Over 200 Americans now own a cell phone, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. With that said, not only has selling cell phones, cellular services and accessories become a lucrative business, but selling ringtones has become a money-making gold mine as well.
One might even say that a company selling ringtones has its own money tree.
For example, there is a huge value disparity when an entire song downloaded costs under $1 but yet a six-second ringtone costs more than double - from $2 to $3. Plus, most people who are purchasing ringtones more than likely already own the full-length song.
Why pay from something you already purchased? Some might reason that it’s out of convenience or time constraints and that’s okay, but for those of you reading this who want save a few dollars and take advantage of your MP3 collection - this article is for you.
What you will need:
- A way to upload files to your cell phone. There are many ways of doing this, including Bluetooth, infrared, USB, and the Internet.
- Software that will allow you to edit music. One of the best editors is Audacity and it’s free.
- Software for audio conversion. This is only if your phone will not allow MP3s as ringtones. Try DBPower AMP music converter.
- Software that will synchronize your PC and your cell phone. This is only for those of you connecting via a USB cable (Motorola users can purchase PhoneTools or download the free application, P2kman, off the Net).
Create and upload the ringtone:
- Start your audio editor, such as Audacity, and open up a particular MP3 you wish to use as your new ringtone. Select your favorite 10-15 second clip of the song by setting the in and out edit points. Save that clip as a new MP3 to be used as a ringtone.
- If you’re phone is Web enabled then send this MP3 to your phone. You can also use free services on the Web to do this by uploading the file and entering in your cell number.
- If you’re using a USB cable, connect your cell to your PC via a USB 2 cable; this is same type of cable that came with your digital cable. Sync the two using the appropriate software and upload your ringtone to your phone.
- If you’re using other means to send the ringtone to your cell, refer to your cell phone’s manual on uploading files.
After completing the above, the final task is simply to set the MP3 as your current ringtone on your phone and enjoy.
For more information on MP3 tips and tutorials on downloading, ripping, converting, and burning MP3s - check out http://www.theMP3plug.com
The cell phone is indispensable to our modern lives, but used in the wrong place at the wrong time it can be rude and offensive. Some municipalities have warnings posted in libraries, concert halls, and movie theatres; these are often known as cell free zones. Be courteous and observe these posted signs.
Remember, being considerate of those around you is a part of every day life. It doesn’t stop just because there is no posted sign about cell phone use. Let’s say you are at Starbuck’s when the phone rings. Ask yourself when your spouse or significant other calls if, for instance, the whole coffee shop needs to hear your conversation. As you think about the answer remember privacy is not a bad word. You can take this same conversation into your car where no one else can hear the conversation, or you can take it outside away from prying ears. This is the courteous thing to do. Besides, when we talk to our loved ones human emotions can come into play. Whether we realize it or not a raised voice often reflects our emotions. The more animated the conversation gets the more chance you risk of offending someone.
Pay attention to your surroundings. Taking care of your business needs on the phone is not a license to be rude. For example, what happens if you get an important call from an executive while you are in line to buy some pants at a department store? You want to take the call, right? If you can see the feet of the person next to you and they are in toe stepping range you are not in a private place. Also, be aware that if provoked those very feet could be a weapon.
Let’s say you take the call anyways. The stranger, who is also in line to buy a pair of pants, might think you have in effect stepped on their toes. All they wanted to do was purchase their pants, not witness a private conversation. By being oblivious you inadvertently put yourself at risk for a confrontation.
The grocery store is no exception. If you’re like most people you go to the grocery store only to forget an important item on your list. So you make a call and find out whether you are supposed to get some vegetable or staple. This needed piece of information you learn about in a 20 second conversation. Unfortunately, while you’re on the phone a few people glance over at you and give you a dirty look. You ignore their facial expressions as you hear about a loved one’s visit to the doctor. You just demonstrated rude behavior. It doesn’t matter if the information the other party is sharing is important. You still missed your P’s and Q’s. You offended someone by being on the phone. If you choose to ignore them you risk an altercation. There are increasing incidences of cell phone rage. You don’t know what a stranger is capable of doing. The smart thing to do is end the call and move away from the offensive party.
