St Ives (Cambridgeshire) based contract electronics manufacturer Prism Electronics Limited (www.prism-electronics.com) continues to invest in high level vocational training intended to develop highly motivated staff focussed on supporting customer needs.

Customer service and marketing communications officer Lindsay Webb has completed the government-funded Business Improvement Techniques NVQ Level 3. The NVQ teaches lean manufacturing business improvement and project management techniques, focussing in particular on reducing the eight wastes of Lean Manufacturing.

Describing the course Lindsay said: “I led three separate projects designed to reduce waste within the company. This meant carefully documenting the stages of each project including brainstorming ideas, undertaking root cause analysis, implementation and sustained improvement.

“I presented each project to the board of directors and they were then approved by the MD for implementation.”

Prism business development director David Dickin said: “The objective of the NVQ in Business Improvement Techniques is to provide staff with the necessary skills to improve business performance as a whole. Lindsay has developed the ability to seek out and manage projects that are actively improving Prism’s core values of customer focussed flexibility and responsiveness.”

The course is an ongoing process of improvement for the company facilitated by a consultant through Cambridge Regional College (www.camre.ac.uk).

Course modules include developing 5S workplace organisation structures, creating visual management systems, applying problem solving methods and Kaizen continuous improvement techniques.

David Dickin added: “By implementing the acquired skills staff are better able to identify and eliminate waste, create flow and improve quality leading to greater efficiency, increased profitability and reduced risk for customers through better programme control.

“As well as the direct business benefit generated by quality, cost and delivery improvement the NVQ programme also demonstrates our commitment to provide rewarding employment for Prism staff through training. With her enhanced leadership and communication skills Lindsay plays a key role in ensuring the company continues to develop and grow.”

Cambridgeshire contract electronics manufacturer Prism Electronics has improved its production infrastructure in order to deliver greater responsiveness and an additional level of support to its customers.

Despite an uncertain economy Prism – based in St Ives near Cambridge – has made a significant investment in new product introduction (NPI) software from Aegis. The new software tool streamlines data management to allow more time for analysis of new product requirements. This helps to identify potential problems and beneficial improvements early, reducing time to market and cutting costs for customers.

The new software allows engineers to import PCB design information from a wide variety of CAD systems and translate it to the format required for Prism’s production process. This helps to swiftly move products from the R&D stage to production. It also assists in the smooth changeover of materials between jobs, increasing productivity and on-time delivery.

In addition, Prism has improved its factory-wide tracking and job management, enabling it to provide responsive and reliable support throughout the development process. Quality control is also enhanced as engineers are now able to input visual as well as text data, allowing quick mapping and the early detection of potential defects. These can be traced back to the initial designs and therefore give customers opportunities for continual product improvement.

Prism business development director David Dickin said: “At Prism we are continuing to invest in the tools and technology that allow us to deliver a premium service in spite of the poor economy. Our customers can be confident that they are dealing with a manufacturing partner that is always striving to add value.

“In-depth production engineering evaluation at the NPI stage reduces the risk of design, specification or procurement errors. Spotting these early means that Prism can save the customer both time and money.

Caring staff at St Ives (Cambridgeshire) based contract electronics manufacturer Prism Electronics have taken part in this year’s Race for Life.

The 5K race is staged at venues all around the country in support of Cancer Research UK. Race for Life is the largest women-only fundraising event in the UK. Since it started in 1994, six millions participants have raised over £457million to fund cancer research.

Lindsay Webb, Prism’s customer service and marketing communications officer, said: “This is the fifth consecutive year that the ladies from Prism have taken part in the Race for Life.

“Everybody at Prism gets behind us and supports us with sponsorship and on the day.

“This year we raised over £100 in support of the charity.”

Prism Managing Director David Aspinall said: “Everyone at Prism Electronics is delighted to continue to back this event.

“We have a great team here and we are pleased to be able to support them in their charity and community work. The enthusiasm of the staff for this type of event is a credit to all involved – long may it continue.”

St Ives (Cambridgeshire) based contract electronics manufacturing services provider Prism Electronics Limited has secured a substantial contract to assist in the production of state-of-the-art gas detection equipment.

Ion Science Ltd is a global manufacturer of technologically advanced gas detectors. It has selected Prism Electronics to supply printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the testing and evaluation of its new Cub personal photoionisation detection (PID) monitor being developed at its facility near Cambridge. Prism secured the business through a highly competitive tender process.

Prism was selected because it was highly proactive in highlighting potential issues throughout the design and development process. Ion Science engineering director Graham Davies said: "Ion Science required a manufacturing partner able to add value to the business by providing advice and support through the development stage of a new product.

