| There was a time when the economy was good | | | | production engineering, mechanical engineering, |
| and electronic companies handled the | | | | software engineering, micro-electronics and |
| manufacturing. But then depression came around, | | | | analogue electronics. It's also a good sign if the |
| and IBM's answer to it was to outsource to | | | | company has handled small to large projects in |
| another independent company. | | | | the past. |
| The move was unexpected, but right there it | | | | 1. |
| started a new trend. Electronic design companies, | | | | Modern Facility |
| now called Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) | | | | You should never close a deal with an electronic |
| continued to outsource and gave rise to Electronic | | | | contract manufacturing company without first |
| Contract Manufacturing (ECM) companies, which | | | | visiting their facilities. Equipment should be modern |
| took care of manufacturing at a lower cost. | | | | and must comply with the most recent industry |
| As an OEM executive looking to hire an ECM | | | | standards. |
| company, you need to be careful when making a | | | | Send a representative to visit them on the site. |
| decision. If you want to retain the integrity of | | | | But better yet, schedule a trip and see their |
| your designs, you must hire a professional, a | | | | facilities and equipment for yourself. |
| company with lots of experience and good | | | | 1. |
| referrals to back it up. | | | | Manufacturing |
| Here are a few things to look for when choosing | | | | All three pointers lead to this one – |
| an electronic contract manufacturing company. | | | | manufacturing. A solid ECM company should be |
| 1. | | | | able to keep up with the client's – your |
| Project Management | | | | company – ever-changing needs regarding its |
| The ECM company should be able to demonstrate | | | | chosen market. For this reason, manufacturing |
| good project management. If it can't even | | | | process should be multi-tiered to at least three |
| present itself well in this stage, how do you | | | | levels. |
| expect it to manufacture complex electronic | | | | Simply put, an ECM company's manufacturing |
| equipment? | | | | capabilities highly depends on its facilities, |
| A solid project management plan should lead you | | | | specialization of its engineers, and project |
| through the project's concept development, | | | | management skills. |
| engineering design, the device's prototype build, | | | | Outsourcing is still the trend, and electronic |
| device testing, and design for volume | | | | contract manufacturing companies are here to |
| manufacture. | | | | stay. If you're looking to cut down on |
| 1. | | | | manufacturing costs, go ahead and outsource to |
| Design Service | | | | an ECM company. Always keep in the mind the |
| ECM engineers should at least have a couple | | | | pointers mentioned above, and your business will |
| years experience in the manufacturing industry. | | | | be in good hands. |
| Their specialization should include quality control, | | | | |