No matter how well things are going for your electronics company, there may come a time when you need the assistance of a contract manufacturer. While there are many different manufacturers that would love to gain your business, however, they may not all offer the same services or even the same quality of work. Unfortunately, the majority of electronics companies don't have any idea what they should be looking for or expect from a contract manufacturer.

It's hardly a surprise that following a decade or two of using low-cost, low-frills overseas assembly plants that electronics companies would want more from their contract manufacturers.  It's a new market these days, with a much better-informed customer base who demand higher quality from their products.

As a small to mid-sized electronics company, you may find yourself struggling, from time to time, to keep up with the large brands and businesses. While these "big fish" game players may be able to afford to employ a large staff of skilled designers and engineers, and stay on top of the latest and greatest assembly machinery, you may not have the same resources available to you. This is not an uncommon problem. To find success, many SMBs choose to contract the production of their PC boards out to a third-party manufacturer.

Today, a growing number of small to mid-size electronics businesses are making the decision to outsource some of their work to third parties. But while there are plenty of electronic contract manufacturing companies for you to choose from, it's important to understand that they are not all equal. How can you be sure that you are partnering up with a reputable business that you can truly put your trust in? To help you narrow down your options, here's a look at 10 things that you should expect from the best electronic contract manufacturing companies.

Putting a new product out in the world is a very exciting prospect, but building up a hype about a vision is not always easy. How can you get your customers excited about what you have to offer, when you don't actually have it on offer yet? This is where PCB prototype assembly comes into play. By transforming your ideas into something tangible, you can generate interest in your electronics as a means of testing your target audience for responsiveness to the product or taking pre-orders to fund the manufacture of a larger product supply. Whatever your reasons, developing a professional prototype will make a significant difference for your business. Here's a look at what you can expect when you work with a contract manufacturer to create your PCB prototype. 

Enjoy Help Throughout the Design Process

In some instances, you may have a working concept of what it is that you want your device to be able to do, but you're "stuck" on actually putting those ideas into motion. In this case, you would be best served by hiring a contract manufacturer to help you come up with an efficient and effective design schematic. With a thorough knowledge of industry standards, your partner company will have the ability to streamline your thoughts into a plan for a cutting edge product that is sure to impress your client base. With a little help from professional engineers, you'll find that even better ideas might be brought to the table, taking you and your device to the next level. 

Let the Professionals Bring Your Ideas to Life

Once the design phase has been completed, it is time to move into the PCB prototype assembly process. Whether you and your team were able to entirely develop the schematics for your product in-house, or you worked with your contract manufacturer to further develop your concepts, you will now have the opportunity to see those ideas brought to life in the form of a working prototype. Your contract manufacturer should have an extensive background in developing sensitive electronic devices, and utilize state-of-the-art machinery and equipment when doing so. The product should then be tested for functionality and any errors should be trouble-shooted and corrected promptly. This ensures that you'll be able to go to your customers with an outstanding prototype that will truly impress them. 

Experience Fast, Quality Service

In many cases, you will need help developing your new product fast. If a client is expressing interest in your ideas and would like to set up a meeting to test your products, you need to be able to present your electronics and close the deal quickly. Regardless of when you need your device ready, your contract manufacturer should be able to handle the pressure and navigate through the PCB prototype assembly process in a timely manner. Additionally, working with an American based manufacturer will ensure speedier service and higher quality parts. With a significantly reduced shipping time, you'll receive your prototype much faster. And when you work with a domestic partner, you can rest assured that all industry standards will be adhered to. 

Expand your Market and Grow Your Business

When you have the ability to take even your most basic concepts and turn them into a professional prototype, you will have the opportunity to truly thrive. By developing a working model of your newest product offerings, you can keep up with the competition, stay ahead of the curve, build buzz for your business, and expand your client base.  As you're able to introduce your concepts to the market faster and receive more immediate feedback through the PCB prototype assembly process, you will find that your business will only continue to improve.

An idea is only valuable when it can be shared with the world. Are you ready to take your concepts the next level by working with a contract manufacturer for PCB prototype assembly?

In this economy, numerous small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) arelooking for ways to scale back their costs and increase their profit margins. Unfortunately, this means that some electronics companies are questioning whether or not they really need the help of a contract electronic assembly. The problem is that, with limited resources, many businesses are unable to efficiently keep up with consumer demands without the help of a third party. In the end, these particular SMBs may realize (too late) that they actually hurt their sales by not hiring an electronic manufacturing company. Here's a closer look at the top 5 reasons why such a partnership is so important. 

1. Streamline your design processes

In many instances, the design of your electronic devices is actually the most complex, challenging, and time-consuming portion of the manufacturing process. Your team of designers and engineers must carefully work to create a product that will meet the needs of your consumers, be appealing to the market, and operate quickly and efficiently for maximum customer experience. After many hours of slaving away over the schematics, however, your team may actually be too close to the project to notice critical design flaws, errors, or to be able to overcome roadblocks. In these instances, the partnership of a contract electronic assembly and electronic design services is of the utmost importance. Here, a group of skilled and experienced individuals will be able to intervene and ensure that the product design is completed with speed and precision so as to keep your costs at a minimum.