“From day one, Prism offered valuable advice and help even before the quotations stage was complete. Prism has continued to support Ion Science, highlighting and reporting potential issues throughout the development process.”

By using a proactive local company Ion Science was able to reduce the risk of design errors and ensure that all parts procured would be available and reliable.

Graham Davies said: “We were confident that Prism could reduce risk of re-design. This is an extremely important issue for new product introduction as any re-design caused by availability issues would require costly re-certification.”

The order builds on previous contracts for developing and supplying test equipment and strategy to support the continued improvement and development of Ion Science products.

The Ion Science Cub is the world’s smallest, lightest, most sensitive PID monitor for the accurate detection of volatile organic and total aromatic compounds, including benzene, keeping workers safe within their environment. Target industries and applications for Cub include; oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical plants, health and safety, industrial hygiene, pharmaceutical, first response and hazardous materials. Cub is available from Ion Science and its global network of distributors.

David Dickin, business development director at Prism Electronics, added: “We are delighted to be working with Ion Science on its new gas detection solutions.

“During product development, the periods of honing design and preparing for manufacture are critical times. It often needs careful, meticulous dialogue with specialists in these areas to ensure that products are fully optimised for production, test and reliability. It is easier to maintain this level of support with a reliable local partner.”

Prism Electronics has reinforced its commitment to quality and premium service with two new senior staff appointments.

Prism has strengthened its operations team to ensure that it continues to provide excellent service to existing clients whilst also being able to quickly integrate new customers into its operations. The new appointments will help the company to meet increasing demands for its services and provide a platform for future growth.

New head of operations Paul Williams joins Prism from e2V Technologies where he was production manager. He brings with him a wealth of experience stretching over more than 20 years gained in operations roles at Truck-Light, Crane Fluid Systems and CEGO Ltd.

As head of Prism’s manufacturing operation Paul’s remit is the effective leadership and strategic development of operations functions as well as to further improve the company’s key performance areas of quality, cost and delivery. Paul will also oversee improving new product introduction to surpass customer expectations and help to expand the company’s customer base.

Steve Zwirlein joins Prism as production manager. Steve has key management experience gained in production management roles for a number of Japanese blue chip electronics manufacturers. Reporting to the new head of operations, Steve’s role at Prism is to manage resources within the manufacturing area to ensure that customer requirements are met and exceeded.

Prism Managing Director David Aspinall said: “Making appointments like this during the current economic climate demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the best possible service to both new and existing customers. We are delighted to welcome Paul and Steve to the Prism Electronics team.”

Prism Business Development Director David Dickin added: “Our aim is to provide our customers with long-term manufacturing support. The mix of people we have in our team gives us the capability to deliver highly effective services to help our customers at every stage of the product lifecycle – providing support from initial design through to end of life.”

Undertaking NVQ business improvement training has helped staff at St Ives (Cambridgeshire) based contract electronics manufacturing services provider Prism Electronics Limited (www.prism-electronics.com) become better problem solvers.

Eight members of staff at Prism Electronics undertook the government-funded Business Improvement Techniques NVQ Level 2. It was undertaken to acquaint staff across all functions of the company with ‘lean manufacturing’ business improvement techniques focussing on waste reduction.

In addition to developing lean manufacturing principles delegates also learned how to take a structured approach to problem solving. The purpose of the course was to improve business effectiveness and increase customer service levels whilst providing more rewarding employment for staff.

The course, facilitated by a consultant through Cambridge Regional College (www.camre.ac.uk), is part of an ongoing process of improvement in the company. The first session took place at the college and subsequent sessions were held at Prism’s St Ives premises.

Prism head of operations David Bance said: “The consultant had a background in engineering so was not only able to train and facilitate but was also able to contribute to the technical element of the course. This was important in gaining credibility amongst some of the team and countering any initial scepticism.”

Course modules included complying with statutory regulations and organisational safety requirements, contributing to effective team working, applying 5S workplace organisation techniques, Kaizen continuous improvement techniques, creating visual management systems and applying problem solving techniques.

David Bance explained: “As part of the course staff undertook four projects. Two of these were on developing the layout of the workplace to minimise waste. This took into account things like improving flow through the work area and eliminating non-value adding activities.

“Staff also looked at quality performance and problem solving. One of these projects involved reducing the misplacement of surface mount components and identified package parameters as the root cause – this is easily resolvable.”

The Business Improvement Techniques NVQ programme provides an industry standard qualification centred on the proven tools and techniques of lean manufacturing. It is designed to support continuous improvement by promoting effective team working and developing lean skills across the Prism workforce.

