Manufacturing services across the product lifecycle

Prepare strategically for production

Speed is of the essence when introducing new products, but it must be cost-effective. The decisions made prior to production can have a significant impact on cost. Prepare strategically for production with:

Design for manufacturing (DfM)

that supports the highest yield at the fastest time to market

Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA)

that lessens the need for extraneous materials and assembly steps

Design for testing (DfT)

that makes products easy to test, troubleshoot, and verify

Design for automation (DfA)

that lowers costs, increases efficiency, and improves quality and consistency

Design for reliability (DfR)

that ensures products perform as expected throughout their lifecycle

Scale operations to capitalize on rising demand

Anticipating demand requires forethought with agility in mind to increase production without bloating expenses. Manage escalating production volumes cost-effectively with:

• Design for scale (DfS) to meet demand without expensive design modifications or manufacturing delays
• Quality assurance processes that maintain consistent product quality at peak demand
• Supply chain solutions that seamlessly accommodate shifts in volume, location, and parts/materials availability
• Strategic supplier relationships to provide options and mitigate the risk of potential disruptions

Case Study: Ramping production to meet market demand

A smart meter company engaged Flex to help them ramp up production to meet market demand. The results:

6x

improvement in product ramp schedule (time to market)

500%

increase in production volume

40%

reduction in product costs

6x

reduction in manufacturing defect rates demand

Focus on cost optimization and asset recovery

As demand plateaus, production becomes more predictable, and cost optimization dominates. Manufacturing can still be constrained by interruptions, however, making the following indispensable during the maturity phase:

• Lean methodologies that help eradicate bottlenecks long after production has commenced
• Integration with critical suppliers that can mitigate parts shortages and help maintain product quality
• Kaizen practices that emphasize continuous improvement during the manufacturing process
• Asset recovery expertise that enables companies to recoup value from scrap, materials, parts, and finished goods

Maintain operational efficiency as demand slows

To ensure timeliness and quality as production ramps down, cost containment and efficiency are required.

Proven techniques for managing last-time buys include:

• Adjusting production schedules to consolidate manufacturing runs based on demand
• Moving to a just-in-time (JIT) model in which new products are only produced as needed
• Disciplined inventory management using demand forecasting and lean inventory practices to align with actual orders
• Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) to adapt quickly to changes in demand without significant downtime or retooling
• Modular design to enable seamless replacement or reconfiguration of robotics, control units, and material handling systems
• Circular economy practices to derive value out of investments and recoup associated costs with overproduction

The Flex advantage

At Flex, we continually enhance our advanced manufacturing capabilities with innovative simulation, automation, robotics, digitization, and additive manufacturing technologies, among others, to ensure efficiency, quality, and optimal production with limited downtime. No matter how technologically sophisticated your product or how complex the manufacturing of it is, we will help you derive maximum value throughout the product lifecycle.

Learn how Flex enhances competitiveness throughout the product lifecycle: