Flextronics International
Executive Summary
Born out of the vision of two creative, technological supply chain trailblazers, Flextronics- the world’s second-largest provider of electronics manufacturing services and the largest global manufacturer of cell phones- took form. Tapping into a burgeoning market of overflow manufacturing services, this unique electronic visionary busted onto the technological scene, through its humble origins. With service offerings ranging from “stuffing” printed circuit boards, for electronic firms, within California’s Silicon Valley, to an ever-expanding full-service handling of all aspects of the production process- component manufacturing, assembly, testing, packaging, distribution, and later, product design and development- this one-stop, outsource depot carved its niche, and claimed its status, as a well-established, electronic manufacturing service giant. Guaranteeing efficient reliability, through its unbeatable, deal-securing offering of short lead times and final lower unit costs, this industry-leading conglomerate (a) maintained a constant “finger-on-the-pulse” connection to their original equipment manufacturers, (b) developed a flexible and uniquely responsive manufacturing system that in turn created a permanent, presence-building existence, which (c) secured itself on the industry map (Huckman & Pisano, 2010).
Due to the strong growth within this arena, as well as the increased propensity for enterprise outsourcing, Flextronics acted upon the following reality: “In order to effectively utilize supplier capabilities and technologies within product innovation efforts, a firm must take into account its position, with respect to the supply network, complementarily of technologies, within the supply network, and the method with which the focal firm controls the suppliers in the network (Narasimhan & Narayanan, 2013).” Thus, during the growth of the 1990s expanding EMS Industry, Flextronics invested heavily in acquiring control of critical
Born out of the vision of two creative, technological supply chain trailblazers, Flextronics- the world’s second-largest provider of electronics manufacturing services and the largest global manufacturer of cell phones- took form. Tapping into a burgeoning market of overflow manufacturing services, this unique electronic visionary busted onto the technological scene, through its humble origins. With service offerings ranging from “stuffing” printed circuit boards, for electronic firms, within California’s Silicon Valley, to an ever-expanding full-service handling of all aspects of the production process- component manufacturing, assembly, testing, packaging, distribution, and later, product design and development- this one-stop, outsource depot carved its niche, and claimed its status, as a well-established, electronic manufacturing service giant. Guaranteeing efficient reliability, through its unbeatable, deal-securing offering of short lead times and final lower unit costs, this industry-leading conglomerate (a) maintained a constant “finger-on-the-pulse” connection to their original equipment manufacturers, (b) developed a flexible and uniquely responsive manufacturing system that in turn created a permanent, presence-building existence, which (c) secured itself on the industry map (Huckman & Pisano, 2010).
Due to the strong growth within this arena, as well as the increased propensity for enterprise outsourcing, Flextronics acted upon the following reality: “In order to effectively utilize supplier capabilities and technologies within product innovation efforts, a firm must take into account its position, with respect to the supply network, complementarily of technologies, within the supply network, and the method with which the focal firm controls the suppliers in the network (Narasimhan & Narayanan, 2013).” Thus, during the growth of the 1990s expanding EMS Industry, Flextronics invested heavily in acquiring control of critical
References: Billon, S. A, Stralkowski, C. M., (1988). Partnering: A strategic approach to productivity improvement. National Productivity Review; (Spring, 1988) 7:2; ABI/FORM complete David, P. A. (2013). International logistics: The Management of International Trade Operations. Berea, OH: Cicero Books LLC Huckman, R.S., & Pisano, G. P. (2010). Flextronics International, Ltd. Harvard Business School 9-604-063 (April, 2010): 1-18. Narasimhan, R., & Narayanan, S. (2013). Perspectives on supply network-enabled innovations. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 27-42. Robert, S. H., & Gary, P. P. (2010). Flextronics international, ltd. Retrieved from: http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=32211 Sanders, N