David Bance added: “We put staff on the course to improve business performance as a whole. The eight members of staff across all our business functions will now be able to ensure that we adhere to lean business practices in order to reduce waste in our operations and deliver the best possible service to our customers.

“They will be able to identify and eliminate waste, create flow and improve quality leading to greater efficiency and increased profitability. But it doesn’t end there. We are continuing to work with the delegates to establish a forum to keep the problem solving project work going. It encourages us all to think about wastage and what we can do to work in a better way.

“Since the NVQ element of the course was completed Prism staff have developed projects looking at how to utilise the tooling area better and working on an improved definition of when a works order is complete. Staff are now always thinking about what they can do to make a difference to the business.

“As well as the direct business benefit generated by quality, cost and delivery improvement the NVQ in BIT also demonstrates our commitment to continued investment in Prism employees. We look to provide rewarding employment for staff through training and reducing health and safety issues.”

The Prism staff who took the course were David Dale, Robert Follon, Phil Lennard, Linda Rose, Nicola Shepherd, Lindsay Webb, Kellie Whitworth and Paul Young.

Prism Trains to Become a Lean Mean Business Machine

Undertaking NVQ business improvement training is helping contract electronics manufacturing services provider Prism Electronics Limited to increase customer service levels and provide rewarding employment for its staff.

Staff at Prism Electronics are undertaking the government-funded Business Improvement Techniques NVQ Level 2. It has been introduced to acquaint staff with lean manufacturing business improvement techniques focussing in particular on reducing waste through the operations processes.

Eight delegates are taking the NVQs across all the functions of the company including customer service administrators, production operatives, team leaders, logistics and process specialists.

The course is an ongoing process of improvement for the company facilitated by a consultant through Cambridge Regional College (www.camre.ac.uk). The first session took place at the college and subsequent sessions are being held at Prism’s St Ives premises.

Course modules include complying with statutory regulations and organisational safety requirements, contributing to effective team working, applying 5S workplace organisation techniques, Kaizen continuous improvement techniques, creating visual management systems and applying problem solving techniques.

Prism head of operations David Bance said: “The Business Improvement Techniques NVQ programme provides industry standard qualifications centred on the proven tools and techniques of lean manufacturing. It is designed to support continuous improvement by promoting effective team working and developing lean skills across the Prism workforce.

“The objective of the NVQ in Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) is to improve business performance as a whole. We have eight members of staff across all our business functions who will be able to ensure that we adhere to lean business practices in order to reduce waste in our operations and deliver the best possible service to our customers. It means that they will be able to identify and eliminate waste, create flow and improve quality leading to greater efficiency and increased profitability.

“As well as the direct business benefit generated by quality, cost and delivery improvement the NVQ in BIT also demonstrates our commitment to provide rewarding employment for Prism staff through training and reducing health and safety issues.”

Maintaining open and honest relationships has helped St Ives (Cambridgeshire) based contract electronics manufacturing services provider Prism Electronics Limited (www.prism-electronics.com) to survive the recession without losing a single customer.

The UK economy is at last emerging from its longest period of recession on record according to figures published recently by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). For the past 18 months, challenging trading conditions in the UK have seen manufacturing decline in the face of reduced demand. This has meant that some manufacturers have lost customers, or gone out of business altogether.

However, the latest manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) has risen to 56.7 and the figure for new export orders increased to 58.1, up from 48.3 in December 2009. Any figure over 50 indicates increasing activity.

Prism business development director David Dickin said: “It is good news that the economy has returned to growth. The recession has been a difficult time for manufacturing in general and the electronics industry in particular.

“That Prism Electronics has come through the recession without losing a customer despite aggressive competition is a testament to the value and service that it provides.

“Putting our customers at the core of what we do has been crucial in ensuring that we retained them through the downturn. Prism is passionate about their needs, responding to changing priorities quickly and effectively.

“During the recession we have continued to demonstrate a level of service that is above the norm, designing out cost and designing in performance, embracing fluctuating demand and delivering on time.”

Prism prides itself on understanding its customers’ wider business needs and delivering appropriate solutions and active support.

David Dickin added: “We have always encouraged open and honest relationships with our customers. By assuring our clients that they can trust us to deliver, and by providing them with added value in terms of our service, Prism continues to demonstrate that it is a first class electronics manufacturer.

“Our success in retaining customers means that we are now in an excellent position to begin to generate sustained profitable growth as the economy continues to emerge from recession.”

Prism and long standing customer Domino Printing Sciences plc are toasting two decades of successful collaboration. The companies’ relationship continues after Domino enjoyed record sales in 2008 that have built on 30 years of uninterrupted growth.

