Solectron Scotland, a provider of electronics manufacturing and design services to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) is reaping the benefits of having integrated the Supply Chain Performance Improvement (SCPI) programme offered through Scottish Enterprise with their existing “Lean” journey. The SCPI is helping Solectron to extend its Lean principles throughout their internal supply chain and to its entire customer and supplier base.

Background
At the core of Solectron’s corporate strategy is the Solectron Production System (SPS), a Lean and six sigma combination patterned after the famed Toyota Production System pioneered by the Japanese automotive company. The success achieved through the dedicated effort of introducing the SPS throughout Solectron is becoming more apparent in its road to returning revenues and profitability after suffering through the industry downturn around 2001.

Key Challenges
Solectron needed the focused approach delivered through the SCPI and saw huge value in the SCOR® model as key enabler. The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR® model (the heart of the SCPI) developed through the efforts of the Supply Chain Council offered a similar framework for a supply chain transformation that the Toyota Production System offers to “Lean”. Cumming added, “Toyota has been improving its supply chain for 30 years, but we don’t have that time. We had to find a model, so we chose SCOR®.”

Conclusion
SE Counsellor Kent commented, “Using the SCPI programme and the SCOR®. model as enablers, Solectron is implementing the very same Lean concepts into its Plan, Source, and Deliver functions to complement the success already achieved in Make. This will undoubtedly yield a very competitive supply chain optimisation and delight the customers who have chosen Solectron as their partner.”