Optimum Design Associates Blog

The Harvard Business Review recently said that, “Companies that aim for ‘zero defections’ (keeping every customer they can profitably serve) make profits rise.” On average it costs manufacturers 6-7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an old one, and 5% reduction in the customer defection can increase profits by up to 95%. Improved customer satisfaction is paramount to reducing customer defection, and by listening to the reasons why customers defect, managers know exactly where the company is falling short. Below are 3 keys which if appropriately utilized, can increase customer satisfaction.

Minimization of all solder joint defects should be the goal for any SMT manufacturer. Through understanding the defect, its root causes, as well as how to prevent it, you can greatly improve the quality of all assemblies you manufacture. According to industry statistics, the top 3 PCB assembly defects which account for 74% of all manufacturing defects are Opens, Solder bridging, and Component shift.

A "lean office" is the application of the "Lean" philosophy to front end processes. In the early 1990's, Toyota Manufacturing developed the concept of lean, identifying eight categories of process waste (or "muda"). They are: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over-processing, over-production, defects, and mnemonics. According to the pioneers of the concept, a manufacturer can actually add value to products by eliminating waste in these processes. This breakthrough pervades today's manufacturing and is now starting to be found in places off the factory floor: namely, the office. 

Several electronic technologies are converging to increase demand in the PCB Industry over the next several years. The driving opportunity is the explosive demand for smart phones and tablet computers.

Before discussing the benefits of fixturing in Surface Mount Technology (SMT) it is worthwhile to clearly define some terms that relate to the concept of using fixtures in a manufacturing process. Fixturing and its similar concepts were originally used in woodworking. It then become commonplace in the world of engineering and manufacturing as a way to produce the exact same product multiple times.

Although many contract manufacturing (CM) companies have applied “Lean” practices to their back-end manufacturing, some don't realize that 70-95% of all costs associated with meeting customer needs are administrative by nature. Wasteful front end processes can often result in unnecessary costs, longer lead times, and reduced quality.

But applying lean principles to an office can be less straightforward than you'd think. Some businesses may overcomplicate "lean tools" while others may forget their core objectives. Most, however, simply do not learn from others' mistakes. Keep these five simple pitfalls in mind before drafting your Lean Office strategy.

Certification of ISO standards by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) have become a major expectation in modern manufacturing and allow contract manufacturers to provide proof of adherence for their quality management systems (QMS). Below are a few of the most important ISO certifications which are commonly requested in PCB manufacturing.

With the growing popularity of SMT technology, through-hole technology is taking up less real estate on a PCB assembly. But through-hole pins are still a necessary for many boards, and they still need to be soldered. While this process can be cumbersome, many manufacturers have turned to selective soldering as a precise and cost effective way to solder through-hole technology.