iga - helping US Companies Succeed in Asia

Setting up a manufacturing process involves four phases:

Planning - Phase 1
iga's process begins with visiting our customer's US site to understand current operations, reviewing the environment and methods being utilized including materials, labor and equipment. From this information, iga develops a business plan and selects the best Asian location to implement your offshore operations. This phase of activities usually takes one to two months.

Site Selection - Phase 2
iga confirms the country and area selection then identifies potential locations and conducts initial interviews. Follow-up interviews are done jointly with the client before final selection is made and contracts are negotiated. iga facilitates the development of the best manufacturing solution, whether it be a new set up, a third party provider or some combination of the two. A ramp plan, which includes a final detailed checklist for the planned move is also generated. This phase lasts approximately one month.

Set Up - Phase 3
Contracts are signed and the factory is set up. Materials are shipped and samples are produced to allow debugging of the manufacturing process. Throughout this phase, the new line is brought to expected capacity while continuous monitoring of quality and cost levels allow for adjustment as needed. Mentoring is provided to manufacturing personnel providing guidance and direction on the manufacturing process and plan. During the first several weeks, there is also a weekly call to review the ramp plan and adjust it to meet cost and quality goals. This phase lasts two to three months depending on the length specified for the manufacturing review meetings. Mentoring is ongoing.

Ramp Up and Beyond- Phase 4
iga continues to facilitate strong relationships between the client and their manufacturing partners. An ongoing review of the manufacturing plan includes a review of the costs and a line review to continue to meet the customer's business objectives. Initially weekly meetings are conducted to provide manufacturing support as needed and an evaluation of the ramp production plan. iga provides quality assurance reviews on a quarterly basis for the initial five-year contract term to enable maximum benefits on a long-term basis. This phase may also include review of hiring needs and business reviews to determine any changes needed to accommodate changing market conditions.

iga conducts quality reviews at every phase to ensure a quality process.

iga will plan, select site, set up, ramp up and manage the manufacturing for you for some time to ensure success. Periodic LEAN analysis may be required to streamline the process and reduce waste.