You’re Ready to Outsource your Manufacturing, Now What?

You have decided to outsource the manufacturing for your latest project. You want an electronic contract manufacturer (ECM) that makes your life easier and guides your project in the right direction. If you choose the wrong contractor, you may face cost overruns and production delays. Doing your homework before choosing a manufacturing partner will help you avoid frustrations that could torpedo your project.

Close up of PCB being assembled robotically.

Determine Your Project Objectives

Before you can even begin to select a manufacturing partner, you will need to determine where your project is heading and the desired outcome. The more clearly you define the objectives of your project, the more successful you will be in achieving them. 

You will want to outline your goals with the following:

  • Statement: A brief explanatory description of what you want to achieve. 
  • Metrics: Indicators you use to evaluate your performance. 
  • Performance specifications: The values ​​of each action that define success.
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Your project’s aim must remain specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. With your original goals in mind, you can find the perfect ECM to handle your project.

Narrowing the Field

There are a multitude of contract manufacturing companies around the world and domestically. Determining which company is right for your business can certainly be difficult. It is important to research companies you are considering in order to find the ECM that will best suit the needs of your project.

To help you narrow the field of candidates, look for an ECM with:

A Vetted Supplier Network

It is extremely important to work with an ECM who has an existing network of vetted suppliers. This indicates the parts and materials that will be used in your project will be of the highest quality and will greatly reduce the risk of faulty parts being used in your build.

Design Services

It can come in handy to work with an electronic contract manufacturer who offers in-house design services. Your ECM’s engineers can tweak your design to better prepare it for assembly. Assisting with layout, concepts, material selection, and tooling can help its overall manufacturability.

Certifications

A quality ECM should be able to provide you with its ISO, AS9100, or ITAR compliance documentation. These certifications tell you your product and its manufacturing will be in compliance with all federal and regional regulations and provide superior performance to end users.

Experience

You want a manufacturing partner with experience in manufacturing electronics. Be sure to work with established electronic manufacturers. They should be experts in the industry that can be relied on to produce quality products. Ask them about the industries they’ve worked with. An ECM with experience in a wide range of different industries shows they will be able to handle your project as well.

Vast Industry Knowledge

It is imperative you partner with an ECM familiar with the requirements of your industry. Not all contract manufacturers have experience in all industries. Compliance with industry laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications can affect every phase of the manufacturing process. You need to make sure your ECM can handle the project and meet the industry specifications you are under.

Engineers On-site

The earlier potential errors are detected, the more easily they can be corrected and with less expense. Outsourcing your project to an ECM with engineers in-house ensures your project will be overseen by experts watching for any issues that may arise. If a problem is detected, they are available for troubleshooting on the fly. 

Packaging/Shipping Capabilities

Your electronic projects will need to be packaged and handled with the same care they were manufactured. Your ECM knows your product and its specifications and can help you choose the best shipping method for your product, as well as the best packaging to keep everything as it should be through shipping.

Let Levison Work for You

The most important step in outsourcing your manufacturing is to find an ECM partner you can trust to do the job right the first time. Levison Enterprises is your turnkey solution for electronic assembly design and manufacturing. Outsourcing with us means you are working with an ECM who is ready, willing, and able to take your project to the next level. 

When you work with Levison, you develop and market the highest quality products. Contact us today to find out how our team can work for you.