The circuit boards were only one part of this export order. The customer was waiting for packed bicycle lights, and the crew needed to close the housings was already booked. For a buyer reviewing the ship date, the practical question was who could finish the lights once the boards were ready.
Find the operation that puts the ship date at risk
Several orders were in production at the same time. Regular operators already had assignments, leaving too few people available for final assembly. Adding capacity at the PCB assembly stage would have left the same queue at the housing station.
Put extra hands where the work is waiting
Members of the management team took turns supporting final assembly. The photo below shows one of the operations involved: fastening the housing with an electric screwdriver. Functional testing and packaging stayed in the production sequence. The finished batch shipped on time.
Keep the final checks in the schedule
The order included a functional test of the boards. The production photos also show finished lights illuminated in a tray. When planning another build, agree which functions to check on the board and which to verify after the housing is closed. Put both checks on the schedule.
Three questions to ask before confirming a ship date
- What will be ready on the agreed date? Specify whether the milestone is tested boards, packed products ready for dispatch, or arrival at the destination.
- Who is booked for final assembly? Ask about the people and stations available for housing assembly, testing and packing after the boards are ready.
- What releases the batch for packing? Agree which checks must pass, who signs off and what record the buyer will receive.
For the production scope and photos from this order, read the bicycle light OEM manufacturing case study. For a new project, send the required handover stage, order quantity and target ship date.
