Have you been thinking about hiring a third party manufacturing company to assist you with the design or assembly of your electronics? If so, it is very important that you understand what to look for in a quality and long-lasting business partnership. But with so many options, how can you even know where to begin? In order to help you narrow down your options and make the best decision for your operation, here's a look at the four types of electronic contract manufacturers that you should be looking to hire. 

1. PCB Assembly Manufacturers 

Technology is continuously evolving, and as it does, it is shrinking. Consumers today are demanding electronic devices that, while more complex and functional, are also extremely lightweight and compact. In order for these systems to operate properly and efficiently, printed circuit boards (PCBs) must also become smaller, while being able to support increasingly complicated electrical connections and components. Designing and assembling these tiny PCBs can be challenging, time-consuming, and very costly to electronics operations with finite resources. In order for you to fulfill customer orders, stay competitive, and grow your business, you may want to consider working with professional electronic contract manufacturers. Skilled and capable outsource partners can hep you to overcome and obstacles that your team is meeting and can provide high-tech machinery that will ensure faster, more precise PCB assembly.

2. Systems Assembly Manufacturers

If your business is struggling with systems assembly, electronic contract manufacturers may be able to help. By choosing an experienced business partner that is familiar with all of the demands of system assembly, you can be the recipient of customized solutions that will help to manage your supply chain requirements. Regardless of what level of assistance you require, you can find relief and higher levels of success with the right contract manufacturer. Truly reputable third party companies will be capable of helping you with configure/build to order design schematics, assembly at the chassis, cage, or rack levels, custom cabling, board and system testing, and documentation management so that you can operate more efficiently.

3. Design and Build Manufacturers

There are many electronic contract manufacturers that only offer assembly services. Although this can help you to improve the speed of actually producing a fully designed product, it will not help you to improve the efficiency of your electronics. Despite the fact that your designers and engineers may be skilled at what they do, a fresh pair of eyes can always be of benefit to your business. Your third party design and build service may be able to pinpoint areas of your basic schematics that could be improved, thus saving you money on parts, or enabling you to create products that are easier for end-users to manipulate or that function more smoothly. Throughout the assembly and manufacturing process, your partner will be testing your products for operability and for problem areas that could be fixed. In this way, your business and your products will always be getting better.

4. American Based Manufacturers

At first glance, the electronic contract manufacturers that work offshore may seem like the more economical choice for a business partnership, but you should keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Although many foreign companies offer cheaper services, they also tend to cut corners and use bootlegged parts and system components during product assembly. And because cheap, unskilled labor is utilized throughout production, your devices may end up falling short of the expectations of yourself and your customers. To avoid these problems, it is in your best interest to work with American based companies that follow national manufacturing and assembly standards, and that utilize only high quality parts.


The right electronic contract manufacturers can be a tremendous asset to your business. By looking for these four types of manufacturers, you will enjoy more efficient daily operations, and will be able to provide better products to your customers. 

Whether your electronics business is thinking about seeking out help, or if you already use a third party service, it is very important that you know how to get the most value from your relationship with an electronic contract manufacturer. Although overseas partnerships may offer little more than mediocre product assembly, a qualified and professional service will be able to assist you in numerous areas. To ensure that you enjoy the most benefit from your outsourced help, here are several services that you should expect from your electronic contract manufacturing company.

Assistance with product design

Efficiency during the design phase is crucial to ensuring that your project goes smoothly. In order for your business to develop a product that your customers will be satisfied with, your team must take the time to carefully understand consumer demands and craft an electronic device that will be able to handle numerous functions while still being relatively simple to operate. Unfortunately, this often proves to be more challenging than it sounds.

If you feel as though your small or medium sized electronics business might be in need of some outside help, you're not alone. With technology growing more complex, it's more important now than ever to have the ability to produce compact, lightweight printed circuit boards (PCBs) that will function efficiently within even the most advanced electronic devices. As such, numerous businesses are looking for partnerships with a reliable PCB assembly service. But you can get so much more out of your third party service than just product assembly. In order to get the most value from your relationship, here's a look at six ways that you can use your PCB assembly service to your advantage. 

