Solectron Forges Medical Alliance Program

OUTSOURCING NEWS

Electronics manufacturer Solectron Corp. has formed a medical alliance program designed to create a comprehensive medical device outsourcing ecosystem encompassing product design and engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and aftermarket services and support. The program, spearheaded by Solectron, also includes ATEK Medical, Circle Medical, Proven Process Medical Devices Inc., and SRI Product Development.

According to Dave Busch, Solectron's vice president, medical segment, “Device firms are facing mounting pressure to generate more revenue with more products at lower costs while meeting high standards for quality.”

He says the alliance is dedicated to helping device firms solve those problems. “The alliance offers a single point of contact to a global team supporting complete product life cycle needs for medical device firms.”

The program creates one of the largest teams of medical technology and clinical manufacturing experts available in the contract manufacturing industry. In addition, Solectron offers locations near strategic end-markets and cost-effective, high-quality suppliers in Asia. And with the three product design firms joining the alliance—Circle Medical, Proven Process, and SRI—the program has a presence in nearly every time zone of U.S.-based OEMs. They also augment Solectron's global medical capabilities.

The other companies involved with the program are eager to join their expertise with Solectron's to offer customers even greater capabilities for outsourcing.

“ATEK Medical and Solectron share a strong vision of providing services to medical OEMs,” says Chris Oleksy, president of ATEK Medical. “This is a reflection of our mission to provide world-class medical manufacturing services.”

Circle Medical CEO Jerry Hanson touched on the opportunity to provide cost-effectiveness. “This alliance program provides our clients with the opportunity to move from our low-volume production to Solectron's cost-effective offshore medical device manufacturing facilities,” he says.

Kenneth Fine, president of Proven Process, says that the company will take advantage of manufacturing processes. “Solectron's lean Six Sigma manufacturing expertise and Proven Process's R&D capabilities—combined with the capabilities of the other alliance members—provides OEMs with an array of product design, manufacturing, fulfillment and aftermarket services,” he says.

“The alliance is a major leap forward for medical device firms in providing complete end-to-end outsourcing,” says Jeffrey Rogers, president, SRI Product Development. “The combination of our engineering talent with the unique skills and capabilities of the alliance partners will enable us to provide high-quality services to medical OEMs.”

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