If your internal teams are overwhelmed by communicating with multitudes of vendors, your electronic assemblies have varying quality levels, and you need long-term solutions to cut costs and combat component obsolescence, it may be time for a turnkey approach.
A turnkey approach to PCBA, cable & wire harness assembly, and box builds can help solve many of medical device manufacturing’s challenges. Read more below for 6 of the key benefits to a turnkey electronic assembly approach for medical device manufacturing.
1- Consistent Quality
When you work with a single, long-term partner for PCB, box build, cable, and wire harness assembly, you know the quality you will receive for all components. A good partner will take all measures to ensure quality is at the forefront of each portion of the assembly process.
Establishing that partner can be a challenge. Look for a partner that holds general quality and medical-specific quality certifications. Certifications/standards to look for include:
- ISO 9001
- ISO 13485
- IPC/WHMA-A-620
Tip: to establish a long-term partner that provides high-quality assemblies, start with a first article for a box build. Be sure to inspect and approve the partner’s quality before moving to full production.
2- Easier Traceability
An electronic assembly partner that prioritizes quality will most likely also have best-in-class documentation practices. Working with a single partner for PCB assembly, cable assembly, wire harness assembly, and box builds makes it easier to trace back through the assembly process if errors occur. This makes resolving errors with assemblies and ensuring the process is updated for future assemblies much quicker than it would be when working with multiple assembly partners. This is because communication is only with one assembly partner as opposed to many.
Tip: ask about your partner’s documentation options and determine the level of traceability you need together.
3- Shorter Lead Times
Working with a turnkey electronic assembly partner can even help shorten your lead times. Because one partner is completing all of your assemblies, there is no shipping time between vendors. For example, if you had one partner creating wire harnesses and another building the boxes they go in, you would need to ship the harnesses to the box build partner. With a turnkey partner, you can save on the shipping time from vendor to vendor.
Tip: ask your partner about strategies they can provide to shorten lead times. Good partners can provide alternative component options to get your assemblies in-hand quicker.
4- Less Responsibility on Internal Team
Outsourcing your electronic assemblies to one turnkey partner can also greatly reduce the responsibilities on your internal teams. Even better, look for a partner that offers services like:
- Design for manufacturability
- Component obsolescence management
- Inventory management
- Long-term cost reduction strategies
Removing the above responsibilities off of your teams’ plates allows them to focus on launching new products and growing the business as a whole instead of dealing with the details of each current builds.
Tip: ask about the strategies your electronic assembly partner can put in place to ensure your long-term success. A PCBA, cable & wire harness assembly, and box build partner should treat your company’s goals like their own.
5- Streamlined Communication & Reduced Risk
When you work with separate vendors for each electronic assembly, your purchasing team is left to handle all communication with each partner. When working with one supplier for PCB assembly, cable assembly, wire harness assembly, and box builds, there is much less opportunity for things to get lost in translation.
If you have one partner for electronic assembly needs, your purchasing team can build a stronger relationship with them, allowing the partner to identify your needs more clearly. This allows the partner to anticipate your needs and find solutions to fit your goals without being asked.
Tip: have your purchasing and engineering teams take the time to build a relationship with your turnkey electronic assembly partner. This allows them to anticipate your needs and find solutions for you to fit said needs.
6- Cost Predictability
Working with a turnkey electronic assembly partner also has positive cost implications for your team.
Working with a turnkey partner helps your purchasing team predict electronics costs long-term. By working with one partner for several assembly types instead of multiple, it is much easier for them to pull cost data over time and predict manufacturing costs.
Additionally, turnkey partners with a focus on long-term partnership will provide cost reduction strategies for you. This could include providing alternative component options, strategic sourcing, and more.
Tip: ask your partner about cost reduction strategies they have put in place for other customers.
Working with a turnkey electronic assembly partner in the medical device space can help you ensure quality, streamline manufacturing processes, and even reduce costs. If you want to learn more about turnkey electronic assembly approaches, reach out to PGF Tech today. We’d be happy to assess your current processes to understand if a turnkey approach could help you reach your goals. https://www.pgftech.com/contact-us/