NPI Centre of Excellence Accelerates Innovation
TT Electronics' dedicated electronics New Product Introduction (NPI) Centre of Excellence (COE) delivers PCBA turnaround in 2 weeks for global customers' next generation product release.
In the fast-paced world of technology development, the speed at which a company can bring a product to market significantly impacts its success and competitive edge.
Electronics contract manufacturing partners play a pivotal role in the NPI process as they can considerably enhance the pathway from concept to full-scale production. Their involvement can reduce the time and cost associated with the development and manufacturing stages. Specialised in transforming designs into scalable products, contract manufacturers add value and reduce risk through their in-depth expertise, collaborative engineering services such as VA/VE, a proven supply chain and fast-turnaround electronics prototyping of the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA).
PCBA Prototyping: The Need for Speed
The PCBA prototype stage in the NPI process serves as a critical bridge between conceptual design and full-scale production. This important phase allows for the practical evaluation and testing of the electronics to ensure they meet the required specifications and functionality.
During PCBA prototyping, design flaws can be identified early and corrected quickly, and the product's performance can be tested, ensuring product reliability and avoiding costly design changes and delays during mass production.
Fast-tracking PCBA prototyping directly contributes to a shorter product development cycle and accelerated time to market.
Often OEMs turn to local, prototyping houses or engineering consultants at this stage in the development cycle. But this can be expensive and can delay the hand-off to the contract manufacturer. Some electronic contract manufacturers offer PCBA prototyping services but not always at speed, due to the wider production scheduling needs of the wider plant.
With over 40 years' experience in bringing new products to market for global customers, TT Electronics delivers rapid and agile PCBA prototyping from a dedicated NPI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Cleveland Ohio.
Read on to learn how TT Electronics enabled speed to market for a global customer by leveraging the NPI COE together with execution of its "global footprint, local fingerprint" strategy.
Case Study: NPI Centre of Excellence Accelerates Innovation for Global Customer
A leading provider of industrial automation equipment and long-standing TT Electronics customer faced a challenging timeline for its next generation product release. The product R&D was being managed from the customer's global HQ in North America and the electronics assembly and product build would be handled by TT Electronics in Asia. Time was of the essence. To get to market quickly and gain competitive advantage, they needed to accelerate the PCBA prototype approval process and hand over to production quickly.
Challenges
- Accelerated Timeline: Finalising PCBA design and commencing production.
- Multi-Region Coordination: Coordinating the project between TT and customer teams in North America and Asia.
- Supply Chain Constraints: Managing procurement effectively to secure material, fast.
How TT Electronics Delivered
Global Footprint, Local Fingerprint
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TT has partnered with the customer for many years, initially providing electronic manufacturing solutions (EMS) from TT's facility in Cleveland Ohio. As product demand increased, the customer was able to leverage TT's global footprint and manufacture offshore in Suzhou China and Kuantan Malaysia, optimising production cost and maintaining competitiveness in the market.
Retaining localised collaboration in customer support, procurement and engineering from TT in Cleveland as an extension of their team, is very important to the customer.
One way in which the customer unlocks value from TT's global footprint, local fingerprint model, is by utilising TT's NPI COE in Cleveland. The COE supports customers' NPI needs with a dedicated SMT line and expertise from a team of NPI engineers, procurement and production experts.
Through the NPI COE TT was able to provide the customer with:
Fast-Track PCBA Prototype in 2 Weeks
TT manufactured PCBA prototypes in just 2 weeks by leveraging the dedicated NPI resources within the company's Cleveland facility. By operating the NPI COE separate to the wider operations, the production of the low run prototypes can be executed quickly while not impacting wider production scheduling in the facility.
Engineer-to-Engineer Collaboration
Direct collaboration between TT and the customer's engineers in North America was crucial. This approach facilitated real-time feedback, rapid iteration and speedy delivery to the customer's HQ which accelerated the PCBA approval process.
Agile Procurement
The NPI COE's dedicated procurement team played a pivotal role in meeting the project's timelines. By utilising spot buys and leveraging established vendor relationships, the team managed to procure components and material rapidly. This agile procurement strategy was essential in keeping the project on schedule.
Seamless Global Transfer for First-Article Production
The project required flawless execution across two regions: North America and Asia. The NPI COE, with its strategic location close to the customer's headquarters, served as the central hub for coordination. Regular updates and synchronised workflows ensured that the design developed in North America transitioned smoothly into first article production at TT Electronics' facility in Suzhou China.
Outcomes
TT Electronics' NPI COE in Cleveland Ohio successfully delivered a customer's PCBA prototype in 2-weeks, enabling fast transfer to first article production. Key outcomes:
- Customer Satisfaction: The customer was extremely pleased with the quick turnaround and quality of the prototypes.
- Enhanced Efficiency: The project highlighted the COE's capability to handle rapid NPIs efficiently, thereby positioning it as a critical asset in the customer's innovation strategy.
- Future Collaboration: Satisfied with the outcomes, the customer decided to utilise the COE for upcoming projects, solidifying a long-term partnership.
Conclusion
This project exemplifies how a contract manufacturer's NPI facilities can bridge the gap between development needs and manufacturing execution. TT Electronics' NPI COE in Cleveland is a separately managed facility within the wider plant - with teams, resources and equipment dedicated exclusively to the NPI process. This NPI delivery model ensures fast track PCBA prototyping enabling speed to market, helping customers meet demand more quickly and maintain their market-leading position.
"TT are responsive, very partner oriented, have deep industry knowledge and what it takes to deliver an NPI". Factory Automation Equipment Manufacturer
"At TT Electronics, our strategy of having a global reach with a local touch continues to meet our customer's needs. This approach allows us to expedite new product introductions (NPI) in North America, while leveraging best cost geographies of our manufacturing facilities in Asia!" - Michael Leahan, Executive Vice President Commercial, TT Electronics
Looking for a partner for your next NPI? Contact us today
TT Electronics provides global electronic manufacturing services from operations in the United States, Mexico, Malaysia and China, serving global OEM customers in aerospace and defence, healthcare, life sciences, automation and electrification.
Services include:
- New Production Introduction (NPI)
- Engineering Support
- Design for Manufacture (DFX)
- Value-added value-engineering (VA/VE)
- PCB Assembly, SMT Production
- Test Solutions inc. environmental testing, In-Circuit, Functional, AOI, X-Ray
- Clean Room Manufacturing
- Box Build and High-Level-Assembly
- Cable Harness and Assembly
- Global Fulfilment
Facility Certifications: ISO 9001. ISO 13485. ISO 14001. AS9100 D. NADCAP. ITAR. FDA Registered.
TT Electronics facility in Cleveland Ohio is an FAA Repair Station.