1. Enjoy state-of-the art machinery

Do you ever wish that you had the financial resources to keep up with the bigger companies? With the help of the right PCB assembly service, you can. Instead of purchasing expensive, cutting edge assembly and manufacturing technologies like robotic arms, you can let your outsourced business partner do all of the heavy lifting for you. In this way, their investment in technology will work to your benefit as your electronic devices will be produced with the latest and greatest machinery. 

2. Use high quality system components

In order to keep your clients and end-users happy with your PCBs, it is extremely important that you only utilize high quality system components, conductors, and parts. It is because of this that it's wise to look for a PCB assembly service that is American based, rather than located overseas. Although foreign companies may offer you a cheaper up-front price, these partnerships will cost you in the long run as many of these enterprises utilize low-grade or bootlegged parts. A qualified assembly company will have access to the best components from suppliers who can offer them great deals, which then results in further savings for your business. 

3. Improve assembly precision

If your current assembly process relies on human labor or dated machinery, it's time to consider seeking the help of a third party service. Because these companies are able to purchase and maintain advanced assembly and manufacturing equipment, you can count on the fact that each one of your PCBs will be assembled with care and absolute precision, meaning that you don't have to waste money on faulty equipment or product recalls.

4. Boost customer satisfaction

When you're able to provide a sophisticated and highly functional PCB to your clients at a reasonable price, they will be far happier with your company and give you their return business. In this way, you will be able to grow financially as contracts are renewed, and the word spreads that your brand name is synonymous with quality and value.

5. Troubleshoot and repair devices faster

When something goes wrong with one of your products, how long does it take for you to get to the root of the problem? When you make the decision to contract with a PCB assembly service, you'll find that it doesn't take nearly as long. Systematic testing and troubleshooting will review the source of the fault faster so that the experts are quickly able to correct the issue and get you back on track.

6. Reduce warranty replacement costs

When you've got a PCB assembly service partner on your side, working diligently to find and correct any problems that customers may be experiencing, you can save money. Instead of being forced to trash the faulty PCB and send your client a warranty replacement, your third party service can fix the underlying issue and get the product returned to your customer fast. Not only will cut back your costs on replacement units, but this will also make you look more professional and capable to your customers. 

Make sure you're always getting the most out of your business partnerships. How can you use your PCB assembly service to further improve your company?

Are you wondering whether or not your electronics business would benefit from a partnership with a contract manufacturing company? Although every company is different and has its own needs, there are certain factors that make it very obvious when an operation is in need of a little outside help. To help you make the best decision for your business, here are the top six signs that you should hire a contract electronics manufacturer.

1. You feel that your product design process could be streamlined

Time is money, so when it starts taking too long for your designers or project engineers to come up with a simple strategy for your electronics devices, it's time to ask for some help from a contract manufacturing company. This isn't to say that your current team is incapable of the task at hand, but rather, that they could benefit from a bit of outside perspective. After spending hours pouring over plans and schematics, your staff may simply be too burned out to notice that there could be a simpler, more efficient way of creating your products so as to save the entire business money. By working with engineers from a third party, your team will develop even more experience and may eventually only need help on a decreased consultation basis. Regardless, it's always good to have another set of eyes on each project.

2. You struggle to produce large product orders

Although your goal is to grow your business, you may be "stuck" if you don't have the manpower or machinery necessary to actually fulfill large purchase orders from major clients. In this case, you won't be able to meet your objectives until you have the assistance of a contract manufacturing company with the ability to turn out higher volumes of your electronic devices. 

3. It is growing increasingly difficult for you to manufacture small, complex devices

As technology advances, it continues to become smaller, lighter, and more compact. Unfortunately, this means that minuscule and extremely complex components must be manipulated during the assembly process. If you're relying on human labor, or dated and clumsy machinery to put your devices together, you could be in trouble. In this case, it would be to your benefit to work with a third party manufacturer who could enable you to take advantage of advanced production technologies and robotics for assembly.