Domino develops, manufactures and supports a world-leading range of coding, marking and printing technologies including industrial ink jet. Prism Electronics has been providing contract electronics manufacturing services to Domino on a continuous basis since 1988.

Prism manufactures printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in Domino’s commercial printing products. The company has played an instrumental role in numerous development projects with Domino’s engineering team.

Prism’s business development director, David Dickin, said: “Strategic supply is much more than merely outsourcing. It is about focusing on long-term business needs and forging relationships with key suppliers that are able to provide real value to a business.

“This way of working is about collaboration, building relationships where both customer and supplier understand the real needs and objectives and work together so that projects can be delivered quickly and successfully.”

Over the past 20 years the relationship between the two companies has evolved into more than merely a supplier/customer arrangement. Prism has amassed a wealth of knowledge and expertise of the most technically advanced products in the ink jet industry.

These include Domino’s Bitjet+ V4.5, a high-speed, versatile inline binary ink jet printing system. It also supplies components for Domino’s best selling A400 continuous ink jet printer

“Prism makes it very easy for us to work with them,” added Domino operations purchasing manager Ian Whitehead. “We regard them as specialists in their field of supply – and they have been a valued resource for us over the past two decades.”

“Our detailed understanding of the area of business that we are involved in with Domino means that we are able to meet the challenges they set for us,” said David Aspinall, managing director of Prism. “They tell us exactly what they want and we deliver what we consider to be the best possible solution.

“By taking a long-term view of customer/supplier relationships, organisations can gain real strategic benefit through combining their own skills with those of their key suppliers.

“We take a long-term view of the relationships we develop with our customers to understand current and future business objectives. This has enabled Prism to build extensive knowledge of each of its customers’ products, production needs and future plans, making Prism a manufacturing partner in the most complete sense of the phrase.”

AngioDynamics, formally Diomed, is retaining Prism as its lead supplier of electronic circuit boards for its ground-breaking DELTA surgical diode laser. The decision follows the acquisition of Diomed by AngioDynamics.

AngioDynamics is a world leader in the manufacture of medical equipment for the treatment of cancer and peripheral vascular disease. Its Cambridge-based facility is an industry leader in vein care and its DELTA laser is used by physicians across the world in the treatment of varicose veins.

AngioDynamics needed a manufacturing partner that it could trust to deliver highly reliable electronic boards since the instrument is supplied with a three-year warranty and has an international customer base. If the surgical lasers fail in the field they can adversely affect patient care as well as prove costly for AngioDynamics to service and rectify. Prism was retained as a trusted key supplier because of its proven track record of manufacturing flexibility and reliability.

Prism manufactures products to IPC-A-610, an international standard for consistent manufacture and quality of workmanship. Through this Prism is able to deliver assemblies to high standards to help its clients manage quality, reliability and risk more effectively.

There are three classes of product within IPC-A-610. Class 3 is the most stringent and intended for products that are used in demanding or critical conditions such as hospital equipment. The tolerances on the manufacture of this type of equipment are strict to minimise the risk of the equipment failing in use.

Prism’s expertise was invaluable during the early stages of designing the DELTA laser. The technical development team at Prism worked closely with Diomed’s engineers to help optimise the product for manufacture. This close working relationship is set to continue with Angiodynamics.

“It was essential that we found a manufacturing partner that was able consistently to deliver electronic boards that would be reliable,” said Sue Tolliday, operations director at AngioDynamics.

“It was also important that we found a supplier that had the capability to procure components as well as manufacture and test electronic boards for the DELTA laser.

“As well as meeting these fundamental needs, Prism has subsequently also proved to be flexible, communicative and responsive.

“Following our take over by AngioDynamics it made perfect sense to retain Prism as our sole supplier of PCBs for our medical lasers as it already has the knowledge and expertise to provide us with a first-class service.”

Each DELTA laser contains six boards. These are manufactured in sets by Prism and delivered in line with AngioDynamics’ order schedule. Prism is also working to help AngioDynamics support an older generation of equipment by identifying and sourcing alternatives to obsolete electronic components.

Prism has secured a contract to provide highly complex PCBs for the development of 10 Gigabit high speed Ethernet cards.

Solarflare Communications, a leading provider of high-performance Ethernet semiconductor solutions, has selected Prism to supply PCBs for the engineering evaluation of its new 10 Gigabit reference design cards that are being produced at its development centre in Cambridge.

Solarflare’s 10 Gigabit Ethernet solutions enable next-generation applications such as cloud computing, streaming media, Web 2.0, server virtualisation and network convergence. Solarflare is working with key industry partners and customers to ensure interoperability and drive a complete 10GBASE-T ecosystem.

