Role of a Job Shop

“Good design is a renaissance attitude that combines technology, cognitive science, human need and beauty to produce something that the world didn’t know it was missing.” – Paola Antonelli, curator of architecture and design, Museum of Modern Art, NYC

We have designed RBB to be just that – something the electronics world didn’t know it was missing.  Namely, a company so experienced with satisfying the needs of the small batch business that not only do traditional headaches finally get some relief but that whole new vistas of opportunity and growth open up.

After serving thousands of individuals since 1973, RBB has created something truly unique: a harbor to turn into that gives full respect, care, value, and honest appreciation for small batch work whether it leads to something bigger or not!   Too many people and products go under-served and under-valued because they don’t fit with most business models and definitions of “valuable” pieces of business.

When it becomes apparent to a large CM that the small batch work at an account will not lead to bigger and better things, it is often:

• Relegated to lowest priority in production schedules
• Discouraged through aggressive price increases, raised minimums, last-time buys, or even told to find another home.

At RBB we see our role as delivering both parties in this no-win situation a clear way towards better service, higher margins, and fewer hassles.

This chart represents the portfolio of electronic needs for a fictitious but representative OEM.  Some assemblies are large volume, some medium, and then there is the usual assortment of prototypes, new products, dead ends, spares, supplemental sub-assemblies, and end-of-life (legacy) systems.

A common practice in the industry is to find a single source CM who can handle it all, on the theory that the supplier will be duly motivated to stay aggressive (price and delivery) on all pieces of the business lest they risk losing it all.  Promises are made and the relationship is launched.  Reality, however, is often a different story as tension builds over the handling of small batch work at one or both ends.  Small batch business is simply a different animal than large batch business so try as they might, eventually the parties become frustrated.

Now add RBB into this picture and watch what happens:

For the minor inconvenience of dealing with an additional supplier, the OEM gets improved, reliable, and, most importantly, welcomed business responsiveness for all of their formerly “problematic” small batch assemblies.  The CM gets these same products off their high speed equipment, allowing more throughput, fewer changeovers, and a happy customer once again!  And by preserving the relationship in this way, when one of the small volume assemblies being produced at RBB begins to climb in volume, the business can be sent right back “where it belongs”.  Products that drop significantly in volume can head to RBB just as readily.
RBB earns a new customer.  And one whose high volume (large batch) work is being handled well elsewhere.

Both the OEM’s and the CM’s needs are met and since RBB has zero interest in large batch work there is no threat to the “core” higher volume business or relationship. RBB adds several additional assemblies without the risk of being swamped by large volume work.

All the parties win.  That’s good design!