The client faced the challenge of needing to refocus their internal resources on other business priorities. The client’s key decision makers needed a trusted contract manufacturer to move three product operations to the contractor’s facility while maintaining on-time deliveries for these mission-critical product lines. Sypris Electronics was selected due to our advanced technical and operational experience with high-reliability product programs.

We utilized our unique “Lean Launch” process to ensure a successful transfer and to create additional value for the client.  A Sypris cross-functional team was established with the purpose of gaining a thorough understanding of the technical and business requirements from the client’s stakeholders. The traditional production transfer knowledge gaps in customers’ internal process and production documentation was filled by an on-site Sypris team. Our team spent significant time at the client’s facility to gain comprehensive insight into the product lines, to understand all supporting product and process documentation, and to plan the process transfer to Sypris’ Tampa facility. The Sypris team used this information to develop risk registers and mitigation plans.

Our Sypris team also supported the customer’s existing production of these products prior to the facility shutdown. This allowed our team to gain intimate technical knowledge to ensure a successful transfer and even allowed the process engineers to develop a more streamlined process flow that would be implemented at the Sypris facility.

Once the equipment arrived from the client’s facility, it was placed and qualified in the new configuration to optimize product flow to the customer. Sypris developed and successfully implemented the installation, operational, and performance qualifications (IQOQPQ) for each of the product lines. This ensured that the production and test processes would continue to provide the same or a greater degree of quality after the move to the Sypris facility. 

Given the close collaboration between the collective teams, Sypris was successful in meeting both the client’s requirements and their end-customer’s requirements.

All product lines were successfully transferred to the Sypris facility, qualified and in production in 4 to 8 weeks from the date the equipment was shipped. In addition, multiple product and process quality initiatives developed by Sypris engineers were implemented in the production launch of these products. All customer cost, quality, and delivery expectations were met/exceeded by Sypris, and the transfer to the Sypris facility was seamless to the end-customers.

As a result, Sypris was awarded additional long-term contracts for these product lines and has subsequently obtained additional program awards with this customer.