“Our solutions are designed for use in applications within banks, financial institutions, government bodies and utilities where high-performance networking and product reliability is essential,” said Derek Roberts, VP Hardware Architecture at Solarflare.

“We opted for Prism to supply PCBs because of its attention to detail and excellent overall build quality. Prism’s engineers are also extremely willing to work with us to understand our requirements, which differ from the norm. We need engineering build scales and a fast turnaround – sometimes at short notice – for development purposes and Prism is able to adapt its production to suit our volume needs.”

David Dickin, business development director at Prism, said: “The PCBs Prism produces for Solarflare are complex and require many small 0402 components and ball grid arrays (BGA). Availability of the materials is variable and Solarflare can require a build turnaround of under three days at short notice. Prism is able to provide dynamic production scheduling to meet these requirements.”

Derek Roberts said: “It is difficult to manage this level of development production and service at a distance. That is why it is important to have a local partner like Prism which understands our requirements and can successfully overcome the design complexity and timescale challenges that we set.”

David Dickin added: “We are delighted to be working with Solarflare on its high speed Ethernet solutions.

“During product development, the periods of honing design and preparing for manufacture are critical times. It often needs careful, meticulous dialogue with specialists in these areas to ensure that products are fully optimised for production, test and reliability. It is easier to maintain this level of support with a reliable local partner.”

Staff at Prism have been celebrating as another member of its team notches up a long-service record with the company.

Among staff, one has recently reached a significant milestone in her employment with the company. Brenda Butcher has now been with Prism and its predecessor for 25 years. She joins Bill Smettem who also celebrated reaching his 25 years service not long ago.

Brenda joined Prism as secretary to the managing director. Over the years her role has grown and developed into her current position of company personnel officer and P/A to the directors.

“I started my career as an office junior and gained my secretarial qualifications prior to joining Prism as secretary to the managing director. Little did I think I would still be here 25 years later but I found it such a rewarding place to work and the people so friendly that I stayed with the company,” said Brenda.

“Because I have been here so long, over the years I have been involved in many aspects of the company including sales administration, payroll and human resources.

“Prism is a great company to work for and I have never had time to be bored since I joined. It has been very supportive and encouraging over the years. My days have never become repetitive because my role here is such a diverse one.”

Brenda has seen many changes over her 25 years service, not least in technology. “When I first joined Prism I used an electronic typewriter with a small screen. Over the years I have trained in a number of office systems and software tools to keep pace with the changes in technology. As well as having an overall administration role I am also very much involved in HR, which has been an ambition of mine since I started out as an office junior.”

Prism technical director Richard Walton said: “Brenda is our HR department and she is an extremely valuable asset to the company.”

To mark her 25 years with Prism Brenda received a cake, flowers and her long service watch in a ceremony held in the staff canteen. “All my colleagues were there and I did feel a little embarrassed,” she said.

Presenting Brenda with her long service watch managing director David Aspinall said: “We’re delighted to recognise Brenda’s loyalty to Prism. All her hard work and dedication over the past 25 years is greatly valued.

“Brenda has been a great asset to Prism over the years and fulfils a valuable administrative and HR role. She has seen many changes over the last 25 years and has taken them all in her stride.”

Prism has helped Cambridge Micro Engineering (CME) deliver an innovative automated menu ordering system to a pioneering new London restaurant. The delivery of the new system was possible due to a longstanding close link between the two companies.

Inamo is an Oriental fusion restaurant and bar in Soho, central London, where control of the dining experience is placed in the hands of the diner. At the core of this experience is an interactive ordering system. Diners place orders from an illustrated food and drinks menu projected on to their table surface. Diners can customise the mood of their table by changing lighting or choose from a selection of animated appearance settings to create a virtual tablecloth.

Prism Electronics manufactured the printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the interface between a wireless electronic POS device and touchpad. Each table in the 60-seat ground floor restaurant has its own projector housed in a differently designed cocoon. Prism manufactured the boards that enable the transfer of data from the tabletop menu to the POS system.

As well as navigating through food and drink options diners are able to view the Inamo chefs working in real time and browse for practical information about the local Soho neighbourhood. The system even includes taxi booking facilities.

A touch screen showing the menu items and other features is embedded in the dining table top. The diners touch the relevant icons on the interactive table and orders will be sent via an electronic point of sale system to the kitchen where their orders will be prepared and dispatched. The icons and features are projected onto the table top using a central PC projector.

