product performance.
For others it means fewer design iterations, more manufacturing flexibility and less capital investment.
So, how should an OEM select its manufacturing partner?.
Internet and industry listings show that there is no shortage of EMS providers, but identifying the right partner among them is not always easy, not least because most are capable of satisfying basic selection criteria, it's the "nice to haves" that allow OEMs to differentiate between suppliers.
Jaltek's business is based on a simple, clear philosophy, explains Sales Director Steve Pittom: "Transparency, honesty, integrity and a positive attitude to working together are all key; we encourage this by treating others as we wish to be treated ourselves".
Time and time again Jaltek has proved that these are not just pretty words from a meaningless mission statement.
For example, where Jaltek can negotiate better materials costs during the life of a project, for example, it shares the resulting savings with the OEM even though the two have already agreed on higher costs.
It is fundamental, says Pittom, that each recognises the other's value in the partnership and that expectations are realistic.
This requires a mutual understanding of capabilities, cultures and future directions.
To this end, Jaltek recommends what they call a "customer fit" matrix to prequalify potential clients, and before initiating any project, it works closely with its partners on an in-depth "enquiry profile" that helps them to identify their needs relating to that project.
Jaltek's partnerships are underpinned by clear communication at all levels.
Just as Jaltek helps its partners to provide quality information, it provides data on project status and manufacturing in secure web-based client-specific areas, allowing OEMs to track products through Jaltek's processes in real time, while project and client status are evaluated weekly and in quarterly business reviews.
Jaltek encourages the use of its "value add value engineering" service, right from the first design review, to ensure design for efficiencies in manufacturing, test and other processes (DfX).
Steve Pittom adds: "Although first-time customers may initially have difficulty accepting design input, they generally grow to welcome it when they see the results".
But DfX is not the only advantage of early involvement, he says: "Materials represent between 50 and 90% of product costs, so early supply chain optimisation is essential".
Add to this an impressive manufacturing facility and years of experience in a wide range of industries and you have what Jaltek reckons is the perfect manufacturing combination: expertise in materials, logistics and processes together with a long track record in putting the very best into its partners' products, allowing its partners to get the very best out of their businesses.
Choosing the right EMS provider, making the transition and running a successful outsourcing partnership is not easy, but done properly, it can be the route to success, especially if your partner combines professionalism, experience, flexibility and vision with a strong sense of what makes people tick.
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