Apply Lean Product Development in Consumer Electronics Connector use Company T as an Example

消費型電子產業市場商機龐大，從2000年開始的筆記型電腦，直到2008年的平板電腦，一直到現在的平價手機，動輒百萬台以上的銷售量，讓己經上櫃上市或期待IPO的公司為之瘋狂，市場需求量大，出貨量也高，但同時隨之而來的是，需要非常快速的反應與及時的量產能力，企業在這樣高度競爭的市場下，相對需要的是非常快速的專案開發與研發速度。在產品壽命週期短，高風險及競爭者眾多的狀況，許多歐美大廠 , 例如Black Berry、DELL computer、甚至台灣的大型OEM電子品牌大廠都受到來自低成本國家，例如中國大陸的強大壓力及挑戰，然而在技術門檻相對較低的消費性電子連接器產業，這樣的情況又更加嚴重。 20年前在台灣剛開始主導全球主機板市場的年代，會做連接器的廠商不多，外資連接器商擁有相當好的利潤。15年前鴻海開始大舉攻進以外商為主的CPU socket連接器市場，讓外資連接器商開始有不小的壓力，時至今日，連接器技術愈來愈不是高科技，而成本更低的陸資連接器廠商也開始入場搶市，讓原本在供應鏈中獲利就不高的連接器外資及台資廠壓力更為沉重。 由此，如何讓生產連接器的公司能更有效的選擇及管理產品開發專案，節省開發成本，提高資源運用效率，對於即有的連接器廠就是愈來愈重要的課題。本研究以一家製造連接器超過五十年以上的外資連接器企業為例，將其如何從原有的產品開發流程導入精實產品開發，及導入後對企業財務及業務的指標影響與變化。而研究結果証明，在導入精實產品開發後，企業的業務指標的確有相當大的進步，且人力成本也隨之下降，如果能再經由改善後的成果加強與精進，將更能使企業在惡劣的環境下繼續獲利。Consumer electronics industry is a huge market. Since 2000’s Laptop to 2008’s tablet until the cheap smart phone now, the huge market share is the target for all the company in this industry. However the big market share also brings strong competition. Which need fast feedback and real time ramp up. When the company faces to this kind of higher competition, it need fast product development speed and R&D efficiency. During this situation, a lot of major company face to the threat from the low cost country like Black Berry, DELL computer even the OEM maker from Taiwan, such as Inventec, Wistorn. Moreover the industry like consumer connector is face to more serious saturation due to the lower technology skill request. 20 years before Taiwan is leading the PC motherboard market, during that time there are not so many companies could make the connector. Therefore the margin is good for the word leading connector Company like FCI, AMP and Molex. However since 15 years before, Foxconn join the high level CPU socket market and make the pressure for those companies. Now, the connector technology skill are not special anymore and more low cost company start to share this market, make the foreign connector company and Taiwan maker more pressure. Therefore to choose a good project and management the product development project to save the development cost and willing management the resource become important for all connector maker. This research are use a connector leading company which make the connector more then 50 years, apply lean product development to show how it apply to the process and the KPI change after it apply. It proof after apply lean product development the KPI was improved. If the company could base on this good result and keep improving, survive in this serious maket will not a difficult thinkgs