SEACOMP

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager on the notarization team. We’re a manufacturing and consumer home products company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MH Manufacturing?

We were developing a new rechargeable battery option to power our window shades.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with MH Manufacturing throughout the project, creating safety standards and sourcing the right materials and components to achieve our safety and performance goals. They worked from the specifications to the component procurement, walking us through the entire process.

MH Manufacturing helped with a couple of things about the design, but we initially gave them the set design we’d outsourced. Then, they worked on it to make it manufacturable. Now, they’re the sole manufacturer of our rechargeable battery.

What is the team composition?

We regularly met with 3–4 people from their office in San Diego. However, I’m not sure how many people from their Hong Kong team worked on it. They’re in charge of materials and logistics, and their factory makes the product.

How did you come to work with MH Manufacturing?

The agreement was already formed when I came in, so I’m not 100% sure how the relationship started.

How much have you invested with them?

Including tooling and engineering costs, we’ve spent $250,000–$500,000 throughout the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working in July 2019, but they began working with the company in January 2019. Our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

This product is the most popular battery-powered product that we currently sell. We charge more for it, and our customers pay it, proving how valuable it is. Moreover, we don’t have any customer complaints — if we receive calls, it’s typically related to something else besides the battery.

In summary, the product performs exceptionally well, and it has driven tens of millions of additional revenue. It’s a highly successful product from both revenue and customer satisfaction standpoints.

How did MH Manufacturing perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was excellent. Their communication and responses were quick, and they helped us with our project and deliverables. We used Smartsheet, but it wasn’t too formal. Overall, we communicated via email and virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great at maintaining a relationship and being open about their processes and costs. Overall, they work really hard to ensure that we don’t run out of stock. Everyone has been experiencing shortages in the global supply chain due to the pandemic, but MH Manufacturing has done an incredible job ensuring that all our components are sourced and our purchase orders are fulfilled.

Also, they’ve exceeded our expectations despite our best forecasting efforts, and the team has taken the initiative to build additional tools to ensure the manufacturing won’t get bottlenecked. Therefore, not only are they procuring the necessary materials to keep inventory flowing, but they’re also building tools to make sure they can keep up with the demand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From the engineering side, we ran into some snags with our safety standards during development. We hit a couple of delays because some certifications didn’t pass initially. We leaned on them to help us with their product knowledge, but we had to pivot to achieve those safety standards, which delayed the project and caused stress near our launch date.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They won’t be the cheapest option out there, so go in with that expectation. However, you’ll have excellent communication lines, and MH Manufacturing’s team will work extremely hard to keep the product in stock, which is pretty invaluable nowadays.

Also, the project might take a bit of effort, but the final product is exceptional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're an IT company that provides security hardware and software for construction sites. I’m the hardware manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MH Manufacturing?

We needed help with generating data. We started off with just sourcing displays from MH, but we decided to build out from that existing relationship.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We ran a number of projects with MH. The first one involved them taking over the full production of a finished product. From there, their team helped us with formal development, doing the mechanical design, sourcing, production, and testing. We relied on them for our entire production chain, with a focus on the mechanical department.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with the same 20 people over the years, most of whom we’ve been personally in touch with.

How did you come to work with MH Manufacturing?

We chose to further our relationship with MH because we saw that they could help us with the complete production process. We had worked with a lot of companies that only did design and development, and we needed someone like them. We also liked that they were based in Asia but had managers in Europe, the US, and Hong Kong. That mix was really valuable.

We went out to Hong Kong, had meetings with them, and asked for quotes. Their estimates fit well with our finances, so we just took off from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $7 million–$10 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in November 2013 and it's still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since switching to MH, the quality of our technology has gone up a lot. From the thousands of units they have produced for us, there have only been a handful that were returned, and even those were only for simple issues. 

How did MH Manufacturing perform from a project management standpoint?

I keep track with their product managers, one of whom is based in London while the other is in Asia. Our system works well because we can talk to someone who is close to the actual production process. We can also interface with another who knows the finances personally.

They always make sure that we have a fixed point of contact, and that's good. We typically communicate by email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven't found any other company that makes us feel as special as MH does. Their CEO personally calls us just to make sure everything is fine. 