Next time you enter a store or a public place look around and figure out a good place to take a call. With a little thoughtful consideration towards others you can have proper cell phone etiquette and still take care of business on the phone when the need arises. Also, before going into a public place you might consider putting your phone on vibrator mode that way when a call comes in you’ll know about it without omitting electronic bells and whistles.
Copyright © Rene Tse, the founder and president of the website: Free cellular Phone Deals. Rene has been writing about cell phone editquette since buying her first cell phone back in the Jurassic age. Since then, Rene has written hundreds of articles
on which :
free cell phone and consumers guide to which
Learn more about what other mobile phone subscribers are saying about their cell phone service experience with the various wireless providers.
I grant permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with 2 live links, and the article is not changed in any way.
We have finally advanced to a time when technology can greatly improve graphics and printing. The technology we have at our
disposal now is so advanced we are able to produce inkjet printers capable of printing proofs so accurate they can actually represent the end product. This type of advanced technology has provided businesses with a major advantage over the competition in todays cut throat business world.
The printer industry has come a long way since the antiquated days of dot matrix printers. Even the early inkjet printers suffered from numerous problems such as clogging the print heads with dried ink when not in use and constant ink leaks. The amazing advances in inkjet technology has allowed many businesses to become far more self sufficient in terms of producing their own brochures and sales material.
For example, the new Epson Stylus Pro series printer uses chrome seven color ink advancement technology. With this product, users are still able to make use of the usual CMYK colors; however they also now have the option to utilize light cyan, light magenta, and gray. The addition of these three extra colors is anticipated to greatly enhance the overall picture quality the printer is capable of producing. The inkjet industry has come a long way indeed and now even home users can achieve more fantastic graphical output than they ever thought possible.
While the inkjet industry continues to evolve and develop a number of companies are making the decision to specialize in the inkjet industry. Xennia, an independent company, is just one of these companies. Since they moved to inkjet specialization, Xennia has built a solid reputation for their expertise in all aspects of the inkjet process. This company’s ability to keep up
with the constantly changing aspects of the inkjet industry is just one of the many reasons they have seen so much success. Regardless of whether the consumer is looking for information on ink, printheada or print media and platforms; Xennia is sure to have made ground breaking advancements. Xennia also offers classes to better enable individuals and corporations to fully understand the ever changing technology in the field of inkjet. Making use of the cutting edge technological services available at companies like Xennia is just one of the ways many corporations are finding to stay ahead of future competition.
The printing world is evolving right before our eyes. In 2003, the inkjet industry celebrated a ten year anniversary for the
introduction of dpi inkjet printers. Over the last decade, the inkjet industry has emerged to become a giant in the printing
industry. With the current rate of expansion who knows what tomorrow will bring? It will be interesting to watch the inkjet
story unfold.
This article was provided courtesy of Inkjet Printables.com. On the website you’ll find tons of useful information on inkjet accessories and tons of other inkjet consumables.
Cellular phone company list.
There are many large cellular phone companies that operate in the USA. Each cellular phone company provides various cellular phone services and offers a number of cellular phone plans. Many of these companies limit their presence to a select number of states. Services that each cellular phone company offers to the residents of the states where that company operates range from local cellular phone plans to national long distance plans. Prices and promotions vary from company to company. Most important US cellular phone companies include, but are not limited to AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Nextel, and others.
AT&T Wireless as a cellular phone company.
AT&T Wireless is a large cellular phone company with service almost all over the nation, including the state of Alaska. AT&T Wireless uses TDMA technology and is starting using GSM technology. It provides digital services as well as analog services in many areas. AT&T Wireless has a large client base and is offering many different cellular phone plans to its clients. It also has a big selection of phones produced by such cellular phone market leaders as Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, etc.
Cingular Wireless as a cellular phone company.
Cingular Wireless is a large cellular phone company that operates on the east and west coasts, but doesn’t offer any services in the Midwest. Cingular Wireless uses TDMA and GSM technologies. It also offers a big selection of cellular phone plans and cellular phones.
T-Mobile as a cellular phone company.
T-Mobile, formerly Voicestream, is a large cellular phone company offering cellular phone services in many areas. According to T-Mobile, they have coverage areas in over 80 countries. T-Mobile uses GSM technology. T-Mobile is a fast growing company that increases its share of the market over time. It successfully competes with other cellular phone companies by providing competitive prices for its large selection of cellular phone services.
