Note: This post is adapted from a similar one I wrote for the ODS blog which is devoted to leadership, communication and trust. 

Like any business, small batch shops like RBB have many things we can improve upon all the time. (And the minute we don’t admit it signals the beginning of dangerous complacency!) It’s a growing challenge since most low-volume electronics manufacturing companies face intense competition and so seem hooked on instant answers and urgent innovation. Employees, regardless of their formal authority face enormous pressure to address everything that stands in the way of reaching the company's goals. Or they often think they do.

I began my journey with RBB Systems in the summer of 2010. My first home was in the stockroom prepping components and pulling orders for the many different jobs that came through the shop. The one thing I learned very quickly was that no two jobs were the same and the customers were ever changing – benefits to being a small batch electronics manufacturing experts. This was my first experience with this type of work environment. Previously it was mass production. Same parts, same customers. But this was something new that I had never dealt with: many different parts and many different customers.

Talent, class, commitment, and integrity. These leadership hallmarks are exemplified in Wendy Smith, RBB’s General Manager, who begins in May 2013, after 27 years of tireless effort, a new chapter in life. We part as friends and she will be greatly missed. Yet this critical transition will be virtually transparent to customers and the business – and this is a story worth sharing.

The Biomedical MEMS and Sensors Conference 2013 held April 16-18 at Lorain County Community College brought presenters, exhibitors and attendees from around the US and the world to focus on MEMS technologies for biomedical applications (BioMEMS).

April 18th 2013

The second day of the BioMEMS and Sensors Conference kicked off with a very interesting breakdown of the steps involved in committing to start up venture which include networking, funding, proof of concept and commercialization. Jumping in with a team of passionate individuals with a culture of positivity is critical. Patience and a little luck can go a long way too!

Inventory Accuracy in a Small Batch Job Shop

Inventory accuracy impacts many different aspects of a successful manufacturing business, especially a Job Shop. Typical consequences of inaccurate inventory are:

Community. Goodwill. Customer service.

Located in the heart of Ohio Amish country, sits a low volume electronics job shop, RBB Systems. You might think it a strange place for a shop that specializes in custom printed circuit boards but it’s not really. It’s an area populated with people who embody the values we look for in our employees – hard-working, reliable, trustworthy, eager to help and willing to move heaven and earth for our customers. 

Ringing The Bell For New Customers

I know it sounds cheesy; it’s the cheesy that makes it good! My wife Donna and I were on a weekend getaway when we picked up a very cool, wall-mounted antique brass bell. Sometime earlier I had begun wondering how we could alert everyone in the company when we landed a new customer relationship.

The Job Shop Evolution

I was invited to a meeting the other day to discuss the most efficient way to adapt our processes and procedures for our newest customer. As I looked around the table at the other participants, sales staff, engineers, purchasing, it struck me just how far RBB had come since I was hired in 2005.