The commitment they have to me as the customer is fantastic. We can always have a very transparent discussion about things. What I value most is the trust that we have in each other.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is not a big issue but as they've been growing a lot, we’ve noticed that they’ve become saturated with all of the new products that are flowing into them. Because of that, they can be a little bit busy from time to time. In a way, I'm happy that their business is doing well, even though I’m no longer getting most of the attention as their lone customer. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep them involved in the process as early as possible. Whatever product you have, they can bring so much valuable input into. Even if you don’t hire them for their design services, they can give ideas on what components to use to make sure things are testable at the end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former senior offering manager of Vertiv. They manufacture power and cooling products for data centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MH Manufacturing?

We had a non-standardized company approach to our LCD screens and wanted to build a common platform. The platform would allow people to take their products and standardize them on very specific screen sizes and electronic packages.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were very involved in developing the electronics, housings, and packaging of the products. I provided recommendations of the screen sizes to go with, then they designed the rest of the system that’s required to make it work.

What is the team composition?

We were working with approximately five individuals including a project manager and 2–3 engineers.

How did you come to work with MH Manufacturing?

I was searching for a vendor to make a video control board that was more universal online. I talked to a friend who had purchased small screens from them. He had a good experience and referred their team to me. Due to their good reputation and ability to demonstrate technical competence quickly, we moved forward with the relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from January 2015–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The deliverables they made were great and met our specifications.

How did MH Manufacturing perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very accommodating. If we had a technical change, we’d send them updated documentation, they’d review it, and then let us know the impact on both cost and schedule. Next, we’d choose to move forward with the change or not. Their team was very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I enjoyed the people who work there. They’re a fun team to work with and very competent. They work quickly as compared to some other engineering firms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your core design requirements are satisfied before you get into any accessories or add-ons. Try not to do so much so fast, try to do just one project at a time so you can proof-out everything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager working for a worldwide electronic components distributor. My main job is taking care of the displays, especially the monochrome LCDs. I take care of the prices, the various technologies, the new promotion and marketing actions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MH Manufacturing?

The challenge was to have a long-term partner for LCDs and a reliable supplier with an acceptable level of quality. We’re working with a family of products but we are not working on all of our products with their company. What we’re focusing on mainly are the monochrome LCD displays. We are promoting these worldwide and our main market is in Europe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work mainly with the standard products on the shelf, which they have designed and produced. They also have a good website where you can find the specifications and download them anytime. There’s not a problem getting this kind of information because it’s available on the website. The products are quite standard and rigid. We’re not a company that’s very flexible to adaptions. In other words, we’re dealing with the parts they offer and they sell. Our customers have been buying these for a couple of years.

What is the team composition?

I mainly communicate with 2–3 people from Displaytech. We have a main contact located in Germany who joined Dispaytech last year. We used to have another contact located in Germany but he’s originally from the U.S. now located in the UK. We also have a contact window in China who is responsible for the customer service in terms of logistics and shipments, he’s very reliable and it’s good working with him. In a few cases, we also work with another person who is in charge of the technical issues and is located in Hong Kong, he’s been pretty quick and reliable in his answers so far.

How did you come to work with MH Manufacturing?

It happened before I joined the company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started to work together before 2010 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The turnover is not increasing because we’re not putting our biggest focus on that product. This is a self-going product. We have customers who are ordering them on a regular basis but there are no changes in the portfolio of our supplier or any new add-ons or any new technical development where we can say this is a new thing to promote. Basically, we have a bunch of LCDs and we’re selling them and making our turnover with them. They’re not the only suppliers we’re working with either. They are one of our suppliers for a specific family of LCDs.

The impact is positive because the quality is good. If you have a customer who is buying this product for 7-8 years and facing maybe 1-2 quality issues over those years, this is a very nice result. None of our customers are approaching us and telling us they want a replacement because of bad quality. This is a very positive aspect of the products.