Visit http://www.camera-cell-phones-2u.com
Blu ray is a next generation optical media format developed by the Blu ray disc association, a group of leading consumer electronics and technology companies such as Apple, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony, TDK to name, but a few.
The format was developed for high definition video, as well as storing large amounts of data. A single layer Blu ray disc can hold 25gb of data, which is the equivalent to over 2 hours of high definition television or more than 13 hours of standard definition television. There are also dual layer versions of Blu ray that can hold up to 50Gb of data.
While current optical media uses a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead. Despite the different type of lasers uses, Blu ray drives can be made backwards compatible.
The benefit of using a blue laser is that blue light has a shorter wavelength so that it can be focused on a smaller target area than a red light laser. This allows data to be packed in more densely allowing more space for data in the same sized physical space.
Blu ray is called Blu ray because it uses a blue light laser to write data onto the disc.
Blu ray is expected to replace VCRs and DVD players and recorders over the coming years because Blu ray offers so much more capacity. Although it will take time for Blu ray technology to be come wide spread because the cost of DVD drives and media is so much cheaper than Blu ray at this time.
Chuck Red runs several websites including http://blueraystore.co.uk and http://blueray-media.co.uk
In today’s multitasking computing world, it’s not unusual to see people constantly switching from window to window trying to transfer data form one program to the other. I myself have gotten fairly adept at the Alt-Tab window-switching hotkey sequence. It is as a result of this that the popularity of multi-monitor computer setups has increased dramatically. Studies have shown a significant increase in employee productivity when a multiple monitor setup is used. There is less mental stress, less time spent on switching programs, and less eye strain. So how can you get multiple monitors? You have several different options.
Your first and probably most common option for a desktop system is to buy a multi-port video card. These cards generally have a DVI and a VGA port, both of which can be hooked to any monitor with the use of adapters. These cards can either be PCI, PCI-Express, or AGP-compatible. Generally speaking, the drivers for multi-monitor support come with the card.
Another desktop option is to buy multiple video cards and put them in your system. As far as we can tell, this only works so long as the chipsets are the same and each card uses a different type of slot (i.e., an ATi PCI card and an ATi AGP card.) Conceivably you could use two two-port cards, giving you a total of four monitors. This is a good way to go if you want to go to the trouble of matching everything up.
These solutions are all well and good for the desktop user, you say, but what about my laptop? Well, don’t worry, there are options for notebooks as well. Probably your best option is to spring for the VTBook DVI/VGA Dual Display Video PCMCIA Card. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s the only card like it on the market. The VTBook gives you an additional DVI-out port on your computer, which can be plugged into a high-def display. If you crave even more monitor madness, you can buy a VTBook Dualhead Cable, which splits the out port, giving you yet another monitor. With this setup, you could have up to four monitors (your laptop screen, the laptop out port, and the two VTBook ports).
The last, and probably most expensive method to add multiple monitors to your laptop is to buy a PCMCIA to PCI card. Realistically, this $1000-plus item is for more specialty PCI cards that aren’t available in PCMCIA version, but if you have an amazing and absolutely necessary PCI or PCI Express video card that you want to use with your laptop, this is the solution for you. As far as I can tell, I have only found one such adapter, made by Magma.
I’m sure that somewhere there is some engineer dreaming up other ways to add multiple monitors to computers, but for now, these are the most common and most feasible options I know of. Now go to, and enjoy the greater productivity of multiple monitors.
Nathan Kartchner works in Product Development for Sewell Direct, an online retailer of hard-to-find computer connectivity products like the VTBook DVI/VGA Dual Display Video PCMCIA Card, the Magma PCMCIA to PCI cardbus, and the USB to Serial Adapter.
No Longer Will Life Behind Epson’s Closed Media Curtains Hide From An Epson Believer Ever Again.
How critical is it to decide on the proper inkjet paper used for my Epson printer and reap its total optimal performance?
Making the right inkjet printer paper choice can be quite an indecisive moment, yet an important one. The type of media you select will determine the overall print output quality performed.
Numerous amounts of Epson and non-Epson inkjet paper range widely between printer manufacturers and third party media companies. Some of these parties produce compatible or special coated paper to fit end users specified printing needs. The questions remains, which paper should I use when printing certain projects.
