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16 EMS Guide 2022 www markttechnik de Strategien Trends Plexus supports many manufacturers from the Healthcare Life Sciences sector in the DACH market Do you see changes in development and manufacturing here? Alexander Spiegel Ahighly regulated industry like Healthcare Life Sciences is not changing as fast as other industries But COVID-19 showed us what the new normal can look like – especially when it comes to development speed and time to market During the pandemic programs that typically ramped over several months had to be done within a few weeks To give further context during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic we were challenged to expedite the build of portable ventilators for hospital settings Our team completed the first build in only ten days after receiving the bill of materials So the pace has definitely picked up At the same time costs have risen not least due to stricter EU regulations such as IVDR In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation There is now an even higher importance to do it right the first time and simultaneously tackle product and process development How can the massive bottlenecks in the supply chain be actively managed? Alexander Ithink that is the question of the moment And it‘s not just about the lack of components The crisis is also spreading to the transport and logistics industry Prices for raw material and freight are rising and the labor shortage in transportation and at container ports lead to slow deliveries There are different strategies to manage these bottlenecks depending on industry and compliance needs The more complex the product the longer the development phase and the harder it is to find compatible spare parts or alternative suppliers At Plexus the first thing we do for our customers is to conduct an impact analysis This shows us exactly which components and products are affected Then together we can decide on the next steps Are dropin replacements available that guarantee compatibility? Or are product modifications or even a redesign necessary? As timeconsuming and costintensive as a redesign may be for many it is currently the last resort But be careful What is available today may cause delivery problems tomorrow When selecting new components we therefore pay attention to longterm availability and look out for hidden costs along the supply chain Speaking of costs In view of the gas stop from Russia the German government has urged the industry to save energy To what extent is Plexus as a manufacturer affected by this? Svenja Plexus has 18 manufacturing sites worldwide including the European production plants in the UK and Romania All facilities follow the corporate guidelines of Plexus‘ Environmental Social and Corporate Governance ESG program and actively implement measures regarding environmental protection and sustainability Just one example At our Kelso manufacturing facility in Scotland a sustainability initiative enabled us to increase plant energy efficiency by 40% and reduce electricity consumption by 20% by optimizing workflows and manufacturing processes The power supply there is also fed 100% from renewable energies For example utilizing a submetering solution the team analyzes energy consumption in detail and identifies energyinefficient processes within the heating ventilation and air conditioning HVAC system Of course like everyone in the market we are feeling the rising prices and the need to reduce energy However Plexus is already well positioned here Sustainability As an EMS service provider are you feeling the green manufacturing trend? Svenja Yes that’s a trend we see Not only in terms of the ambitious environmental legislation of the EU but also because awareness around energy consumption resource conservation fair working conditions conflictfree raw materials and ewaste is rising in the electronics industry in general Manufacturers who fail to position themselves in this area will need to explain themselves to customers as well as team members in the long term The younger generation of engineers and future decision makers see sustainability as a part of their intentional mode of operation And don’t forget that sustainability also offers an enormous economic potential Compliance MDR IVDR AI Act and Supply Chain Act – How can Plexus help with these current and upcoming EU directives? Alexander Ultimately being compliant is the responsibility of the distributor So there is not much leeway regarding outsourcing the task to someone else However in the runup to certification Plexus can help manufacturers save a lot of time money and anxiety Take MDR medical device regulation and IVDR for example As an EMS service provider we have many years of experience in the MedTech and Life Sciences sector and can support our customers in preparing the technical documentation and identifying missing or incomplete compliance via gap analysis That’s how we can determine early on which devices are not compliant If a redesign becomes necessary we also can implement these changes in the most costeffective way possible We know and review our global supply chains continuously and rigidly And because of our industrywide customer base we are experienced in implementing new technologies over many different solutions When it comes to regulatory requirements this mix of engineering supply chain and compliance expertise is invaluable The questions were asked by Karin Zühlke Dr Svenja Müller Plexus Design Center „ We know and review our global supply chains continuously and rigidly And because of our industrywide customer base we are experienced in implementing new technologies over many different solutions “ Alexander Spiegel Plexus „ All our facilities follow the corporate guidelines of Plexus‘ Environmental Social and Corporate Governance ESG program and actively implement measures regarding environmental protection and sustainability “