How did MH Manufacturing perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication is okay in Germany. The contact is quite quick and the quality of the communication is not so good because he’s a very nice guy and doesn’t have any kind of technical LCD background. The more you know about the product and the factory, the better you can serve the customer. In my opinion, he didn’t have the chance to see the factory, to get deeply involved in the technology of the business. You don’t need to be an expert but you at least need to have basic background information about how a display is working. He should work on developing more knowledge about the product itself.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They don’t change. We know what we get. Dealing with them has been stable in terms of the product. In the sense of people and our contacts, it’s been quite tough. The communication used to be very good and quick in the past. Now, it will disappear for a while and then come back again like a submarine; go up, go down, go up, go down, which makes our life harder as a distributor because we need information. We need to give information to our customers who are waiting. On the product level, the situation is good and stable. The products have been working well since we started the cooperation with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication can be improved. They can also improve their basic information on the technical level; for example, the product change notification (PCN). They’re not an expert in that field. When I joined the business and started to work with them as a product manager, they did a really big product change notification but it was not communicated to us. We are the interface between a manufacturer and a customer/several customers. We are their visit card in front of the customer. We’re promoting the product, etc. When the manufacturer changes something like material or cables and they don’t inform us and the end customer finds out, that will drive the customers crazy. This is one point that they didn’t manage in a very nice way. I don’t know why they did that but it was a big disaster from our point of view as a distributor. We even had some customers go to court and try to sue us for some unexpected change in the products due to the display. When you have a display as a human machine interface (HMI) and you have your housing—the device of a couple of thousand dollars—and the display doesn’t fit in the housing because of a material change by the manufacturer, then the customer gets angry and asks us why we don’t inform them. The manufacturer needs to communicate this kind of information on a professional level and in advance. Thankfully it only happened once three years ago but that’s more than enough. We had to inform 80 customers and 20 of them started to shout. It was a lesson learned for everyone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I have a good feeling when I promote parts to a company because I know the parts usually don’t change for a long time. They keep the same quality for a while. The only concern I have is the price level of the products because they have high quality but they also have a higher price level. Sometimes the customer likes the product but they don’t like the price. They then start asking me for an alternative.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business unit manager for Glyn GmbH & Co.KG. I handle everything that has to do with displays and better solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MH Manufacturing?

We needed a supplier with display technology to help find solutions for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provide them with the requirements for our customers. They do custom designs to find the best solution. We buy the product from them, and sell it to our customers.

What is the team composition?

There is a main contact we interact with currently.

How did you come to work with MH Manufacturing?

I knew the founder of the company, as well as the person who took over the company at a later time.

How much have you invested with them?

The projects vary each year from $300,000 – $2 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around January 1996, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our collaboration with them was the starting point for the type of business we do now. They were one of our first suppliers for display tech and customized solutions. Customized projects have increased over the years, too. 

How did MH Manufacturing perform from a project management standpoint?

Since the current contact took over, communication has greatly improved between our teams. We use email and phone and have plans to meet via Microsoft Teams.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to be more active, contacting us with new products and technologies so we know what they have that meets our customers’ needs. They’ve not done much to keep in contact over the past few years.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hold them accountable, and ensure all communication is done professionally, and in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at X-Rite. We make color management instrumentation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MH Manufacturing?

We were looking for a lower-cost display supplier.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Currently, MH Manufacturing is making touch and non-touch LCD displays for us. We developed them together. On our side, we had the general requirements we needed for the design, and we found they had a product family that was within the scope of meeting our spec. Together, we worked to narrow that spec down as far as the software that we needed to be able to function. Once we were successful in testing and qualifying, it became a living part for us.

What is the team composition?

I typically work with just Jimmy (Senior Account Manager). He has a larger team behind him, but he helps support us on both the sales side and in the technical conversations. 

How did you come to work with MH Manufacturing?

MH Manufacturing was recommended to us by another company we work with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

From a cost reduction perspective, partnering with MH Manufacturing helped our margins and helped us lower our unit costs for our customers, which is always a benefit. 

From a quality standpoint, I can’t say enough about their deliverables. Their work is outstanding and always on time, which is what we require of a supplier.

How did MH Manufacturing perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re totally satisfied by their project management. They’re always timely in their responses, and they’re quick to support us or help answer questions or concerns we might have as we go through the process. Typically, we stay in touch over the phone with teleconferences, though we rely more on email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

MH Manufacturing are subject matter experts in their industry. When they offer us multiple options, they’re able to talk through each of them from a very informed standpoint, which allows us to make better decisions. As a result, we’ve gone in knowing we’re developing something that’s going to be stable and last in the market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s not so much that they need to improve, but an addition to their services could be more communication as far as market trends and their other areas of expertise, which we could lean on if we needed to. I have no reservations that they would support that type of conversation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In your engagement, make sure you’re leaving enough lead time to allow for iterations while making your design functional. It’s nothing against MH Manufacturing, it’s just the nature of the work.