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Schedule Flexibility




Success Stories

A developer of automotive antenna systems designed a next generation control module in Europe and needed a manufacturing partner for North America. The Tier-1 needed an EMS provider with automotive experience to provide all manufacturing, direct fulfillment and related documentation for OEM validation. EPIC worked as an extension of the Tier-1 in North America to receive EDI releases from the OEM and provide just-in-time deliveries with returnable containers on a bi-weekly basis. EPIC prepared all necessary quality submissions (PPAP, DFMEA, PFMEA, etc.) and hosted the OEM for “run-at-rate” demonstrations. After the launch and design stabilization efforts were complete, EPIC has maintained a record of 100% on-time-delivery and 0 PPMs.

EPIC’s Lean System Equals Schedule Flexibility

We Can Support Your Variable Demand Requirements

Supporting variable demand is a challenge in any Lean environment. EPIC’s Lean System meets this challenge through both elimination of common internal constraints and focused teaming with customers and suppliers.
EPIC’s Lean manufacturing philosophy focuses on increasing factory throughput by optimizing and standardizing production. Rather than optimizing the factory floor process-by-process, it takes a large-scale systems approach. Key focus areas include:

  • Detailed process mapping to understand the key processes involved in transforming production inputs to customer-desired outputs
  • Identification of constraints in key processes that limit flexibility
  • Development of strategies to eliminate constraints which include working with equipment suppliers, material suppliers and employees to develop unique solutions for maximum flexibility
  • Standardizing the manufacturing solution through common equipment selections which further improve the flexibility of the assembly process
  • Development of simple tools that ensure rapid exchange of real-time information.

On the business side, EPIC’s Customer Focus Teams (CFTs) reach mutual agreement with each customer on forecasting methodology, optimum bond sizes and pull signals. On the manufacturing side, product is analyzed for potential inefficiencies and a roadmap is provided that outlines potential cost reductions over time. EPIC ‘s NPI process includes a formally documented design for manufacturability/testability (DFM/DFT) review process that provides a detailed analysis of cost reduction opportunities and a ranking scale that “prioritizes” identified design issues by their potential cost impact.
Results of this Lean philosophy include:

  • Set-up / change-over times that average one hour or less.
  • Average production cycle times of less than 1 shift in a high-mix environment producing 25-50 assembly types simultaneously in each work cell
  • On-time delivery statistics of over 98%.