Nearshoring in Southeast Asia Article and Upcoming Event Reminder

My October article in Circuits Assembly magazine looks at nearshoring in Southeast Asia. I made another trip to Singapore in August and continue to notice parallels in the way Singapore’s supply base leverages adjacent low cost labor markets with what I see here on the U.S./Mexico border. It is definitely an option worth exploring for supplying end markets within Asia and Europe.

Also, don’t forget the EMS-related session Mike Buetow and I have scheduled for SMTAI next week.

Seamless Sourcing Teams: Best Practices in Information Exchange

Chair: Susan Mucha, Powell-Mucha Consulting, Inc.

Co-Chair: Mike Buetow, UP Media Group

Place: SMTA International in Ft. Worth, TX

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2013, 10:30 am – 1 pm, Room 203C

Synopsis: The quality of IT solutions and internal processes for optimizing production efficiency continue to grow in importance in the outsourcing equation. This session looks at trends and best practices in managing design reviews, production documentation, and material and production status. The session includes a range of perspectives reflecting both supplier solutions and iNEMI’s 2013 Information Management Systems Roadmap.

Topics/Speakers:

• Best Practices for Improving the PCB Supply Chain, Cheryl Tulkoff and Craig Hillman, Ph.D., DfR Soultions
• Accountability Structure in a Contract Manufacturing Engineering Department, Mike Gerner, Plexus Corp.
• Developing a Knowledge Based Risk Identification System for Sophisticated SMT Assembly Design and Development, Jingsong Xie, Ph.D., RelEng Technologies, Inc.
• Managing Information Across the Supply Chain: Highlights from the iNEMI Roadmap, Barbara Goldstein, National Institute of Standards and Technology

To register visit: http://smta.org/smtai/register.cfm.

Mark Your Calendars For This SMTA International Session

Mike Buetow, Circuits Assembly’s Editor-in-Chief, and I are changing up the format in this year’s Contract Manufacturing-focused session to focus more closely on industry trends and roadmaps.

Seamless Sourcing Teams: Best Practices in Information Exchange

Chair: Susan Mucha, Powell-Mucha Consulting, Inc.

Co-Chair: Mike Buetow, UP Media Group

Place: SMTA International in Ft. Worth, TX

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2013, 10:30 am – 1 pm, Room 203C

Synopsis: The quality of IT solutions and internal processes for optimizing production efficiency continue to grow in importance in the outsourcing equation. This session looks at trends and best practices in managing design reviews, production documentation, and material and production status. The session includes a range of perspectives reflecting both supplier solutions and iNEMI’s 2013 Information Management Systems Roadmap.

Topics/Speakers:

• Best Practices for Improving the PCB Supply Chain, Cheryl Tulkoff and Craig Hillman, Ph.D., DfR Soultions
• Accountability Structure in a Contract Manufacturing Engineering Department, Mike Gerner, Plexus Corp.
• Developing a Knowledge Based Risk Identification System for Sophisticated SMT Assembly Design and Development, Jingsong Xie, Ph.D., RelEng Technologies, Inc.
• Managing Information Across the Supply Chain: Highlights from the iNEMI Roadmap, Barbara Goldstein, National Institute of Standards and Technology

To register visit: http://smta.org/smtai/register.cfm.

New Program Management Article and Events

I’d like to say the lazy days of summer were catching up with me, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Business has been very good and when that happens discretionary activities like my blog take a backseat.

That said I’ve been publishing articles and working on fall events.

Here is my latest article on dealing with program management challenges.

Also, there are two upcoming events in October that you may want to add to your calendar.

I’ll be teaching an IPC EMS Program Management Certification class in Tampa on Oct. 4th. If you’ve been thinking about this program, that is a great place and time to take a class.

And, I’m headed back to Florida a couple of weeks later for SMTAI, where I co-organize a Contract Manufacturing Symposium with Mike Buetow and Circuits Assembly Magazine.

Here’s a preview:

Strategies for a Changing Market

Chair: Susan Mucha, Powell-Mucha Consulting, Inc. Co-Chair: Mike Buetow, CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Magazine Tuesday, October 16 | 10:30am – 1:00pm | Asia 3 FREE with VIP or Technical Conference Registration! As global economies continue to evolve, so do EMS and OEM relationships. Onshore or offshore? Can regional providers really offer a comprehensive full service solution? What aftermarket services make sense in the EMS model? This session looks at these topics and more. Session format includes: four presentations and a panel discussion on the evolving EMS business model.

• The Evolving Nature of Offshore/Onshore Options Curtis Campbell, SigmaTron International
• Force Multiplication-Supporting Complex Customer Requirements at a Regional Level Rick Herndon, Firstronic, LLC
• Aftermarket Services: An EMS and OEM Perspective Bryce “Skip” Boothby Jr., Celestica Inc.
• Re-shoring: Total Cost of Ownership, a Contract Manufacturing Guide  Alexander Zeitler, BTW, Inc.

PMCI Co-Organizing Contract Manufacturing Symposium with Circuits Assembly

Who says there are no free lunches? Pre-register for the Contract Manufacturing Symposium at Surface Mount International and you will get lunch as part of the session.

Contract Manufacturing Symposium
Organized by Mike Buetow, CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Magazine and Susan Mucha, Powell-Mucha Consulting, Inc.

EMS Global Strategies for Lowering EMS Costs
Chair: Sue Mucha, Powell-Mucha Consulting, Inc.
Co-Chair: Mike Buetow, CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Magazine
Tuesday, October 18 | 10:30am – 1:00pm | 204A

FREE with VIP or Technical Conference Registration! Lunch is included for those who pre-register.

The nature of outsourcing is changing due to greater awareness of the risks from geopolitical events, local legislation, and natural disasters. This session, aimed at OEMs, and EMS program managers and executives, looks at risk mitigation strategies from Asia to Eastern Europe, and selected SMT processing solutions that could benefit those companies grappling with RoHS and other environmental or leading-edge (high BGA pin count) technical issues.

Eastern European EMS Site Location Options: Why Kimball Electronics Saw Poland as the Best Choice
Tom Ferris, Kimball Electronics Group

Technical Trends in Networking from a Manufacturing Perspective
Clinton Liu, Tailyn Communication Company, Ltd.

Driving Improvements in Quality, Delivery and Cost in High Mix, Low Volume Manufacturing Operations
Kevin Camelon, Fabrinet

Vapor Phase Technology Supports EMS RoHS Challenges
Jochen Lipp, IBL Technologies, LLC

Speaker Panel – Building an EMS Cost Model

Register at: http://smta.org/smtai/registration_content.cfm