ATA (Advanced Test and Automation INC.)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the strategic sourcing coordinator for a company that specializes in the design of medical devices. We have a soup to nuts solution for anybody that wants to design or manufacture a medical device, all the way through to a completed prototype.

I’m responsible for sourcing sub-suppliers that help us process the products, as well as the raw components and parts needed to make the devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ATA?

We engaged ATA to help us design and manufacture the prototypes for our ventilator program.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were responsible for two components of the ventilator program. One was the pneumatics module, which is a specific piece that goes into the ventilator. The second piece was the testing protocols for the product and its design.  

Over a month-long period, they helped us rapidly process both parts of the program. We’re now working through engineering builds with them as we start to get into the released ventilator program.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with Michael (Product Management & Strategic Marketing) who served as our project manager and business development coordinator. We were also in touch with Anthony (President & CEO).

How did you come to work with ATA?

We reached out through a wide range of contacts. Through that process, we found ATA, whose expertise lies in pneumatics.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project officially kicked off in April 2020 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The process of designing a medical device and bringing it to market typically takes us three years. ATA gave us a solution within just three months.

They’ve been successful in both components of the project: the pneumatics side and the test engineering side. For the latter, they completed the contract on time and on budget and continue to support us. For the pneumatics, they’re just starting to finish up the initial piece of the contract. They’ve done exceptionally well in a very short amount of time.

How did ATA perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams worked together excellently. I think our corporate cultures are very similar. There haven’t been any time constraints on their side, and they’ve excelled in putting together the resources required to get the job done. We used Microsoft Teams to collaborate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very strong in producing an end-of-line tester for the ventilator, despite having very little information to go off of. It was astonishing how they worked in lockstep with our designers just as the latter was designing the product. They were able to go through those design iterations and understand the push and pull within the program.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The modes of operation between design and manufacture are different, so companies often run into challenges when transitioning into the manufacturing stage.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

ATA responds very well to project-based work, where the objective is clear. Clarify your scope, timeline, and budget, and they’ll be very good at responding to milestones within that plan.