Charlie Barnhart & Associates LLC (CBA) and ITM Consulting announce a joint venture to provide a full range of consulting services to electronics manufacturers. As the electronics industry evolves beyond outsourcing to other, more complex manufacturing supply solutions, there is a need for business and operations consulting services that are seamless and well aligned. The joint venture is designed to provide such services.
CBA is focused exclusively on the outsourced electronics manufacturing relationship, providing data and analysis to support global strategic decision making. ITM Consulting helps companies set up, improve, certify and validate the electronics assembly operations.
Together, the two organizations can offer a well-coordinated fast track to designing a global, cross enterprise, and a lean and efficient manufacturing supply solution that delivers substantial innovation and competitive advantage.
“Our research has identified a number of significant sea-changes occurring now in global high-tech manufacturing,” explained Charlie Barnhart, co-founder and principal. “We see global shifts occurring: in the slower growth of outsourcing, in the way companies are managing their product lifecycles, and in a return to a regional approach, e.g. building in the region where the product is sold. Many OEMs are starting with a clean slate and looking at every aspect of their manufacturing strategy, including whether to outsource or not. By teaming up with ITM Consulting, we can help clients add manufacturing capability or bring new competitiveness to existing processes, for example through lean implementation. ITM has an excellent track record in solving problems and cost-effective training and process engineering. We look forward to working with them.”
“We believe this offering will help companies that are redesigning their manufacturing supply solution and moving from one region to another or bringing manufacturing in-house,” added Phil Zarrow, president of ITM Consulting. “Where CBA advises the business side of electronics assembly, ITM helps with the technological side of it — processes, procedures, equipment, materials, quality and lean six sigma manufacturing. If clients are setting up a new line or modifying an existing facility, we help them get it right — the first time.”
For more information, visit www.charliebarnhart.com; www.itmconsulting.com.
Charlie Barnhart & Associates, LLC focuses on the intersection between the electronics OEM and its electronics manufacturing services provider. The company collects detailed case study data on the costs of these services. Charlie Barnhart & Associates then presents the data to the industry through workshops and webinars. For more information, visit www.charliebarnhart.com.