Did you know?
Epson optimizes their inkjet cartridges and paper in order to get its maximum printing potential. At the same time Epson media can be used with other printer manufacturers as well. The thing is, Epson will suggest to you themselves that it’s necessary and better to use genuine Epson paper which coincides with genuine Epson ink.
This will give you the highest output necessary based on the chemicals used both within the ink and on the surface of the paper. If you’re the rightful owner of an Epson printer you’ll know that Epson offers a money back guarantee stating their 8.5×11 media paper will work with all Epson inkjet printers.
Here is a list of some media types in which Epson is referring to;
•Epson glossy photo paper
•Epson premium bright white
•Epson double sided matte paper
•Epson photo quality inkjet paper
•Epson matte paper heavyweight
•Epson all purpose glossy paper
What kind of results will I get when using third party paper types?
The majority of third party media papers are designed to fit the specifications of Hewlett Packard inkjet printers. The reason being is because HP has such a broad printer line that most third party media manufacturers go after conquered printer markets.
Not to mention, Epson uses a completely different print technology which would result in what you would call sub-par conclusions from an Epson printer using third party Epson papers.
Third party inkjet cartridge papers are made to pair up with inkjet printers yet they are not optimized for targeted printing manufacturers such as Epson.
Don’t get me wrong, you will find good quality results with these paper types. If you want great print results, then you will have to take a step up and use Epson media paper to connect with Epson inkjet printers.
Hence, there are third party media companies who stick close to the outskirts of Epson and other parenting facilities like Ilford and Red River.
These two companies ultimately optimize their papers to meet Epson printing standards when conducting high resolution prints. You will find very good is not excellent end results. This is by chance an option for those who continue to save money of Epson paper media types.
Remember, Epson printers plus Epson ink plus Epson paper is the scientific Epson equation in order to provide you with the best Epson print quality.
It is important to know what paper will be used depending on the type of project you will most likely be printing. This is determined based on the chemicals contained inside the Epson ink cartridge.
For photos it’s highly suggested using high resolution photo quality paper to best results. If you plan on printing plain text and non-photo images then you need to consider saving the few extra cents and stick to multi-purpose paper. It will help you save on ink and paper.
In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on inkjet cartridges;
http://www.MyEpsonPaperMedia.com
Personal computers have become relatively inexpensive, at least as compared to what they used to cost. There are now many sources for inexpensive PCs. This article will provide you with information on sources for low-cost personal computers, computer peripherals, and accessories.
The average home computer user does not necessarily need the latest and greatest technology. Most simply need a PC with a relatively new Intel processor, or equivalent; a reasonable amount of memory - 256MB or more; a reasonable amount of disk space - 20GB or more; a CD, DVD or CDRW; and a modem and networking capability. It is only individuals with demanding needs such as intensive gaming, or video or image manipulation that really need more. Individuals who store large libraries of picture or graphics files, music files, or video files will require substantially more disk space.
Before shopping, you need to get a clear idea of what your PC needs are and in what timeframe you are going to need a new PC. If your need for a PC is immediate, then you must try to find the best deal from a local electronics retailer. In addition, if you need or must have the latest, most “cutting-edge” technology, you can expect to pay handsomely. While in either case you may be able to find a relatively good deal, you will have probably paid more than if you can wait five plus business days for shipping and give up a little on the technology curve.
For individuals who do not need a PC immediately, and who are not looking for the “latest and greatest” technology, there are many excellent sources for inexpensive PCs, peripherals, and computer accessories. In many cases, PCs can be found for under $400, and even under $300. Sources for low-cost PCs include:
- On-Line Retailers
- On-Line Refurbished Equipment and Outlet Stores
- On-Line Auctions
On-Line Retailers
There are many excellent on-line retailers such as TigerDirect (www.TigerDirect.com) and TechDepot (www.TechDepot.com) who can provide substantial savings on PCs, peripherals, and accessories. On-line retailers also typically have huge inventories including components, and consumer electronic items such as digital cameras, PDAs, and MP3 players. The lowest cost PCs may be factory close-outs (PCs being replaced by more current technology) or reconditioned/refurbished (good as new, but not new). They will work fine and be more than adequate for most average home-computing needs.