4. You're throwing away too much money on correcting design or production problems

There's nothing worse than spending the time and money on producing a batch of faulty electronics. This often happens when smaller companies feel too rushed to complete an order and lack the manpower to keep an eye on what's going on. Now you must go back and determine where in the design or manufacture process something went wrong and make the necessary corrections. When you've got a professional contract manufacturing partner on your side, however, you can rest assured that your products will be regularly and systematically tested for flaws so that they are detected and corrected early.

5. Your cost to purchase quality parts is too high

If you're spending too much money on parts, it's impossible for you to sell your products at a competitive price point. Purchasing cheap, bootlegged parts from overseas, however, creates even bigger problems for your reputation. So what's the answer? A seasoned contract manufacturing company will have established strong relationships with suppliers, meaning that you can enjoy quality parts for less of a cost. 

6. You require assistance for troubleshooting and repairing equipment

When a customer sends a product back, are you able to quickly pinpoint the problem and fix it? If this is too time-consuming for your team, you should consider working with a third party company to speed up the process. Not only will this cut your costs, but it will keep your customers happier.


So what's the verdict? Should you be using a contract manufacturing company?

So you've made the decision to work with an electronics manufacturing company - now what? Although you have realized a need for assistance in the design and development of your products, you may not know where to begin with your search to find a quality partnership with a third party service. In fact, with so many options available, you may be feeling downright overwhelmed. Fortunately, there's no need to panic. By following this simple, five-step guide, you can quickly and confidently find a great manufacturing partner. 

Five Steps to Hiring a Qualified Electronics Manufacturing Company

1. Experience with complex electronics

Although seemingly obvious, a strong history in working with electronics should never be overlooked. Don't be shy about asking your prospective electronics manufacturing company for detailed information about their knowledge of the industry, and the specific types of technology that your company works with. Seek out partnerships with businesses that are established and have a proven track record so that you can be sure that you will be able to build a lasting relationship. You may also consider asking what education, training, or experience the manufacturing service requires of each of its employees before hiring. This will give you a good idea about the skill level that your partner team will actually possess. 

2. Positive, ongoing customer relationships

If the electronics manufacturing company that you are considering working with is truly all that it's cracked up to be, they will have a loyal client base to show for it. Take the time to find out what percentage of your potential service's customers actually renew their contracts. When the majority of the company's clients choose to continue doing business with them, you will feel more confident that you are making the right move. Be sure to also ask the manufacturing business for customer references. A solid, reputable service will be more than happy to do so.

3. The ability to assist in multiple areas

The last thing that you want is to hire a one trick pony. As you look to contract with an electronics manufacturing company, you should take care to find one that is able to help you in numerous aspects of your business. Although you initially may only seeking out help in the manufacturing process itself, you may find that down the road you could benefit from other areas. For example, if your team of engineers experiences difficulty on a particular project, or hits a roadblock, your third party service may be able to step and find answers to the problems that you are having. Additionally, it's wise to work with a manufacturer that also tests, troubleshoots, and repairs electronics.

4. Partnerships with reputable suppliers

The problem with overseas electronics contract manufactureing is that they often use cheap or bootlegged parts in order to cut down production costs. For obvious reasons, this will detract from the value of your devices and may cause serious damage to your company's reputation. Because of this, it's very important that you select a manufacturer that has developed strong partnerships with suppliers who offer them high quality parts at reasonable rates.

5. A true concern for quality control

Always make sure that your electronics manufacturing company is actually passionate about what they do. When a business truly cares about their industry and takes pride in what they do, you will always receive excellent  products that will please your clients and boost your business. 


Bonus tip: Make sure the numbers add up

It may be tempting for you to go with the lowest bidder, but keep in mind that if it seems too good t be true, it probably is. Cheap manufacturing services yield cheap products. On the flip side, however, make sure you aren't being ripped off or overcharged. An honest, reliable partner will not mark-up parts beyond that which is necessary.


Now go out and find a great electronics manufacturing company to partner with!