The combined skills of Prism Electronics and CME meant that the Inamo design was taken from concept stage through to full manufacture quickly and efficiently. The optimisation process ensured that necessary products were manufactured economically both in terms of minimising component cost and the time taken to build.

“Prism and CME have worked successfully together on a number of projects so we have been able to bring a wealth of accumulated knowledge and experience to the table,” said David Dickin, business development director at Prism.

“CME has had access to an existing, close relationship and a wealth of skills that can deliver end-to-end design to manufacture services. Inamo can be confident that both Prism and CME are here to work for their benefit.”

“The collective skills and experience of our companies are far greater than that of many internal product design teams,” said John Thorne, director at CME. “We have therefore been able to offer Inamo a fast, focused and highly flexible service.”

Prism has secured a contract to supply printed circuit boards (PCBs) to a US manufacturer of niche industrial inkjet printers.

The US company’s latest product is an industrial inkjet printer which uses technology developed in the UK by Xennia of Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

Xennia undertook the initial design, engineering development work and production of prototype printers. It worked closely with Prism as a supplier of the PCB assemblies needed for the new printer.

Once the product was ready for commercial-scale production in the USA, Xennia recommended Prism as a continuing supplier of PCB assemblies.

Prism has assisted the manufacturer take the prototypes into production, further developing the PCB assembly designs and ensuring that the electronics meet the requirements of worldwide standards such as the Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive.

Tracey Stephens at Xennia said: “Xennia was very happy to introduce Prism to our customer as a result of the excellent service we received.”

David Dickin of Prism said: “Despite having access to global subcontractors, the US manufacturer contracted Prism to provide production and support. We have been delighted with this vote of confidence in our capabilities.”

The company is now planning to place more work with Prism, involving the company in further engineering and testing.

Prism Highlights Reversal In Offshoring Trend At Industry Forum

The head of operations at Prism has presented a keynote seminar at an electronics industry forum for key stakeholders in the Eastern region.

David Bance was speaking at the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network (EKTN) meeting hosted by the Cambridge Network at BT Adastral Park in Ipswich.

The EKTN met to identify key trends in electronics devices and examine important issues in supply chain management and the environment. David Bance delivered a presentation entitled ‘Supply Chain Trends’ in which he examined the outsourcing of electronics manufacture and building successful supply chain partnerships.

Commenting on the event David Bance said: “Outsourcing in electronics manufacture is changing and some recent trends are reversing, including off-shoring manufacture among smaller OEMs. Manufacturing is now being brought back closer to home.

“My aim was to demonstrate key trends and show other stakeholders how they can benefit from these by forming strategic manufacturing partnerships. The Cambridge EKTN is the ideal forum in which to exchange ideas like these and identify new industry trends.”

David Bance noted that, anecdotally at least, the off-shoring trend is reversing, particularly amongst SMEs. He outlined three main reasons for this change. Firstly, expected cost reductions were not being realised because the approach adopted was too simplistic from the outset and because of the high costs associated with supplier management.

Secondly, he cited an inability to forecast demand accurately. Thirdly, he said, this also went hand in hand with difficulties in managing the relationships as desired due to language barriers, cultural differences, time zones and legal systems.

“OEMs looking at the bottom line are aiming for the lowest cost. However, in doing that they often overlook other factors including retaining the ability to serve customers rapidly with high-quality products and services. Partnering with a specialist local contract electronics manufacturer allows them to retain those high levels of customer service.”

He added: “Your contract electronics manufacturer partner should be the experienced link that you can rely upon to solve your wider supply and manufacturing problems.”

David noted that building partnerships required transparent and frequent communication to build trust in the notion that the partnership can be mutually beneficial. Contract electronics manufacturers (CEMs) creating these kinds of partnership can provide engineering support by designing for manufacture, reliable quality investigation and test strategies. They can also provide purchasing support by managing materials procurement and obsolescence in addition to production, shipping and delivery, and aftersales support.

The Cambridge Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network event was organised by Cambridge Network and supported by The Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) Technology Strategy Board. It brought together UK capabilities across the electronics value chain, from research through to design and product development, including sales and operations, to promote the sector's global potential. It aims to facilitate knowledge transfer to help companies realise best practice and create collaborative partnerships.

The meeting kicked off with a buffet lunch and an opportunity to network following which delegates heard David Bance as well as other industry speakers.

Prism Electronics is taking part in an industry forum for key stakeholders in the electronics industry in the Eastern region.

Prisms head of operations David Bance will deliver a keynote seminar at the Cambridge Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network (EKTN) meeting taking place at BT Adastral Park, Ipswich, on Thursday 26 May.

