california Archives - Page 3 of 17 - Means Engineering, Inc.

Why Quality Product Design Matters

February 7, 2020 By meiadmin

Companies today are under a lot of pressure to produce exciting new products. Although it can be tempting to skimp on quality in order to push out new products, this can negatively affect your business. Consumers have extremely high expectations, and producing poor quality products not only increases the chance of costly returns and recalls, it also hurts your company’s reputation with consumers. No one wants to spend money on an inferior product. In today’s competitive atmosphere, releasing just one poorly made product could impact your chance of future sales.

Better Products Begin With Quality Design

Quality products begin with quality design plans. It simply isn’t possible to create a good product without having a clear understanding of what works and what does not. This is where outsourcing can help. The right CM can fully analyze your design plans to locate areas that could benefit from improvement. This is usually something simple like a change of material or process. Sometimes, these changes fix a problem with the original design.

Catching problems early can save a lot a time and money in the future. Often, CM changes made to design plans improve the quality of the finished product. They might even reduce the costs involved with production.

Contract Manufacturers Provide a Variety of Design, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance Services

Experienced contract manufacturers have years of experience working with a wide range of industries. Utilizing a CM’s help during the design process provides access to a wealth of information and expertise. It also provides a fresh set of eyes that might catch something that those closer to the project did not. Even companies with extensive experience creating design plans and successful products can benefit from outsourcing.

Contract manufacturers often provide a variety of services. In addition to assisting with product design, CMs also provide manufacturing and quality assurance testing services. Businesses of all shapes and sizes utilize contract manufacturers.

Means Engineering provides contract manufacturing services for businesses across a wide range of industries. When you work with Means Engineering, we work directly with you from concept to completion. Please contact us to learn more about our services.

Does Your Contract Manufacturer Have the Right Technology to Handle Your Project?

January 3, 2020 By meiadmin

Having the right technology is extremely important when creating electronic devices and components. Without the right tools and technology, quality suffers. This can create problems with reputation and lead to costly product recalls. Although working with a contract manufacturer can help increase quality and reduce costs, it’s important to make sure the CM you work with is tech savvy enough to handle your project requirements.

Equipment

The manufacturing equipment used can have a major impact on the finished product. When selecting a CM to work with, make sure the company you choose has the right machinery and equipment to produce the products you require.

People

In addition to having the right equipment and machinery, your CM should have a full staff of experienced and dedicated professionals. If possible, visit the CM’s facility and speak directly with the people responsible for creating your products.

Quality Management System

Nothing determines the success of a new product more than quality. Offering high quality products improves sales, increases the chance of repeat business and recommendations, and can significantly help grow a company’s brand.

When choosing a contract manufacturer, look for a CM with a Quality Management System in place. Ask potential CMs whether they are ISO certified. Companies that have received ISO certification have proven that they meet or exceed extremely high standards for quality.

Traceability

In order to ensure the finished quality and correct assembly of electronic devices, companies need to track all devices and components throughout production. Traceability is extremely important, especially when creating custom devices and/or devices for the medical, defense, and aerospace industries.

Make sure the CM you choose actively uses a proven traceability system. The system should allow the CM to track every part and component through all stages of production. This type of system provides valuable insight and ensures everyone knows and understands the progress and status of the project.

Means Engineering offers a variety of contract manufacturing services including design, production, and testing of a wide range of products. An ISO certified CM, Means Engineering uses best practices and equipment to ensure the quality and consistency of every product produced.

Please contact us for more information about our services.

Save On Soft Costs By Utilizing a U.S. Based CM

December 27, 2019 By meiadmin

Utilizing a contract manufacturer can save a significant amount of time and money over handling production in-house. The right CM helps improve product quality, reduces time to market, and helps businesses expand into new markets. While outsourcing typically costs less than purchasing equipment, hiring and maintaining staff, and ensuring optimal quality through advanced testing techniques and practices, using a U.S. based CM can save more on the soft costs of production over outsourcing overseas.

Quality Assurance

Businesses spend a lot of money assuring the quality of finished products and components. This is important, as most U.S. consumers have extremely high expectations for quality and service. Releasing a new product that does not meet consumer expectations can have a negative effect on brand reputation. When it comes to electronic devices created for the medical and aerospace industries, poor quality could affect the health or well-being of the people that use the finished product.

Unfortunately, most overseas manufacturers do not have access to the same equipment or resources as local, U.S. based manufacturers. In order to ensure products and components meet quality standards, companies often must test products themselves. Using a U.S. based CM like Means Engineering ensures all products meet strict requirements for quality. This eliminates the cost of having to test products in-house.