Because the majority of the population relies upon the use of electronics each day, it is becoming increasingly important for these devices to be user-friendly. Most people want to be able to utilize light, compact technology that will allow them to accomplish multiple tasks in a relatively simplistic manner. But even though the goal of manufacturers is to develop simplistic products for their end users, the design and production process still remains quite complex. As such, a growing number of companies are beginning to turn to electronics contract manufacturing services for help in developing high-quality tech that will please the masses. Here's a quick look at what goes into developing even the most simplistic units, and why a bit of outside help is often needed.

Four Complex Steps Involved in Creating Simple Electronics

1. Understand consumer needs

It's been said that you can't please everyone all the time, but when you're developing technology for a large group of end-users, you've got to give it your best shot. The first step to developing an electronic device that will be profitable for your business is to take the time to learn exactly what it is that your target audience wants and needs. Although this may sound like a simple enough task, you may find yourself quickly becoming overwhelmed by the many demands of your market. This is where the assistance of an electronics contract manufacturing company may come in handy. With superior electronics design and production experience, your business partner may be able to help you to find ways to condense and consolidate consumer desires, making your product less costly to create, and more desirable to your customers.

2. Design multi-functional devices that's easy to use

Once you've got a strong, working idea of what it is that your product will actually need to be able to do, you've got to find a way to make it simple for your customers to use. Although your team may have the intelligence and skills required to understand and design extremely complex technology, they may struggle with the ability to scale it back a bit and make it extremely easy for end-users to manipulate. If your engineers have hit any roadblocks, they may benefit from a new set of eyes. Your electronics contract manufacturing service can help to simplify the plans, resolve any issues, and make sure that your consumer market will be able to perform even the  most complex operations with just a few clicks of a button.

3. Manufacture products that are tech-dense, but lightweight

Today's customers want electronics that are lightweight and small, so you must find a way to meet their demands. Unfortunately, working with tiny components and parts by hand can be very time-consuming, costly and difficult, and can result in human errors. At the same time, the cost to purchase robotic arms that could easily manipulate these components can be overwhelming for small to mid sized businesses. The good news is that a professional contract manufacturing partner will enable you to take advantage of robotics and other advanced technology to produce your devices faster and more precisely than ever before. 

4. Test for functionality and user friendliness

Finally, you must always test your electronics before introducing them to the mass marketplace. In addition to performing an in-house check for functionality, it's also wise to gather a small test audience to determine how easy it actually will be for your consumers to learn how to operate your devices and perform tasks. Should there be any hiccups along the way, you'll need to go back and correct the issues so that your market will have the best possible response to your product. In order to solve these problems for the lowest cost and with the fastest turnaround time, it's wise to team up with your electronics contract manufacturing vendor. 

If you're shopping around for a contract manufacturing company, you're well aware of the fact that you have many options to choose from. Unfortunately, though, not all manufacturing services are equal. In order for your business to truly thrive, you must take the time to find a partner company that is passionate about providing quality services and products. Here's a closer look at what it is that you should expect from your manufacturing agency.

Open Communication and Collaboration

The best manufacturing services will always keep the lines of communication open between themselves and their clients. It should never be difficult for you to get in touch with your contract manufacturer to set up a a consultation, to review design schematics, to discuss any issues or deadlines, or to find out the status of the production of an order of electronics devices. On the other side of things, your manufacturing service should also contact you with regular updates, or to talk about any problems that have been encountered or changes that have been made to improve the design of your product. Regardless of whether you are leaving product design completely in the hands of your contract manufacturer, or if you're looking to collaborate with experts on ways to improve your schematics, no action should ever be taken without your approval. 

Excellent Parts

Your electronics devices cannot function as they should unless the parts used to construct them are top notch. Unfortunately, this is the area where many manufacturing services fall short. Often, electronics companies look overseas to outsource the manufacture of their products because the services rendered are typically cheaper. But when making decisions like these, you must remember that you get what you pay for. Many offshore manufacturing services are able to lower their price points because they are cutting corners and utilizing bootlegged parts. This can create serious problems with the functionality of your devices and can sometimes even result in safety issues. Ultimately, your customers will be dissatisfied with their products, leaving you with the costly burden of replacing their devices or even going back to the drawing board as you are required to recall the product altogether. In the end, you will have lost money and your reputation will have been severely damaged. 