On-Line Refurbished Equipment and Outlet Stores
Many computer vendors and retailers also have factory outlet stores and/or refurbished equipment outlets. Again, although not the latest technology, or even brand new, these PCs will meet most computing needs and will be much less expensive. Refurbished equipment/outlet retailers include:
- Amazon.com - Amazon.com has an “Outlet, Used & Refurbished” store that can be found under the “Computers” category. Here they offer both clearance items and refurbished items at substantial savings.
- Dell Outlet - Dell has an outlet store that offers savings on Dell desktop and laptop computers, as well as other Dell accessories and electronics, including monitors, printers, handhelds, and TVs. Select “Home & Office” on the main page of the Dell Site (www.Dell.com) and then scroll down to find “Dell Outlet”.
- Gateway Remanufactured Products - Gateway offers outlet prices on remanufactured Gateway desktops and laptops. Select “Remanufactured” on the Gateway site (www.gateway.com).
- HP Outlet Store - Hewlett-Packard offers outlet pricing on HP desktops, laptops/notebooks, monitors, printers, cameras, and televisions. Select “Outlet” on the main page of the HPShopping site (www.shopping.hp.com) to find their offering of products.
- IBM - IBM offers IBM Certified Used Equipment that has been refurbished and tested to IBM specifications. Offered items include desktop PCs, notebooks, printers, monitors, and parts and accessories. Enter “refurbished PC” into the search bar of the IBM site (www.IBM.com) to find what they have to offer.
- Iomega - The Iomega factory outlet offers excellent prices on Iomega removable disk drives, portable disk drives, internal and external disk drives, flash drives, DVD, and CDRW drives. Select “Outlet” off of the main page on the Iomega site (www.iomega.com).
- TechDepot - TechDepot offers both clearance items and refurbished items off of their site (www.TechDepot.com). Select either the “Clearance” or the “Refurbished” tabs on their home page to find what they have to offer.
On-Line Auctions
Perhaps requiring the most patience and persistence are the on-line auction sites. For those with the right temperament, good deals on PCs and related products can be found at eBay and at CompUSA Auctions.
Conclusion
With a little research, time, and persistence, you should be able to save a substantial amount of money on PCs and PC related items from any of the above named sources. While what you get may not be the latest technology, or new, it should meet the demands of all but the most advanced PC users.
Rob Pirozzi is a freelance writer who provides timely, quality professional writing of all types. He is also the publisher of the web site Low-Cost-Computing.com which provides information on low-cost computers and low-cost or free software for the average home or small business computer user.
It’s likely that anyone who owns a cell phone – and, probably, most of the people that don’t – are aware of the existence of ringtones, those various tunes available from your service provider or an independent company that allow your phone sound a little different from everyone else’s. The problem is, though, that with the frequent choice of the latest chart topping song as the ringtone for so many, it is often difficult to know whether that really is my phone ringing, or yours. Despite this, the popularity of ringtones continues unabated, and with an industry thriving on hundreds of millions of dollars of consumers’ money, you really have to wonder why.
So if ringtones are only of minimal assistance in determining whether that’s your phone ringing or not, what is the purpose of these popular sounds? Critics seems to agree that the answer is, in fact, rather simple, and like other necessities before them, ringtones have shifted from providing the original, practical purpose they were designed to fulfil, having been harnessed by our intense desire to be different and not different all at the same time.
The primary purpose of clothing is to keep us warm and perhaps protect our naked bodies from unsolicited stares, but today’s high fashion has very little to do with these functions. While a large portion of us engage in clothes shopping in an attempt to accentuate our good points while minimising our flaws, there are a considerable number of cell phone users who choose distinctive ringtones serve a purpose larger the basic one of alerting them to an incoming call. This purpose – indicating the ringing of a particular phone rather than any phone in the room – is somewhat akin to buying clothes to improve one’s appearance, in that neither are necessary, only desirable.
These diverse purposes still reside within the items themselves; the clothes, the ringtones. But when these items are purchased as a method of alignment with a particular brand, then a line has been crossed into political or social statement.
Clothes and ringtones might always be said to say something about the person who chooses them, but when a song or pair of jeans is chosen because of the person who created or supports it, then a consumer is buying into a particular image. And while there is arguably nothing wrong with this, this choice makes a ringtone something much larger than just a ringtone.
