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Improving ROI

April 13, 2018 By meiadmin

Improving ROI

Outsourcing is an excellent way to improve operational performance and increase shareholder value. Manufacturing companies that choose to outsource some or all of their design, production, and testing experience numerous benefits including improved ROI.

Outsourcing Increases the Quality and Value of Products Produced

Manufacturers often use a contract manufacturer to produce parts or all of a product. Sometimes, only help with design and testing is required. Other times, all of an organization’s production is outsourced. Whatever the case, companies around the world use outsourcing to increase quality and efficiency, while reducing costs.

Outsourcing can generate savings and provide significant economic value for corporations of all shapes and sizes. However, the actual value of outsourcing depends greatly on the quality of products being produced. Working with an inexperienced contract manufacturer can result in lost reputation and low ROI.

Producing products in-house is generally far more expensive than outsourcing. The space, equipment, people, and technology required for production can cost a significant amount of money. Using a contract manufacturer not only eliminates the upfront investment in assets and business processes, it also improves rate-of-return.

Before working with a contract manufacturer, it’s important that everyone in the organization is clear about his or her goals.

Benefits of Outsourcing

Outsourcing is often used to increase the quality of products produced. A qualified contract manufacturer will review design plans to locate areas that could benefit from improvement. This reduces the costs of production and increases the quality of finished products.

Depending on an organization’s goals, there are many ways to increase ROI. Returns might include increased profits or reduced expenses. ROI might also come from the improvement of operational efficiencies, reputation, and brand recognition. All of this and more are possible with the right contract manufacturer.

ROI helps quantify project value, increase stakeholder support, and can lead to project prioritization. In order to realize the benefits of outsourcing, manufacturing companies need to find a contract manufacturer they can trust.

Means Engineering, Inc. has experience working with a number of industries. Our team of engineers and technicians works directly with each of our clients to design, produce, and test a variety of products. We are an AS9100 and ISO 9001 certified contract manufacturer.

Electronic Devices – Understanding How They Work

March 30, 2018 By meiadmin

Electronic Devices – Understanding How They Work

Electronic devices are a big part of modern day life. From cell phones to appliances, these devices make our lives more comfortable and convenient. If you’ve ever held an electronic device in your hand and wondered how it works, you’re not alone. Most people do not fully understand how electronics do the things they do.

Electronic devices are used by almost every industry to perform a number of tasks. These devices contain electronic circuits, which supply power and control the device. Electronic circuits bring electronics to life.

Electronic Circuits

Electronic circuits are made with a number of electronic components including resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors. The resistor restricts the flow of the current, the capacitor stores an electric charge, diodes allow the current to flow in one direction, and the transistor controls the current flow. All of these components are contained inside electronic circuits.

The number and type of components contained on a circuit depends on the type of application the device is being used for. The only similarity between each circuit is the fact that all circuit wires begin and end at the same point.

Printed Circuit Boards

Most electronic devices used today require complex circuits. To make these, designers must carefully arrange components on a circuit board. Many companies use printed circuit boards (PCB) to save time and cost. These plastic boards have their layout chemically printed on their surface.

Integrated Circuits

As technology evolves, electronic devices are getting smaller and more efficient. These devices require complex circuits with several thousand components. Integrated circuits (IC) are commonly used for these situations. ICs are tiny circuits that fit inside a silicon chip. ICs are used in cell phones, laptops, and other advanced electronics.

Contract Manufacturing

Companies wishing to create complex devices often enlist the help of a contract manufacturer (CM). A CM helps improve design and create cost-effective, high quality electronic devices.

An experienced contract manufacturer provides a second set of eyes during the design process. This helps locate areas that can be improved. Companies use contract manufacturing services during product development to help cut costs and reduce time-to-market.

Choosing a Contract Manufacturer

March 23, 2018 By meiadmin

Choosing a Contract Manufacturer

Companies of all shapes and sizes occasionally need help with the design, production, and testing of products. Sometimes, this is only necessary when introducing new products or fulfilling a period of high demand. Other times, companies may choose to outsource their entire product manufacturing in an effort to save time and money.

Contract manufacturers are skilled professionals with the equipment and technology needed to produce a wide range of products. Using a contract manufacturer can help reduce costs and time-to-market. The right contract manufacturer can also help improve product design and the quality of finished products. This increases consumer trust in your brand.

Choosing a contract manufacturer to work with can be a tricky process. While you may have several options, not all will be able to meet the requirements or expectations of your company.

