SigmaPoint Technologies unleashes re-brand strategy

The main focus behind the rebranding strategy of electronic manufacturing services (EMS) provider Sigmapoint Technologies Inc. is pretty simple – advance new product introduction (NPI) and speed-up the prototyping process for its customers. The Cornwall Ontario-based EMS player is fully supporting its efforts with a revamped website, along with beefed up social media and business development strategies, according to Sylvain Duval, director of customer experience, SigmaPoint. 

The firm’s key objective will be to help start-up designers and OEMs successfully introduce new product to market faster, while helping them manage volume production runs more locally. There are many reasons for North American OEMS and startups to reevaluate off-shoring and consider re-shoring, notes Duval.

“Our customers are increasingly recognizing that costs, risks and strategic impacts previously ignored are large enough to overcome the shrinking low cost off-shore wage advantages. They are seeing the benefits of proximity, such as producing in the market as an example,” Duval says.

Similar pricing as low-cost countries

Duval says SigmaPoint’s objective will be to help its customers identify the top reasons that enable them to reshore in Cornwall, situated approx. 400km east of Toronto and 100km west of Montreal. Duval points to a number of attributes associated with SigmaPoint’s lean enterprise methodology and increased flexibility that will result in similar pricing as low-cost countries.

• Improved lead time
• Higher product quality and consistency
• Wages
• Skilled workforce
• Lower freight costs
• Lower inventory levels, better turns
• Better responsiveness to changing customer demands
• Better responsiveness to change management
• Minimal intellectual property and regulatory compliance risks
• Improved innovation and product differentiation
• Local tax incentives (Duty or others)
• Currency exchange

SigmaPoint has a diversified and balance customer base operating in various market segments, including telecom, industrial, imaging, medical, wireless, industrial, defense\military, audio/video broadband and automotive. Employing 315 personnel at its 84,000-square-foot lean facility, SigmaPoint serves the Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa and Toronto market, while focusing on developing channels in Western Canada, as well as in the USA (New England region).

Reinforcing its position as the rightful landing spot for electronic OEMs seeking to re-shore within Canada or simply launch their design, SigmaPoint recently invested in some new capital equipment, including:

• Dedicated NPI Line SMT mirror image of our volume manufacturing line;
• Universal Fuzion high capacity chip shooter to accomodate tape & reel, bulk, tube or tray packaging.

“We help our customer to identify the top reasons that enables them to reshore in Cornwall. Our new business case demonstrates our operational excellence and lean enterprise methodology that will result in similar pricing as low-cost countries and increased flexibility for them,” Duval adds.

Advanced lean manufacturing principals

SigmaPoint now has several examples of customers who were planning to off-shore their high-volume production demands, until becoming aware of the EMS provider’s revised operation plans including advanced lean manufacturing principals, designed to remove waste from processes and creating a labour cost structure suitable for reshoring in Ontario.

Sylvain Duval, director of customer experience, SigmaPoint

Ensuring its position with leading edge design development, SigmaPoint will occupy a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Catalyst137, a brand-new hub in Waterloo that will bring together everything an Internet of Things (IoT) company needs to accelerate its time-to-market. Slated to open Jan. 2018, Catalyst137 represents a 475,000 sq ft warehouse that will become home to the Waterloo-area high tech maker community and will provide centralized funding, consulting, engineering and other services, to be consolidated under one massive roof.

SigmaPoint will be the sole EMS provider within the facility for prototyping services helping clients in their early stage of research and development.

“This opportunity allows us to reach startup and OEMs alike when they are at the Prototype and new product introduction level,” says Duval. “We want to help them meet their aggressive goal of time to market, while keeping in mind the ability to quickly and cost effectively go to volume production right here in Canada.”

SigmaPoint will have a complete SMT line on site in order to manufacture PCBA assembly in quick turnaround time as needed by the market. Lead time could go from three to 10 days depending on customer needs and product complexity. Furthermore, a dedicated team of NPI experts will accompany its customers for supply chain, component and product\test engineering and project management.

“We will have the ability to provide design for velocity (DFV) feedback and post mortem reports for immediate product improvements,” says Steve Blouin, P.Eng., vice-president of engineering services. Blouin describes DFV as being the sum of all the manufacturing design expertise like design for manufacturing (DFM), design for test (DFT) and design for supply chain (DFS), with the single goal to maximize product margin apex for the customer as soon as possible in the product life cycle.

Steve Blouin, P.Eng., vice-president of engineering services, SigmaPoint

“Our supply chain analytic capabilities via Kanaxis RapidResponse and our operational lean manufacturing culture will prepare our customer for what to expect when they are ready to go to volume production.”

Duval is confident that partnering with Catalyst137 will help bring hardware development to the forefront of his customer’s design cycle – making SigmaPoint well positioned in the high tech community in the GTA\Waterloo corridor.