IPC RELEASES STUDY OF QUALITY BENCHMARKS FOR EMS INDUSTRY

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., USA — In response to member requests for benchmarking data, IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® released IPC Study of Quality Benchmarks for the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Industry for 2009. This report is designed to provide information to EMS companies interested in comparing their key 2009 operating variables to those of other EMS providers by net sales and type of product.

The survey-based study covers financial and production data, assembly attributes, yields, defect rates (DPMO), customer returns, supplier performance, customer satisfaction and certification data. Surveys were e-mailed in March 2010 to IPC member companies identified as providers of EMS or contract assembly services. The survey sample includes twenty-four EMS companies, primarily small and medium-sized, with 2009 net sales ranging from under $1 million to more than $100 million.

Participants provided point-of-reference data for sales growth, expenses on research and development (R&D) and capital equipment as a percentage of net sales, average collection and payable periods, and the number of printed circuit boards (PCBs) completed in 2009. Respondents also reported internal yields for key processes, including surface mounting, wave soldering and selective soldering. All of the respondents included relevant customer satisfaction metrics regarding returns and on-time customer deliveries.

IPC Study of Quality Benchmarks for the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Industry for 2009 is available for sale to IPC members for $475 and to nonmembers for $950. The report is free to companies that participated in the survey. For more information or to purchase the report, visit http://www.ipc.org/Benchmark-10 or contact Sree Bhagwat, IPC market research manager, at SreeBhagwat@ipc.org or +1 330-677-5563.

For information on IPC market research programs, contact Sharon Starr, IPC director of market research, at SharonStarr@ipc.org or +1 847-597-2817, or visit http://www.ipc.org/industrydata.

IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronic interconnect industry, including design, printed circuit board manufacturing and electronics assembly. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.