2. Manufacture devices with the latest and greatest technology

Most SMBs lack the funding to keep up with the major league electronics companies when it comes to manufacturing technology. With today's electronics devices growing smaller, lighter, and increasingly complex, though, this is becoming a very big problem. You cannot expect older machinery or assembly line workers to keep up with how quickly and accurately state-of-the-art robotic arms are able to operate. In order to avoid being left in the dust, it is wise for smaller businesses to turn to a contract electronics manufacturer who can supply cutting edge manufacturing technology and provide a competitive edge.

3. Take advantage of deals on high-quality parts

The cost to produce your electronic devices and the prices that you must charge your customers are all impacted by how much money you are required to invest in parts. Unfortunately, suppliers often mark up their prices when working with companies with whom they have not developed a lasting partnership. For smaller businesses, it can take a lot of time and cash to build up such a relationship. The good news is that a contract electronic manufacturing company will be able to do all of the heavy lifting for you. By working with a third party, you can take advantage of the relationships that they have established and enjoy a reduction the the cost of parts without ever being forced to sacrifice quality.

4. Quickly detect and correct problems

If there is a fundamental problem with the design of your device, or if something goes wrong during the manufacturing process, how long would it be before you noticed? Would it be after hundreds of faulty devices were produced, or worse - after the product had been shipped to the end-users? When you work with a third party assembly manufacturing service, your devices will be regularly checked for flaws to ensure that your money will only be spend on the production of high quality and fully functional devices. Any problems will be promptly addressed to ensure that your orders are completed quickly.

5. Get faulty devices repaired and returned to customers faster

Why shoulder the burden of troubleshooting and repairing/replacing faulty equipment yourself? With the right partner, you can cut down warranty costs and get working products back to your clients quicker than ever before.

Are you ready to partner with a professional contract electronic assembly 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?

Due to the fast-paced nature of this world, it's no surprise that the electronics industry is as competitive as it is. Electronics companies are constantly pushed to reach beyond their limitations to create devices that are more compact and more advanced, while still keeping prices low. The expenses involved with creating new products, however, can make it very difficult to keep customer costs down or to make much of a profit. It is for these reasons that a growing number of companies are seeking out help from outsource vendors. But is this the best solution for you? If you're not certain, here are four key reasons that you should seriously consider working with a contract electronics manufacturer.

1. Gain New Insights

Although there is no doubt in your mind that your team is highly knowledgable and good at what they do, you should never convince yourself that you or your staff have nothing left to learn.Technology is constantly evolving, and new ideas and methods are continuously being developed in order to streamline the process of designing and building better electronics. A contract electronics manufacturer can bring these new concepts to the table, opening your eyes to a world of new possibilities. Your contract partner may be able to point out ways to adjust your product designs in such a way that production costs will be reduced, or your device will run smoother, and with a reduced likelihood for malfunctions or other issues. Additionally, an electronic contract manufacturer can help you to work out problems and kinks that your team has been struggling to resolve, so that you can keep your business moving forward and making money.

2. Take Advantage of the Most Advanced Technology

For the largest enterprises, it may not be as difficult to spend the money on advanced technological upgrades every year or two. For smaller and medium sized business ventures, on the other hand, this may not be possible.  When your company's cash flow is tied up or somewhat restricted, it can be impossible for you to make the investment in the latest and greatest manufacturing machinery which, in turn, makes it very hard for you to keep up with the competition. A contract electronics manufacturer can "level the playing field" by offering your business access to more advanced technologies throughout the production of your devices. Robotic arms can be utilized to manipulate even the smallest parts with care and precision, so that human-error can be removed from the equation. Fast, accurate machinery will speed up the product assembly process without ever detracting from the operability of your electronics, so that you can stop wasting money on time and faulty equipment.

3. Improve Customer Satisfaction

By working with a contract electronics manufacturer, you can improve the quality of your products and ensure that your customers will be happier with their devices. This is not only due to the fact that the machinery and equipment used to manufacture these devices is so precise and advanced, but because the best parts are used, and all products are tested for quality. A good, American-based contract partner will never utilize bootlegged  parts during the manufacture process, and will have a solid system in place for verifying product functionality.

4. Broaden Your Horizons

From start to finish, a contract electronics manufacturer can speed up your processes while improving the design and production of your devices. Because of this, your business will become more efficient and organized, freeing up the time for you and your team to "dream big" and develop new, more exciting and technologically advanced products to share with your customers. At long last, you will have the time, technology, and financial resources available to become the industry leader that you always wanted to be.

Stop holding yourself back, and start finding out how working with a contract electronics manufacturer can transform your business into something bigger and better than ever before.

Just like with all of your products that are assembled and shipped off to your clients, you want every single piece of component and part of your designs to be associated with quality. Who doesn't want to have the best of the best when it comes to their manufactured parts? Your clients trust that you're providing the best service to them, so why not expect the same kind of service and top notch quality in parts when it comes to your contract electronics manufacturer?