Circuits Assembly - July 2008 - (Page 62)

SEA Profile ! Figure 1. Sample Krypton customer satisfaction chart showing on-time deliveries and targets. management objectives. New collaborative technologies such as virtual private networks (VPN) provided quantum improvement to their processes. For example, the company’s method for supply-chain management includes in-house custom database monitors. The database is accessible over LAN or WLAN for multiple users to work on a project in real time from any global location. This customized common database accepts changes from multiple users up to 10. It provides essential information regarding parts pricing, shortages and deliverables. Krypton reduces design and manufacturing errors by importing its customer bills of material (BoM) into the database for procurement and manufacturing. Parts are selected that meet the functional and performance requirements of our customers, permitting them to catch design errors early. By implementing an electronic collaborative database, the change is communicated to the entire production floor, and by putting this collaborative database in place, Krypton turned a serial process into a parallel process. The company is in constant touch with customers from project initiation to project closure, including supplier notification of immediate changes in the design, which are taken care of immediately. Data are analyzed, charted and presented during monthly management meetings, and any suppliers falling below the set standard are communicated with by email. Ratings are sent on a quarterly basis to suppliers falling below standards; they are then given up to one quarter to return to compliance, depending on business needs. Krypton constantly works to upgrade its software and IT infrastructure to meet the needs of customers. Future plans are to permit customers to track their project in real time via a Web interface. The EMS provider’s customer satisfaction metrics are based on on-time deliveries, customer feedback, corrective actions (CAR) and return material authorizations (RMA) (Figure 1). Krypton gauges performance by applying a numerical value to late deliveries, customer complaints, CARs and RMAs. The goal is to reduce the negative impact. Customer satisfaction data are requested annually through internal customer surveys. The responses are analyzed and 62 Circuits Assembly JULY 2008 Krypton is breaking ground on a 40,000 sq. ft. plant. become part of the customer satisfaction process. Krypton says the Service Excellence Awards surveys will be used to set a new benchmark in customer satisfaction, and also to acknowledge areas to improve the quality management system. According to president Suresh Patel, the SEA Award belongs to the company’s employees. “We are working toward empowering our employees as we consolidate our service excellence,” he said. Customer service is the core of the company’s business model and is measured by repeat business and referrals, the owners say. Many customer relationships have been in place for nearly 10 years, stemming from a previous company partnership, which is in line with Krypton’s ultimate goal: long-term partnerships with its customers. In the future, the company wants to be vertically integrated, working closely with customer concepts to final realized product. To achieve this, Krypton has embarked on setting up a system business unit to cover different facets of electrical (hardware and software) and mechanical engineering to compliment production. To achieve a seamless integration, the firm is breaking ground on a custom facility of about 40,000 sq. ft. Among the vertical markets the company is pursuing are aerospace, military, gas and oil, and medical. Krypton says it is emulating Tier I companies at a micro level, providing a total solution and creating a paradigm shift for small businesses. “Krypton Solutions’ goal is to develop technologies to create products and processes that meet customer needs and expectations, and to stimulate a culture throughout the organization that continually views customer-focused quality as a primary goal. Technology touches the head; culture touches the heart,” says co-owner Mahesh Patel. Krypton's culture of service has clearly touched its customers' hearts. n Chelsey Drysdale is senior editor at CirCuits Assembly; cdrysdale@upmediagroup. com. circuitsassembly.com http://circuitsassembly.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Circuits Assembly - July 2008

Circuits Assembly - July 2008 Contents Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Focus on Business Global Sourcing On the Forefront Screen Printing Tech Tips Will Electronics Follow the Sun? ‘Warm’ Manufacturing Heats Up Reputation Trumps Recession, China ‘Web Circuits’ A Novel Non-VOC Conformal Coating Krypton: Benchmarking Customer Satisfaction 2008-09 CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Buyers Guide Wave Soldering Pb-Free Lessons Learned Process Doctor Materials World SMTA Int'l Product Preview Ad Index Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts

Circuits Assembly - July 2008

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