Experience

The contract manufacturer you choose should have experience with a wide range of industries. This ensures the company you work with is well equipped to handle a variety of needs. While you might not foresee your company expanding into other industries or markets in the near future, it’s important not to limit yourself.

Quality Control

Choose a contract manufacturer with a reputation for exceeding expectations for quality. Choosing a contract manufacturer that has taken the time and effort necessary to become ISO certified helps ensure that the products produced are of the highest quality.

Technologies

Technology changes at an alarming rate. It’s crucial that you choose a contract manufacturer that can keep up with these changes. Select a company that offers the latest technologies and techniques. This helps you remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.

San Diego County Contract Manufacturer

Means Engineering, Inc. offers contract manufacturing services from our location in Carlsbad, California. Our team of professionals has experience with multiple industries. We are well equipped to handle new product design, production, and testing.

We are an ISO 9001 and AS 9100 certified contract manufacturer. We utilize state-of-the-art technologies and techniques and strive to provide the highest quality products at reasonable rates. Please contact us for more information about our services.

Developing an Effective Process for New Product Development

March 3, 2018 By meiadmin

Developing an Effective Process for New Product Development

New product development is crucial to success in an ever-changing marketplace. New products help businesses reach new clients, expand into new markets and increase trust in their brand. Unfortunately, many companies have difficulty with new product development. These companies are either too optimistic or too aggressive.

With technology constantly evolving, the advantages of new electronic devices are often short lived. Companies wishing to stay afloat must constantly develop new ideas and innovations.

In order to create an effective process for new product development, you need to consider your people, products and process. These factors are crucial to success, even if you outsource your new product development to a contract manufacturer.

Team Members

When it comes to your team, it’s important to determine exactly which team members will be responsible for making important decisions. In order to figure out your team members’ roles, you need to thoroughly evaluate the skills and attitudes of each team member.

Every successful team includes people that are willing to attempt new things and make tough decisions. Each person on your team should have a specific job to do based on his or her individual strengths.

New Product

When deciding whether to add to your existing product line or to take a new direction, you’ll need to take a close look at what works and what does not. Evaluate your portfolio for patterns relating to member satisfaction and ROI.

The Process

You’ll need to develop an efficient process for product approval. It’s also crucial to determine exactly how you’ll measure the success of new products.

Outsourcing New Product Development

Many small businesses have a difficult time with new product development. These companies often do not have the space, people, technology or equipment necessary to produce new products. Small businesses can enlist the help of a contract manufacturer.

An experienced contract manufacturer is able to help with the design, production and testing of new products. They provide valuable expertise to help you locate areas to cut costs and make production more efficient. This helps small businesses keep up with ever-changing technologies.

Using Value Engineering to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs

February 16, 2018 By meiadmin

Using Value Engineering to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs

Companies around the globe are under a lot of pressure to create high quality products at the lowest cost possible. This is especially true for the medical, defense and aerospace industries.

Understanding Value Engineering

Value engineering involves finding creative new ways to produce products at a lower cost. Although many companies associate value engineering with a reduction of quality, the main goal should be to increase quality while reducing the costs of production. This benefits companies in all industries.

There are currently two main types of value engineering used by manufacturers. Process value engineering involves removing waste from the production process. This boosts efficiency and lowers costs. Product value engineering involves changing the design of a product to reduce costs and waste while improving the quality of the finished product.

While process value engineering focuses on waste and is an important part of lean production, it does nothing to increase the quality of products produced or the overall efficiency of the production process.

Benefits of Product Value Engineering

Even though product value engineering helps cut costs, this isn’t the only benefit. Product value engineering encourages companies to search for creative new ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Product value engineering comes from a truly technical perspective. The engineer creating the product must fully evaluate its design to locate unique ways to improve the efficiency of production. This can add significant value to the product produced.

Using a Contract Manufacturer

Companies looking to improve product quality while reducing costs often seek out a second set of eyes. A qualified contract manufacturer can provide a thorough analysis of product designs. They can help you locate areas that can benefit from improvement.

Contract manufacturers help with the design, production and testing of a variety of products. Means Engineering, Inc. has experience working with a wide range of industries. Our experienced engineers are skilled at locating ways to improve efficiency and reduce the costs of production.

We are an AS 9100 and ISO 9001 certified contract manufacturer. This helps ensure the quality and reliability of products produced.