There is always pressure on OEMs to reduce costs and increase operations efficiency to remain competitive. To achieve these objectives, many companies utilize sub-assemblies as part of the product assembly process. Manufacturing projects often have numerous individual components – sometimes on the order of hundreds or thousands – that are needed to assemble a final product. Sub-assembly is the process by which related components are assembled into a part for future use in the assembly of the final product. Utilizing sub-assemblies for final product assembly increases productivity and increases speed to market, saving OEMs significant time and money.

Sub-assemblies continue to increase in complexity over time. In many cases, they require intricate builds with specialized equipment that demand skilled technicians. Many OEMs simply do not have the in-house equipment and skill sets required to complete intricate, high-quality assemblies. For this reason, outsourcing sub-assemblies and final assembly to a third party often makes good business sense. Contract manufacturers, like RiverSide Integrated Solutions (RIS), have the necessary tools and skilled workforce to complete complex assemblies, often times at a higher level of quality than the OEM. Additionally, contract manufacturers are experienced in a broad range of product inspection and testing duties and often assume these responsibilities as well. OEMs can rest assured the sub-assembly and final assembly will arrive on-time and be fully functional.

When partnering with an integrated provider, like RIS, customers receive a complete manufacturing solution that strengthens their supply chain. Since every step in the manufacturing process builds upon the next, it is cost-effective to partner with a supplier that can start and end the project with you – from the concept and design phase through production, sub-assembly and final assembly operations, testing, and product distribution. Below are 3 of the advantages of integrating sub-assemblies into your manufacturing process. The benefits below contribute to lower manufacturing costs, higher quality, and a competitive edge for OEMs.

1. Optimize Inventory: one area for improvement that is often identified during manufacturing assessments is surplus inventory. Sub-assembly manufacturing is an opportunity to reduce this form of waste. The key is to have the right sub-assemblies at the right quantity where and when they are needed for final product assembly. This approach is called Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing and assembly and is applicable whether OEMs perform sub-assembly in-house or outsource this service. The JIT approach reduces the level of sub-assembly inventory required as well as the duration that sub-assemblies are stored before being incorporated into the final product – leading to less inventory sitting on shelves and not adding value, translating to more organized and efficient manufacturing and lower OEM costs.
2. Increase Production Efficiency: the use of sub-assemblies streamlines manufacturing by improving the efficiency of the assembly line. This productivity gain results in lower build times and faster production of the final product. Assembly line personnel do not waste time locating a single component among hundreds that is needed to complete the final product. When sub-assemblies are pre-built and readily available when needed, assembly lines operate more smoothly and final products are more rapidly assembled and sent to market.
3. Enhance Final Product Quality: with sub-assembly manufacturing, personnel are trained on a smaller set of assembly instructions versus the numerous steps required to assemble the entire final product. This approach enables personnel to focus on fewer assembly tasks, allowing sub-assembly tasks to be completed more frequently with a higher level of expertise and fewer errors. Sub-assembly manufacturing reduces the risk of erroneous assembly, enhancing the quality of the final product.

About RIS Solutions

RIS is an advanced contract manufacturer providing robust solutions in circuit board assembly, sub-assembly and final product assembly, kitting, supply chain management, fulfillment, distribution, and reverse logistics. We employ more than 300 people and provide services to OEM’s across the world. We operate 3 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities within the U.S, and as your one-stop-shop we have the capabilities, capacity, quality assurance standards, and resources to provide you with support for all of your manufacturing needs.

With all of the contract manufacturing partner choices out there, we know it can be difficult to find someone that not only understands your business model but also has your best intentions in mind. RIS has proven to always be a win-win focused relationship. As your one-stop-shop, we have the capabilities, capacity, quality assurance standards, and resources to provide you with support for all of your manufacturing needs. We understand that supply chain management is difficult and very time consuming, so we urge our customers to utilize us in the fullest capacity. Our total-package solutions include:

Contact us today at (507) 523-3220 to see how we can help with your project assembly, or click here for a quote.