Choosing to work with an American company with a solid reputation, on the other hand, will ensure that the parts used in the production of your devices will be of the highest quality possible, so that you can be proud of the products that you put on the shelves for your consumers. 

Technologically Advanced Machinery

When choosing between electronics manufacturing services, take a look at the types of technology and machinery that they utilize during the production of complex devices. High-tech facilities will deliver the best products. Robotic arms, for example, are essential to manipulating very small parts in a way that is efficient and precise. Be sure that the product assembly process makes use of the latest and greatest equipment for quickly generating your product without detracting from accuracy and operability. 

Quality Control

Professional manufacturing services will never allow your product to go to consumers without being carefully tested for functionality and safety. Be sure that your contract manufacturer has a proven process for checking over assembled devices to ensure that your customers will be fully satisfied with your electronics devices. In electronics manufacturing, there is no "good enough". In order for you to remain competitive and successful, your products must always be the best, and your manufacturer should understand this principle. 

By insisting on these criteria, you'll find the best manufacturing services possible.

As technology continues to evolve, so do the needs of your customers. Today's consumer market has higher expectations for electronic devices than ever before, demanding smaller, lighter, faster products for lower costs. Although some of the biggest electronics design and manufacturing companies may have the capitol and manpower to keep up with these customer needs, it may not be so easy for small to medium sized operations to do so. Fortunately, you don't have to throw in the towel and give up. Contract electronics manufacturing services help to level the playing field by offering phenomenal services at a reasonable price point that enables your business to grow and thrive. So what is it that makes a partnership with a contracted manufacturer such a wise investment? Here are three things that you can expect from your contract electronics manufacturing service:

1. Consultation Services 

Regardless of where you are at in the design process, a professional contract electronics manufacturing service can provide valuable consultation services. Perhaps your company would prefer to keep designing and engineering in-house, while outsourcing only the production of your devices. It's still wise for you to keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your manufacturer. An expert outsource company will employ those who are highly knowledgable and who may be able to spot design flaws, inconsistencies, or areas that could be improve in order to maximize efficiency and customer satisfaction. By allowing your electronics manufacturing service to review your design schematics before production, they may be able to send the plans back to you for improvements that could end up saving your company a lot of money. On the flip side of things, a contract electronics manufacturing business can also be more "hands-on" throughout the design process. With highly complex electronics, you may need the help of your partner company to solve problems, or to design the device from scratch.

2. Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

With every year that passes, electronics are growing smaller and more complex, making them more difficult to manufacture. If your smaller electronics business is utilizing dated machinery or is putting devices together by hand, you could be struggling to keep up with marketing demands. In fact, these older processes could be costing you a lot of money, as so much time and labor is required, and more mistakes are likely to be made. Unfortunately, the purchase of newer machinery to constantly keep up with evolving technologies can be impossible for "underdog" companies. This is where contract electronics manufacturing services can help. By working with these types of companies, you can take advantage of the latest and greatest machinery, product assembly services, and robotics without having to purchase the equipment yourself. In this way, your products will be manufactured quicker and more precisely than ever before.

3. Quality Control

Of course, no product should ever hit the shelves or be available to consumers until after it has been carefully tested for quality. When you select an American-based and highly qualified contract electronics manufacturing service, you can rest assured that your devices will be checked for functionality and total precision. In addition to this, you will know that you can be proud of the devices that you are putting out in the world because your manufacturer will only utilize high quality parts for safety and operability. 

Remember: You Get What You Pay For

If you're hoping to receive these three excellent services from your contract electronics manufacturing company, you must take care to invest your money wisely. Often, off-shore manufacturing services are very low cost, but that doesn't guarantee quality at all. Many of these companies are able to keep their price points low because they use boot-legged parts and shoddy craftsmanship. Selecting an American company with years of experience may initially cost a bit more, but customer satisfaction and the improvements to your sales revenue will pay you back in the long run.

