Lean Six Sigma Strengthens Problem Solving Expertise

Much has been written on the “how” of Lean Six Sigma. SigmaTron’s latest Circuits Assembly article discusses the “why” behind Lean Six Sigma. SigmaTron’s facility in Tijuana, Mexico, began implementing its Lean Six Sigma program in 2018 as a way to instill a focused process improvement methodology in its automotive and medical customer projects.

One challenge in an electronics manufacturing services company is each customer has control of their design. While some incorporate EMS-driven design for manufacturability (DfM) recommendations, others do not. Although SigmaTron’s production personnel wanted to solve production problems as they arose, the root causes were often difficult to identify using basic quality tools such as pareto charts without a strong problem-solving methodology. With Lean Six Sigma training, the team evolved from engineers and technicians trying to fix problems to a cohesive team with the necessary tools to rapidly identify issues, brainstorm possible root causes, test hypotheses, and implement the best solution. Issues that had taken weeks to analyze with prior methods were addressed in days or hours.

Read the full article here.

Inventory Visibility

Ask any OEM whose products incorporate electronics what their number one challenge is, and they will indicate it is electronic parts. The supply/demand imbalance for electronic parts has never been greater. Addressing that issue requires a combination of strong systems, good forecast visibility and good supply chain relationships. Another area complicating this current situation is unpredictable demand. Shortages that developed during the height of the COVID-19 shutdowns, changes in lifestyle patterns and shifts in equipment requirements in mission critical applications have driven spikes in demand that make historical forecasts inaccurate. That said, cycles of supply and demand imbalance eventually end. When that happens, the higher level of inventory currently being carried will need to be adjusted rapidly.

This whitepaper looks at what is driving current material, logistics and demand variation challenges; the systems and practices SigmaTron employs to address those challenges; and the best strategy for monitoring and addressing the issues that will arise when the market imbalance eventually resets itself. Read the complete whitepaper here.