Part 1. Orientation: What EMS Is and How Work Flows
Define the roles, lifecycle, and “minimum data” required to avoid chaos before the first build.
1.1 The 5-Minute Mental Model
Electronics manufacturing operates on a rigid causal loop: Product = Data + Materials + Process C...
1.2 What Is Being Built: PCB vs PCBA vs Box Build
Precision in terminology is the first line of defense against manufacturing error. Using "PCB" wh...
1.3 Who Does What: OEM, EMS, ODM
Manufacturing relationships are defined by one question: Who owns the Intellectual Property (IP)?...
1.4 The End-to-End Lifecycle: Prototype → NPI → Mass Production
A common and expensive misconception is that Mass Production is simply a Prototype built at high ...
1.5 The Minimum Manufacturing Data Pack
A manufacturing line does not run on good intentions; it runs on data. The most common cause of p...
1.6 Cost and Lead-Time Drivers Without the Math
The final price of an electronic assembly is not determined by a random markup; it is a summation...
1.7 Supply Chain and Logistics: Speed vs Stability
A product sitting on a factory loading dock is not revenue; it is a liability. It only becomes va...
1.8 Quality, Compliance, and “Definition of Done”
In professional electronics manufacturing, "it turns on" is not a quality standard; it is merely ...