9th February 2015
Elite Electronics: Delivering what the customer wants
Delivering what the Customer Wants?
David Allen is Managing Director of Elite Electronics in Northern Ireland. He explains how important it is to deliver product and services customers’ require and outlines the steps Elite take in that delivery.
Established in 1986 with locations in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland and South Carolina, USA – Elite is a leading provider of Contract Electronic Manufacturing Services to a diverse customer portfolio of innovative and successful companies in Ireland, UK and internationally.
Elite employs over 200 people in 120,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and utilise state-of-the-art equipment to provide complete turnkey manufacturing, excellent quality and flexible scheduling.
Their complete range of manufacturing services are offered from a modern facility in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland where they employ experienced management, engineering and purchasing personnel, a highly trained / multi-skilled workforce and utilise the highest standard of technology and production processes.
Elite supply PCB assemblies to a diverse range of market sectors and are accustomed to accurately populating complex, high density boards. From conventional through-hole to the latest surface mount technology, offering complete flexibility to our customers.
Elite offer workmanship to IPC 610 Class 3 as required and is an authorised UL Manufacturer. In 2012 Elite also secured ISO 13485 Accreditation for the assembly of medical devices, in addition to the ISO9001:2003 quality standards already achieved.
“5 key steps to delivering for customers”
With over 25 years industry experience David Allen has built a team who understands what it takes to win over and keep customers in an ultra competitive environment.
Elite follow a simple but effective “5 step” plan in delivering heightened customer satisfaction:
1. Placing the Customer First
The customer is always right is a vital component of customer care. As David explains “At Elite every part of the production process is customer led, we want our customers to take ownership of the process”
This is also important in helping us establish long term relationships with customers. In creating this “customer led” approach Elite become a long term partner in the manufacturing process delivering added value to each customer.
2. Customer involvement in production
In the early stages of production particularly prototyping and production of new batches, Elite encourage their customers to “get hands on”. We invite customers to oversee early assemblies of their board. “This allows our production team meet and understand the needs of each customer” David enthuses, “it’s a massive part of delivering high quality customer care”
3. Flexibility in production.
Elite have been engaged in a programme of investment in equipment and training to increase capacity for production and more importantly to generate added flexibility of production.
“This investment” David explains “Allows us to react to any customer without any negative impact on other customers, we also now have capacity to deal with, NPI/prototyping and initial small batches”
4. Quality
Customers want to know they are purchasing quality products, something Elite don’t disappoint on.
Elite implement stringent quality controls as follows:
· BS EN ISO 9001:2008
· ISO 13485 for Medical Devices
· Authorised UL Manufacturer
· Workmanship to IPC610/IPC620 standards
· ESD Compliant
· RoHS Compliant
· Caterpillar Award for Supplier Quality Excellence
5. Testing and Inspection
“We don’t want products coming back” is David’s motto. All PCB’s are inspected at each stage of production. At the end of the SMT line, dedicated AOI and X-ray inspection ensures any faults are identified and corrected.
Testing is totally driven by the customer. Elite have 25 years of in house experience in testing and will with work closely with each customer to develop the testing they require. Elite offer a wide range of testing including:
· Dedicated Full Functional Testing
· Combined ATE (bed of nails) with functional test
· Complete System Test
· Boundary Scanning
· IC Programming and Verification
· Analogue and Digital Network Terminal Equipment Approval
· Earth Bond and Electrical Strength Safety Test
· Wiring Assembly Testing
As David further explains “over time we have developed a comprehensive testing facility and provide a bespoke test service for each customer, this further illustrates our commitment to putting the needs of the customer first”
In todays rapidly changing world Elite still focus on the age old adage of “Customer comes first” and have built many strong and fruitful relationships by “looking after” their customers.
“In an Industry with “revolving doors” Elite know that their policy of customer care delivers long term partnerships with approving customers.
David Allen concludes, “Our customers now want us to do more for them, in many instances we have started assembling just the basic PCB and over time become a one stop shop offering, design and then complete product assembly, as a result of our 5 step plan for customer satisfaction”
Read more about Elite Electronics on their website