In the PCBA processing industry, customers have higher and higher requirements for lead time, and the diversification of order requirements has also brought great challenges to the production management of factories. On-demand production mode as a flexible and efficient production mode, not only to meet the individual needs of customers, but also effectively shorten the delivery cycle.

I. What is Make to Order Production Mode?  

Make to Order (MTO) is a kind of order-demand oriented production mode, different from the traditional inventory production mode, the core of which lies in “production according to demand”.  

1. Characteristics of make-to-order production

• Order-driven: production planning is completely based on customer orders, avoiding overproduction.  
• Flexible response: the ability to quickly adjust production resources to respond to changes in orders.  
• Low inventory pressure: reduce material and finished product inventory backlog, reduce the risk of capital utilization.  

2. Application in PCBA processing  

PCBA processing to multi-species, small batch, on-demand production mode is particularly suitable to meet customer requirements for delivery time and product customization.  

II. On-demand production how to shorten the delivery cycle?  

1. Optimization of production planning

Under the on-demand production mode, the production plan is more efficient and accurate:  

• Real-time order scheduling: Using the intelligent scheduling system (APS), the optimal production plan is generated based on order priority and factory resources.
• Reduced scheduling conflicts: On-demand production reduces resource competition between different orders, making the production process smoother.

2. Material Management and Supply Chain Collaboration

On-demand production mode requires efficient material supply chain support:  

• Accurate material procurement: Predict material usage according to order demand to avoid excessive inventory backlog.
• Fast material distribution: establish fast response mechanism with suppliers to shorten material arrival time.

3. Production Process Optimization

On-demand production emphasizes the flexibility and efficiency of the production line:  

• Modular production: Divide the production process into standardized modules to improve production efficiency.
• Flexible Equipment Configuration: Upgrade production equipment to meet the rapid switching requirements of diversified orders.  

4. Real-time data monitoring

In on-demand production, real-time data monitoring is the key to improving production efficiency:

• Real-time progress tracking: Real-time monitoring of the production process through the MES system, and timely adjustment of the progress to cope with unforeseen circumstances.
• Rapid problem response: real-time data helps factories quickly locate production problems and reduce rework time.

III. Successful cases of on-demand production

Case: a PCBA factory on-demand production practices  

After adopting the on-demand production mode, a PCBA processing factory shortened the average delivery cycle from the original 12 days to 7 days, which significantly improved customer satisfaction.  

• Intelligent Scheduling System: The factory introduced the APS system to optimize scheduling, and the production time and priority of each order were precisely controlled.  
• Supply Chain Collaboration: JIT (Just-In-Time) model was established with material suppliers to ensure that materials are available on demand.  
• Flexible production line: By remodeling the production line, the efficient switching of multi-species products is realized.  

IV. Key elements to promote on-demand production mode  

1. Digital transformation

PCBA factories need to improve production planning and process management capabilities with digital systems such as MES, ERP and APS.

2. Strengthen departmental collaboration

The on-demand production model requires a high degree of collaboration among production, sales and supply chain departments to ensure real-time information sharing and synchronization.

3. Continuous Improvement of Production Process

Through data analysis and experience, factories can continuously optimize the production process to further improve the efficiency of on-demand production.

Quick facts about NeoDen

① Established in 2010, 200+ employees, 8000+ Sq.m. factory.

② NeoDen products: Smart series PNP machine, NeoDen N10P, NeoDen9, NeoDen K1830, NeoDen4, NeoDen3V, NeoDen7, NeoDen6, TM220A, TM240A, TM245P, reflow oven IN6, IN12, IN12C, Solder paste printer FP2636, PM3040.

③ Successful 10000+ customers across the globe.

④ 30+ Global Agents covered in Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and Africa.

⑤ R&D Center: 3 R&D departments with 25+ professional R&D engineers.

⑥ Listed with CE and got 50+ patents.

⑦ 30+ quality control and technical support engineers, 15+ senior international sales, timely customer responding within 8 hours, professional solutions providing within 24 hours.