One end-product usually requires the involvement of numerous parties such as plastic molding, electronic components, assembly, packaging, etc.
At EW, we’ve been involved in the manufacturing process of a high-end car camera for the last two years. After the validation of prototypes, casing, PCBs, sensors, packaging, etc. we are now at the final step before mass production. This particular project requires the involvement of 7 suppliers, and smooth coordination between all parties is crucial to be able to enter production without any hindrance.
Before mass-producing in big quantities, dress rehearsals allow us to do a trial on a batch of a few hundred products to observe if the whole supply chain is working smoothly from start to end. This method aims to evaluate the good coordination and communication between all suppliers and if any problems arise to address them before mass production.
We have to ensure that every step is ready and that everyone involved knows what role to play. Dress rehearsals are simulations of the entire production line, and let us check that the transfers between suppliers are organized and that everything is controlled and inspected before getting onto the next step.
When doing dress rehearsals on a small quantity, we know the time it takes to produce on a small scale and are thus able to calculate an estimation of the time it’ll take to produce in a much bigger amount. In case of any issues during production, or if we deemed that a step’s duration is too lengthy, we can then readjust and optimize in order to save time and money in the future.
Dress rehearsals are not compulsory, but at EW we think of it as a necessity, it serves us as a warranty that everything is ready to go and that we finalized every last detail before the final stage. Notably, for significant projects that require multiple parties, and after years of working on it, taking some additional time to prevent any future problems, is for us the best course of action.