Ease of Communication

Communication is one of the biggest complaints companies have when outsourcing overseas. Language barriers and varying time zones creates issues with communication that could affect product quality and/or time to market.

When working with a contract manufacturer, it’s important that companies maintain clear lines of communication throughout the entire process. Working with a U.S. based CM eliminates language barrier and time zone concerns.

Monitor Progress

Companies that outsource production overseas typically do not get the opportunity to meet with the CM or see the facility. Aside from the communications they receive, the company has no way to actually track progress.

Working with a local CM makes it possible to visit the facility and meet the people who will work on the project. This ability to “mind the shop” creates peace of mind and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Means Engineering offers a wide range of contract manufacturing services designed to cut costs and increase the quality of finished products and components. Please contact us for more information about our services.

Ensuring High Quality Products

December 13, 2019 By meiadmin

Thanks to increasing demand and rising consumer expectations, manufacturers today are under extreme pressure to create new products. Modern day consumers expect more features and functionality than ever before. They also expect a constant stream of new products hitting the market. This is especially true for the electronic device industry.

In order to stay competitive, manufacturers must continuously create and release new products that include the features most desired by consumers. These products must meet extremely high expectations for quality. No one wants to purchase an inferior product, especially a higher priced electronic device. In addition to consumer dissatisfaction and loss of business, problems with quality could lead to dangerous device malfunction and recall. Manufacturers will want to do everything they can to avoid these types of issues.

Quality Testing an Important Part of Production

Manufacturers must ensure that all products pass rigorous testing for quality. Testing parts and components prior to assembly can help locate issues sooner, when they’re easier to fix. This can save the manufacturer a significant amount of time and money. It also helps the manufacturer locate areas of the design that could benefit from improvement.

Contract Manufacturer Help OEMs Increase Product Quality

Companies looking to increase the quality and consistency of products produced can benefit from utilizing the help of a contract manufacturer. While OEMs often turn to CMs to help fill periods of high demand, the right CM can also help reduce production costs and ensure the creation of high quality products time and time again.

Experienced CMs, like Means Engineering, have years of experience producing a wide range of products. These companies have a Quality Management System in place to ensure every product meets strict requirements for quality and consistency.

Means Engineering uses advanced equipment and techniques to test each product and component. This testing allows their experts to catch issues sooner, before they are able to affect the quality of the finished product. Using thorough evaluation and testing, Mean Engineering’s team can even locate ways to reduce costs and improve product quality.

Please contact us to learn more about our comprehensive contract manufacturing services.

Choosing a CM – Questions Every Company Should Ask

October 11, 2019 By meiadmin

Partnering with a contract manufacturer provides numerous benefits for companies of all shapes and sizes. The right contract manufacturer can help your business grow and expand into new markets. However, it’s important to take some time to research several companies before selecting a contract manufacturer to work with. This is crucial, as you’ll want to make sure the company you work with provides flexibility and room for growth. This helps ensure a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

You’ll want to ask the following questions prior to selecting a CM:

Does the contract manufacturer provide information when requested?

During the interview process, you’ll want to look for a CM that provides information about the manufacturing process, material costs, labor costs, and other overhead costs when asked. If the company you speak with is not upfront and open now, you might have trouble getting information later.

Does the contract manufacturer have a quality assurance program in place?

The right contract manufacturer can help your company produce high quality products and components. However, it’s important to remember that quality can vary from one CM to the next. In order to ensure the highest quality, look for a contract manufacturer that has adopted a comprehensive Quality Management System. The CM you choose should be registered to ISO 9001 and AS 9100.

Is the contract manufacturer’s facility neat and organized?

The cleanliness and organization of a CM’s facility can tell you a lot about how serious they are about quality control. A clean, well-lit, and organized facility ensures projects are completed in a safe and professional manner.

Is the contract manufacturer the right size for your business?

It’s important to select the right-size contract manufacturer for your business. If you are a small to mid-size company, you probably don’t have the same needs as a larger organization. In fact, a larger scale CM might not even take smaller projects.

Will the contract manufacturer protect your intellectual property?

Make sure that the contract manufacturer you choose has processes in place to protect your intellectual property from possible infringes. Don’t be afraid to ask the CM about how they plan to protect your sensitive information.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers a variety of contract manufacturing services to businesses across a wide range of industries. Please contact us for more information about our services.