The EKTN meeting will seek to identify key trends in electronics devices and examine important issues including supply chain management and the environment. David Bance is to deliver a presentation entitled ‘Supply Chain Trends’ in which he will examine the outsourcing of electronics manufacture and building successful supply chain partnerships.

Commenting on the event David Bance said: “Outsourcing in electronics manufacture is changing and some recent trends are reversing, including off-shoring manufacture among OEMs. Manufacturing is now being brought back closer to home.

“I aim to demonstrate key trends and show other stakeholders how they can benefit from these by forming strategic manufacturing partnerships.

“The Cambridge EKTN is the ideal forum in which to exchange ideas like these and identify new industry trends.”

The Cambridge Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network event, organised by Cambridge Network and supported by The Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) Technology Strategy Board, brings together UK capabilities across the electronics value chain, from research through to design and product development, including sales and operations to promote the sector's global potential. It aims to facilitate knowledge transfer to help companies realise best practice and create collaborative partnerships.

The meeting will kick off with a buffet lunch and an opportunity to network following which delegates will hear David Bance as well as other industry speakers from technology consultants Sagentia among others.

David Bance will be speaking at the Cambridge Electronic Knowledge Transfer Network seminar this month.

Prism is supplying printed circuit board assemblies for rail signalling equipment which will form part of the infrastructure to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Prism has received an initial order for 400 PCBs from ERB South Africa. ERB is manufacturing rail signalling equipment for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project – one of the largest rail engineering projects of its kind in the world. Prism was selected to supply PCBs for the project because it is already a trusted supplier for other projects in the rail signalling sector.

David Dickin, business development director of Prism Electronics, said: “It is pleasing to see our trusted business relationships with customers paying dividends. Word of mouth is perhaps the most effective form of advertising and we are delighted to be working with ERB to help deliver this project.”

The tested PCB assemblies are essential to the ‘brains’ of the Gautrain rail control signalling equipment. The equipment comprises receivers, incorporating Prism assemblies, and transmitters fitted to rail track and to rolling stock.

Prism is able to support discrete projects such as this due to its flexible production processes that can accommodate timely production of modest quantities in line with the project’s requirements.

The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link was given the go ahead in 2005 with the main construction of the project beginning early in 2007. It is set for completion in time for the start of the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

Originally conceived to ease traffic congestion in South Africa’s economic hub, Gautrain will link Pretoria in the north with Johannesburg’s Park Station in the south of the corridor in Gauteng Province. There will also be a link to OR Tambo International Airport, which serves both Pretoria and Johannesburg. Stadia in both cities will be playing host to fixtures in the 2010 World Cup, so Gautrain will play an important part in getting soccer fans to and from the airport as well as between venues.

Park Station in Johannesburg is one of the stations on the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link system, which will serve FIFA World Cup 2010 venues. Pri

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Long-serving staff at Prism Electronics have notched up over 300 years service between them.

Among staff at the award winning facility, one has recently reached a significant milestone in his employment with the company. Bill Smettem has now been with Prism and its predecessor for 25 years.

Bill joined Prism in 1982 as a production assistant. Then he was introduced to the flow soldering machine and never looked back. “It was one of those situations where I joined the company as a temporary measure until something else came along. I found it such a pleasant environment to work in and lovely people to work with that I stayed with the company,” said Bill.

Bill has seen many changes over his 25 years service and he said that like anywhere there have been ups and downs – but there have been more ups. While still doing a broadly similar job he now manages two flow solder machines and uses the experience he has built up over the years to support several other areas of production..

Bill received his long service watch in a surprise ceremony held in the staff canteen. “They even baked me a cake. I knew that the date was coming up but I didn’t think anyone else had an inkling,” he said.

Recognised as an Investor in People in 1999, Prism actively encourages continuous professional development in its management, assembly and support staff teams. Training and continuous improvement of its skills and methods is an intrinsic part of Prism’s culture.

Managing Director David Aspinall said: “We’re delighted to recognise Bill’s loyalty to Prism over the last 25 years and greatly value his contribution. We believe that caring for our employees’ needs is part of the process of caring for our customers’ needs. Our staff must have the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitude to meet the challenges set by our customers. As Investors in People we have a practical benchmark for our training and development processes.

“I am pleased to see these principles being born out by our long-serving members of staff.”

Bill Smettem cuts cake to celebrate his 25 years with Prism.

Prism has used its engineering skills to assist GSI Group Ltd, a Rugby-based laser manufacturing company, to break into the growing fibre laser products market.

Prism has helped to design and manufacture a number of printed circuit boards that are central to GSI’s new fibre laser, which is now being rolled out to selected GSI Group customers.

