There's a world of manufacturing options out there, literally. Since the outsourced manufacturing boom of the 90s-00s, the only challenge facing a company looking for assembly electronic solutions is sorting through the many, many options on the table.
For a lot of companies, the options boil down to "who has the lowest prices?" but that's really only the start of the matter. Sure, there are plenty of assembly plants that will provide what you ask for, more or less, but you can ultimately get far more out of your assembly service without paying too much more money.
In the cost-benefit breakdown, these services will ultimately enhance the value of your assembly outsourcing center.
Important Tips For Getting The Best In Electronic Assembly Solutions
1 - Take Time With The Prototypes
When a design is in the prototyping phase, there is usually a lot of pressure to have it work, and work the first time. However, this is one area where, at Zentech, we feel that extra time and attention is necessary. We're happy to work on bug-testing and troubleshooting prototypes as long as it takes, because ultimately, a poor prototype put into production reflects badly on us, even if it was designed "to spec."
Also, companies with higher-quality production facilities can often make improvements to the design, based on their own capabilities, that can reduce costs or boost reliability.
Plenty of outsourced assembly electronic services are happy to take whatever plans you hand them, and pump them out. A supplier who's willing to be a partner, and wants to see your designs made better will be a much better long-term value.
2 - Demand Strict Component Oversight
Sadly, it's usually this simple: If your assembly solution isn't using individual parts tracking, throughout every aspect of their supply chain, there's a good chance you won't get what you ordered. Especially when dealing with overseas industry, it becomes very easy for "substitutions" to be made, such as using counterfeit parts in place of the real thing. In many cases, even the contractors themselves don't know until after it happens.
In fact, a couple years ago, even the US Air Force discovered counterfeits in their overseas supply lines.
Ultimately, an end-to-end tracking solution is truly the ONLY solution here. If a contractor cannot prove the provenance of a given component, there's no way you can ever know if it's legitimate.
3 - Prioritize Your Batch-Processing
Even at manufacturing centers that specialize in high-complexity orders, where a given system may have several variations, this this is not without new costs. Every time the machines have to be re-configured for a new batch, it costs both time and money.
We strongly suggest smart prioritization, where you start with your largest batches first, fulfill those, and then move onto the smaller or niche batches. The fewer equipment re-sets are needed, the less time and money the production run will cost.
If possible, make use of consultants within your manufacturing center. They often have insights into the market, and future trends, that can help you sort out the right manufacturing order for a complex batch of systems.
4 - Utilize On-Site Tech Support / Fulfillment Services
Why should your electronics assembly firm be cut out of the picture after the item ships? Broadly speaking, they're going to be most familiar with the technology, and likely have the best services in place for handling replacements or repairs.
When you find an assembly service that handles post-sale support as well, it takes a huge load off your company's shoulders. The parts are there and the expertise is there, so it makes sense for them to handle those services.
Keep Looking For More In Your Electronics Assembly Contractor!
Don't simply look for the lowest prices, because you're likely to get mired in hidden fees and extra back-end costs. Contact ZenTech today for a free consultation, and to see above-and-beyond contract assembly for yourself!