If yours is like most other electronics manufacturing companies, you are constantly looking for ways to speed up your processes so as to run more smoothly and efficiently. Unfortunately, when everything is done manually or your staff and machinery are limited, you can find yourself bogged down by labor costs and lost time. So what's the solution? Even the smallest electronics companies can keep up with their larger competitors when they contract with the right, American based manufacturing assembly business. By choosing to work with a contracted manufacturer, you'll be able to speed up all of your processes while still turning out high quality products that will keep your customers happy. Here's a closer look at how this can be accomplished.

Fast and Cost-Effective Design

There's no need to labor over plans for weeks on end, without coming up with a workable and affordable solution. By choosing to work with a contracted manufacturing assembly partner, you'll also have the ability to receive input during the design process. With highly qualified and experienced individuals on your team, you can come up with a way to create a sleek, user-friendly electronic device that will be constructed with as few parts as possible. Fewer parts means less money spent, overall, and every penny counts. But this doesn't mean that the quality of your products will be reduced. Your business partnership will simply help you to discover the most affordable design and build strategies so that you (and your customers) can get the most value for your dollar. The biggest advantage here is that this can all be accomplished much quicker than when you work on your own, meaning that you can stay ahead of the competition by delivering better products to your consumers quickly.

Whether you're struggling to efficiently produce your electronic devices in-house or are just starting your business and are seeking an electronics manufacturing service, your primary goal is to find a partner that will help you to generate high-quality products in a way that is fast and cost-effective. You know that this is important, but if you've got a business partner or superior who is questioning the need to contract with a third-party manufacturer, you must be able to justify the investment. In order to get what you need, here are the top five reasons for working with an American electronics manufacturing service.

1. Design Products with Fewer Bumps in the Road

Creating small, complex electronics can be extremely challenging, and your team of engineers my struggle from time to time with problems that take them all the way back to square one of the design process. Unfortunately, when your staff have spent too much time examining a project, it may become difficult for them to see a solution that is right under their noses. Because of this, it's wise to bring in a fresh set of eyes, who may be able to solve the problem more quickly. In this way, your business is able to keep moving forward, instead of getting stuck on bumps in the road or required to scratch a design completely and begin again. Ultimately, this can save a significant amount of man hours, money, and stress. 

2. Make Use of High Quality Machinery and Parts

Sure, your company may use good machinery in the creation of your products, but in order to stay competitive with other businesses, you've got to have the best. By working with an electronics manufacturing service, you can take advantage of the latest and greatest technologies without having to purchase it yourself. Assembly solutions, for example, can streamline the process of manipulating tiny parts and pieces, making the process faster and more accurate from start to finish. And by choosing to work with an American manufacturer, you can rest assured that all of the parts used in the construction of your devices will be of the highest quality. In fact, your service may actually have connections to suppliers who can offer better parts for less dough.

3. Produce Fewer Faulty Devices

When you're able to produce your devices with the highest quality parts and machinery, you won't be throwing out entire batches of electronics as a result of errors. With fewer faulty devices on your hands, you'll be able to increase your profit margins and get the most bang for your buck.

4. Get your Products to the Masses Faster

Working with a professional electronics manufacturing service means that, from start to finish, your products will be designed, produced, tested, and shipped to end-users far faster than ever before. And the quicker you are able to get your devices to the masses, the faster you can start bringing in sales revenue and profiting. But faster doesn't mean reduced quality. Each of your devices will still be held to the highest standard so that you aren't hit with consumer complaints, warranty claims, or other related issues.

5. Scale Back on Your Spending

When you find a reputable electronics manufacturing service, you can spend less on product repairs. Broken or faulty equipment can be sent directly to your manufacturer for fast troubleshooting and fix-it jobs so that you don't have to lose money on warranty replacements. Additionally, you'll spend less time and money on shipping the faulty device to the manufacturer, waiting for it to be repaired, and having it shipped back to you before sending it to the customer. And after developing as solid relationship with your electronics manufacturing service, you may find that you begin to save money, as they are able to offer you discounted services for your loyalty.


Find out firsthand how an electronics manufacturing service could benefit your business. Are you ready to get started?