Fibre lasers are constructed differently to conventional lasers. Instead of using mirrors, laser rods and optical surfaces they are made from fibre devices. One significant advantage of this type of laser is that there is no need for alignment, adjustment or cleaning of optical surfaces once the laser has been built, making the device easier to use and maintain in operation.

Peter Bennett, GSI’s Global sourcing manager, said: “The development approach has been a collaborative one and we are delighted with the amount of effort that Prism has put into the project.

“I think one of Prism’s greatest attributes has been patience because this product has taken some time to develop. Up to now we have required relatively low quantities of components and Prism has worked hard to deliver exactly what we wanted when we needed it, clearly demonstrating a long term approach to business development.”

Development work first began on these laser systems almost two years ago. GSI selected Prism not only because it had the technical expertise to produce the board but also because it could support GSI through the whole production process, adopting a collaborative, iterative approach throughout the process.

Fibre lasers are used in a number industrial applications including aerospace, automotive and medical devices. Processes include cutting, drilling, welding and marking, where a high degree of precision is required.

Peter Bennett added: “This current project is the first step on a programme of development of a family of products based on the same technology. It has proved to be a lengthy process but it is clearly important that we get the technology right now, to provide a firm foundation for any future development.

“Our experience to date with Prism makes them the natural choice for any such developments and we look forward to working with them to forge a mutually beneficial long-term business relationship.”

Kind hearted staff at Prism raised over £1,500 for children’s charities from a day of activities at its factory and offices.

Prism stores controller Sarah Wright co-ordinated a number of fundraising events culminating in a fun packed dress down day.

Prior to the event members of staff who set up their own weight watchers club collected money after each of their weigh-ins throughout the year and donated the cash to the charity fund. But their good work was in jeopardy on the day from the number of delicious home made cakes and sandwiches that were on offer in exchange for further contributions.

The office tuck shop run by Glen Dear proved a firm favourite with Prism staff. Glen provides crisps and chocolate throughout the year with all donations going towards the final total.

Perhaps the single most popular item available on the day was a charity calendar featuring 12 members of Prism staff. The photographs were taken by one of the Prism directors and printed by a local printer. A donation of £10 per calendar was suggested and all 50 copies were snapped up!

Other activities included a raffle and charity auction with gifts and prizes provided by Prism suppliers, and a competition to guess the weight of staff member Dionne Nesbitt’s new baby for a £1 donation.

In total the sum raised for children’s charities was £1,580.

Sarah Wright said: “The fundraising was a huge success and we were delighted to have raised so much money. I would like to thank all involved who gave time and effort to make a great day. Everyone had a lot of fun and it was great for company morale.”

Kind hearted Prism staff raised over £1,500 for children’s charities

Prism is expanding its production capacity to support customers who are predicting significant growth in product volumes.

Recent investments in its own plant, plus an agreement with one of South Africa’s leading contract electronics manufacturers, mean it is now able to offer economical higher volume production. Production takes place either in Cambridge or in South Africa in order to meet customer needs.

“We have an established reputation for assisting customers with design and manufacture of assemblies and equipment where there is complexity in meeting their requirements. Typical applications include such things as specialist medical equipment, scientific instruments and industrial control systems where product volumes may be modest and unpredictable,” said managing director David Aspinall.

“However, we have previously lacked the capacity to support larger volume manufacture ourselves. We are now in a position to do this by managing production in both St Ives and South Africa to meet customer requirements.”

Prism selected a South African partner because this offers a number of advantages – both organisations are in similar time zones, both speak English as a business language, both have similar business cultures and both operate to the same international quality standards.

The two companies operate compatible processes and machinery, making it easy to transfer production from one facility to the other.

Importantly, both the UK and South Africa have similar legal systems and cultural understanding for the protection of intellectual property.

David Aspinall said: “We have seen too many problems created when companies have pursued a strategy of seeking the cheapest international price without proper control of quality, with failures in communication and understanding and with loss of intellectual property protection. We have selected our partner carefully to ensure there is a ‘seamless join’ between our systems and theirs.

“Customers can be assured that, whether manufacture is taking place in Cambridgeshire or South Africa, their needs are being managed by Prism’s team with real-time dialogue linking designers, engineers and production personnel.

“We are not ‘off shoring’ our production facilities – in fact, we are continuing to invest in expanding our manufacturing capabilities here in the UK. However, where it is appropriate to consider overseas manufacturing for suitable products, we are able to benefit from the massive investment made by our South African partner in its 64,000 square foot production facility.”

The South African connection supports considerable investment in Prism’s own facilities at St Ives – investments which recently won the company a national Best Factory Award in the category for most improved plant.