Supply

Q1. How has Solectron’s value to its customers evolved over time?

Solectron Technology Incorporated is an Electronics Manufacturing contractor. With the benefits of rapid growth in business in the 20 century, Solectron grew rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s, becoming the dominant company in the industry by the mid-1990s. Apart from that, Solectron was constantly looking for ways to provide more services to cater for different background of customers and reduce both lead time and reverse logistic items waste through various activities, including but not limit to technical improvements, training, new business models and merger and acquisition.

Solectron was committed to establishing long-term partnerships with customers by demonstrating consistent quality, responsiveness, continuous improvement, and technology leadership. In doing so, Solectron developed a new way of managing their customer base, through am evolving concept known as supply chain management.

In addition, in order to increase its competitive advantages which distinguish from other competitors, Solectron’s value to its customers has evolved drastically from a player in the Electronics Manufacturing Service industry to a Supply Chain integrator for major firms like IBM, HP, Sony, Ericsson, Cisco etc. Solectron actually achieved this objective and done outstandingly on excellent quality level and customer satisfaction as the company won a numerous awards, for example, the renowned prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1991 and 1997. They indeed reflected the high level of performance achieved within this company.

At first, Solectron manufactured a wide range of products for its customers in many business segments like Networking, Telecommunications, Computers, Computer peripherals, avionics, consumer electronics, GPS etc.

As Solectron grew, it expanded its services so much so that by the end of 90s it had three strategic business units:

1. Technology Solutions, which provided...