Please wait while the search results are loading...

Hi-Tech Manufacturing Collaboration Spans the Globe, Business and Industry Trends Analysis

Outsourcing has truly globalized the manufacturing of a wide spectrum of items, from laptop computers to jumbo jets.  As varying countries hone their expertise and cut costs, it has become commonplace for parts of high-tech machines to be manufactured thousands of miles apart and then shipped to a central location for assembly.

Take, for example, the manufacturing of laptop computers.  Taiwanese computer manufacturer Quanta Computer, Inc. is one of the largest builders of laptops because of its system of collecting parts from many nations and assembling them at low cost in Taiwan.  There are certain countries that specialize in certain components.  Need a hard disk drive?  Look to Japan, China, Singapore and the U.S.  Memory chips?  Try South Korea, Taiwan, Japan or China. 

The trend is even more vividly illustrated by the manufacturing process for Boeing’s new 787 aircraft.  The much anticipated jet made its first (and long delayed) deliveries in early 2012 and has made headlines for its revolutionary design that boosts fuel efficiency.  Obviously, constructing an airplane is far more complex than putting together a laptop computer, and Boeing hired a logistics company to design a system for tracking parts as they are manufactured around the world and then getting them to Boeing’s facilities in Washington State for assembly.  Each part is tagged with a radio frequency ID (RFID) chip to facilitate the process.

Japanese firms are also supplying wings for the planes, which must be shipped in a modified 747 cargo jet.  The nose cone is made by a firm in Wichita, Kansas.  Passenger doors are manufactured by the French firm Latecoere, and engines are coming from GE in the U.S. and Rolls-Royce in the U.K.  Cargo and access doors are supplied by Saab in Sweden.  Movable trailing edges for the wings are shipped from Hawker de Havilland in Australia.  Outsourcing on this scale and complexity is both unusual and challenging.  Many problems, such as shortages of needed parts, and repeated delays have occurred during the process.  For example, Boeing eventually purchased a Vought Aircraft plant in South Carolina that is responsible for the manufacture of vital fuselage components for the 787 in order to bring the plant under Boeing’s direct control.

 

 


A Representative List of Organizations that Have Used our Research and Products:

Testimonials

I’m amazed at how much information is available and the various ways to access it. This will be a major resource for our serious job seekers.

Career Services, Penn State University

Plunkett Research Online provides a great ‘one stop shop’ for us to quickly come up to speed on major industries. It provides us with an overall analysis of the market, key statistics, and overviews of the major players in the industry in an online service that is fast, easy to navigate, and reliable.

Wendy Stotts, Manager, Carlson Companies

I really appreciate the depth you were able to get to so quickly (for our project). The team has looked through the material and are very happy with the data you pulled together.

Hilton Worldwide, Marketing Manager

We are especially trying to push Plunkett since all of our students have to do so much industry research and your interface is so easy to use.

Library Services, St. John’s College

We are especially trying to push Plunkett’s since all of our students have to do so much industry research and your interface is so easy to use.

Gary White, Business Materials Selector, Penn State University

Your tool is very comprehensive and immensely useful. The vertical marketing tool is very helpful, for it assists us in that venue, as well as targeting customers’ competition for new sales…The comprehensive material is absolutely fabulous. I am very impressed, I have to say!

Tammy Dalton, National Account Manager, MCI

The more I get into the database, the happier I am that we’ll have it–REALLY happy!!! Between the quality and affordability of your product, its appeal to and value for our users, and the inestimably ethical and loyalty-guaranteeing conduct of your business, I will always have more than sufficient praises to sing for Plunkett Research.

Michael Oppenheim, Collections & Reference Services, UCLA

Plunkett Research Online is an excellent resource…the database contains a wealth of useful data on sectors and companies, which is easy to search and well presented. Help and advice on how to conduct, export and save searches is available at all stages.

Penny Crossland, Editor, VIP Magazine
Real Time Web Analytics