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EMS Provider Delivers True Value-Add to their OEM Customers through a Streamlined Communication and Collaboration Process
October 11, 2007 |Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Intelligent Manufacturing Solutions (IMS) is a full service Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider, specializing in New Product Introduction and Quick Turn Assembly, from Prototype through Moderate Run Production. IMS provides "Intelligent Solutions" to a diversified customer base. These solutions include Quick Turn Prototyping, Sourcing Services, Supply Chain Stabilization Programs, Enhanced Manufacturability Guidance, Test Design and Development, and Safe Passage Transition.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Challenge/Situation
With increasing competition among <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />EMS providers, both locally and offshore, IMS needed a means to escalate their value-add and provide the highest level of service to their customers. IMS wanted to become a true extension of their customers. "The one common denominator for all of our customers is limited bandwidth," stated Ray Marshall, president of IMS. "We need to provide solutions where IMS truly acts as an extension of the customer and helps ease their workload". IMS recognized that a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system could facilitate this by providing a single environment for creating and changing product information and enabling vital product data to be easily shared between IMS and their customers.
Ray Marshall demonstrates the Landrex AOI systemCustomer Goals
"IMS was searching for an easy to use and flexible PLM solution that would allow us to work independently or in conjunction with our customers, depending on their requirements," said Marshall. "Additionally, we were seeking a provider that would help us differentiate our service offerings--Omnify is that solution."
Each IMS customer is recognized as requiring a unique level of service and therefore IMS required a solution that allowed a high level of flexibility. If a customer is looking for full engagement, IMS needed to have the ability to act as a working extension of the company within the PLM environment, delivering streamlined manufacturing, material sourcing, and operational services. For customers looking for a limited engagement, from a documentation-only standpoint for example, IMS needed the capability to provide a less involved level of interaction. An easy to use, quick to implement, and affordable solution were also requirements of IMS so that customers that chose to leverage the benefits of a PLM system and maximize their relationship with IMS could do so without heavy investment in time, resources, and cost.
The Solution
"Communication with our OEM customers is vital to our success as an EMS provider," continued Mr. Marshall. "Omnify allows seamless, immediate communication between the OEM engineering community and IMS. When both the customer and IMS leverage Omnify Software, we are able to participate, at the sourcing level, in preliminary BOM reviews, new part requests and ECO Workflows."
IMS can now tailor their services to meet customers' unique requirements. For those customers requesting in-depth interaction, IMS is able to provide services such as sourcing and Approved Vendor List (AVL) expansion, working real-time during product development. "In these instances, customers are truly expanding their bandwidth, outsourcing a new level of service to us as their EMS provider," stated Mr. Marshall. One example of this is where IMS supports a customer on a consignment basis and receives and manages their inventory on site. For this customer, Omnify is used to verify their AVL at Incoming Inspection, enhancing quality from receipt on. Another example of value-add is from a Sourcing Services standpoint, where IMS can engage with the OEM customer at the design level during component selection. This allows the OEM engineering staff to rely on IMS sourcing to suggest alternate sources for enhanced product life and limit inventory liability.
IMS administers in-house RF signal tests for a customer prior to shippingNow, IMS is involved in the engineering change notification process so that engineering changes are immediately and consistently communicated. "This concise, instant communication allows us to avoid delays in implementation and provides use of real-time documentation, with full traceability," said Marshall.
IMS leverages OmniBOM, Omnify's Bill of Material (BOM) processing tool, for all customer levels. IMS uses the BOM feature to convert customer BOMs from many different formats to Excel, providing huge-time savings. The BOM software provides a clear, concise view of all changes to the BOM. BOM compares are used to catch changes in the BOM from the customer, down to a single digit change in the manufacturing part number. Compares are run even if a customer states there are no changes, helping to catch any modifications that may impact cost.
Return on Investment
Both IMS and their OEM customers realize a Return on Investment (ROI) from Omnify. IMS is able to build a streamlined communication and collaboration process with their customers while customers are able to eliminate paper-based processes and create a controlled environment for managing product data. Omnify provides a single environment for both parties to create and change product information, process New Part Request (NPR) and Engineering Change Order (ECO) notifications, and conduct preliminary BOM reviews. Since Omnify enables IMS to become part of the notification process, ECOs become effective immediately. IMS is able to instantly and clearly understand ECO requirements and how they may affect work in progress, finished goods or staged orders. "Because this notification is immediate, there is a 100% reduction in ECO notification time," confirmed Marshall.
The most quantifiable ROI is in the universal use of OmniBOM, where the savings for IMS is a full-time documentation employee. "OmniBOM is one of our most valued daily use documentation tools and, without a doubt, enhances documentation communication with our customers 100%", continued Marshall. "We can compare BOMs in minutes vs. hours and eliminate costly human errors".
Key Benefits
Time and Cost Savings
- 100% reduction in ECO notification time
- 100% improvement in documentation communication
- Compare BOMs in minutes vs. hours
- Elimination of scrap due to incorrect builds
- Elimination of lost schedule time due to supply or BOM issues
- Significant overhead savings for IMS and OEM customers
Streamline Communication
- Single location to create and change product data
- IMS involved in sourcing and design decisions
- Automatic notification of NPRs and ECOs
- Real-time updates of BOM changes upon release of NPRs or ECOs
- Ability for IMS to participate in NPRs and ECOs at either a review or sign-off level
- Stronger relationship between IMS and their OEM customers
Business-ready solution
- Easy to use
- Fast implementation
- Flexible system to meet various OEM customer requirements
- Open technology platform for easy direct database connection
- Secure environment/controlled viewing of information
- Limited investment in time, resources, and cost for both parties