After all of the effort startups and global enterprise OEMs invest in managing the RFQ and quote process with their EMS partners, companies want to make sure their new product (pilot) build launch programs as planned for product manufacturing, quality and test and, OEM programs follow an expected pathway to meet OEM product requirements. (See table)
To help meet your established goals and objectives participating EMS and OEM teams members will usually include at least the following functions:
- EMS provider quality engineer
- EMS NPI process engineer
- EMS test engineer
- EMS production process engineer
- EMS component engineer
- OEM manufacturing test engineer
- OEM quality engineer
SEE ALSO
EMS supplier internal costs vs EMS pricing to OEM customers
EMS manufacturing cost drivers for OEM quote pricing
(PDF) Pilot build checklist for systems integration box build programs
EMS providers are typically tasked with reviewing and updating OEM program documents frequently as changes occur.
The manufacturing, quality and test plan documents are typically reviewed by the OEM customer for completeness prior to each EMS quarterly business review.
How you structure the process for your QBR will help both you and your EMS provider as it clarifies all deliverables, explains your requirements and standards clearly.
Your QBR also communicates most current facts and not just the emotions of the moment or the problems du jour.
Pilot build goals, objectives
For example, see table below where the following (reasonable) target spec goals and objectives might be established for a new program pilot OEM hardware build and launch:
| Process | Prototype | Pilot | Pilot+90 Days | Pilot+180 Days |
| PCB Assembly ICT | n/a | 80% | 93% | 96% |
| PCB Assembly Functional Test | n/a | 85% | 95% | 98.5% |
| Systems Functional Test | 80% | 95% | 98% | 99.5% |
| RMA* | n/a | n/a | .25% | .10% |
Process issues
Where OEM program process related issues occur, the following steps are then taken:
The engineering team (Quality, Process, Equipment or Test) will stop the build and will proceed with the following action plan:
- Analyze the data that shows the process issue
- Determine which process step, machine, tooling, test equipment … is causing the process issue
- Verify machine settings v. documented settings, tooling design or test equipment configuration
- Perform the proper changes in the machine, tooling, and test equipment to correct the process issue
- Document the new process changes in the pilot validation test (PVT) report
RECOMMENDED
OEM new product launch flowchart and challenges
OEM prototype plan for EMS manufacturing
Components issues
When working with contract EMS manufacturers during product strategy development, and components issues surface in new product design, the following steps are taken where the engineering team (failure analysis (FA), quality or test) will stop the build and proceed with the following action plan:
- Analyze the data that shows the component issue
- Follow the failure analysis (FA) guidelines established in the OEM supplier procedure for FA
- If the failure is correlated and shows a repetitive trend, EMS communicates immediately to OEM customer for disposition. All affected components will be segregated for further analysis.
- If failure is correlated and does not show a repetitive trend, EMS provider continues with the rest of the build.
- If failure is not correlated and does not show a repetitive trend, EMS providers continues with the rest of the build.
- EMS provider documents all FA information in the PVT report.
Design issues
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