Dave is the owner of ringtonesbolivia.info and myfreerealmusicringtones.info websites that provide information on ringtones.
When Quality is the Target, but not the Result, what do you do?
While Quality may be the overarching goal of all production, stuff happens, resulting in non-conforming parts. This results in failure verification, rework, recalls, sorting, kitting, retest, relabeling and pipeline management, which are facts of life in the manufacturing, assembly and production world we live in.
So, when it all goes wrong, what do you do?
In a previous article in this series, we discussed the process. Briefly, you must:
1. Assess exposure and manage risk at each stage of the fulfillment process;
2. Figure out what went wrong (root cause);
3. Fix it at the factory and get it back on line ASAP;
4. Figure out what you’re going to do about all the material in transit, at customer assembly and inventory locations, and already sold through to an end user.
Your people are the experts on your products and on your customers, so there is no way around these experts being intimately involved in root cause analysis and in figuring out what has to be done at the factory. You can hire consultants and/or facilitators to streamline the process to getting to root cause and solution, but the experts and management must take ultimate responsibility for parts 1, 2 and 3.
There is far more flexibility in the 4th part. This is the tedious, messy and time-consuming part of the job, and is generally not a core competency of the organization in trouble. Ultimate customer satisfaction depends on competent and rapid execution of failure verification, sorting, reworking, testing, labeling, packaging, pipeline management and crisis logistics.
Options and Alternatives:
Most Project Managers and Quality Managers do not realize that there are companies that can take over the most tedious and frustrating parts of the recovery process. With that in mind, let’s examine your options and their consequences:
1. Keep it all in-house (subtle, but potentially far-reaching negative ramifications) - The Good News: The people who are most likely to be familiar with the problem, the product and its quirks are right there, concerned and capable. The Bad News: The engineers, technicians, logistics personnel, production personnel, management and facilities all generally have full-time jobs that keep them busy 10 to 16 hours a day, just to meet set schedules and deadlines to keep the company moving on its projected path. It is these same people who are going to be tasked to take on this additional, unexpected and often significant workload at the expense of their current assignments. This tends to mortgage the company’s future, but the urgency and necessity of getting though the crisis overshadows this concern for the moment. Everyone pitches in, does what it takes, and in the excitement, fails to look up long enough to consider, much less do, the sensible thing. The results of this approach are mistakes in the recovery and a hurried or unfinished release of the next project, each leading to additional crisis and continuing the spiral of missed product cycles, poor quality, low yields, and substandard product.
2. Write a check - Outsource parts of the crisis - This is almost universally unrecognized as an alternative, but from a business perspective, it is the only way to go. If you are in Quality Management or Project Management, your company expects you to make decisions that are best for the company and its bottom line. Often, you are so focused on getting the problem solved with resources you know and trust that you don’t stop to consider the alternatives – especially the alternatives you are unaware of.
Early in my career, I was unaware that there were organizations that specialized in rework, or “Quality Recovery”. I suffered terribly through many miserable reworks, often supervising a bunch of random unskilled temps in hastily set up warehouses with processes that evolved as the rework progressed. I remember that a task as simple as keeping track of labeled boxes, matching serial numbers on the box labels to serial numbers on the unit labels was unmanageable. I remember starting one rework three separate times because the assembly instructions were being interpreted in unpredictable ways by the operators, and we couldn’t keep track of which units were done by which operator. I’m sure anyone with any time in the business can relate to these expensive frustrations.
Happily, there are companies who are really good at this tedious and high-risk stuff, and make it a high point of your relationship with your customer, in spite of the crisis situation. The customer memory of the pain is short, and the memory of the way it was handled scores big points because the rework was managed with the same level of competence and closure exhibited by your manufacturing process.
I was fortunate to stumble onto a couple of great Quality Recovery providers as I was confronted with a particularly bloody rework situation involving recurring firmware upgrades with confirming test, and with mandatory label tracking of the upgrades on pipeline inventory. I took a deep breath and decided I was going to take a half hour and look for help. I was lucky that day. While a crisis is never much fun, these people made it a lot less brutal, and as I analyzed the comparative burdened rates of my engineering and technical staffs, it was actually a less expensive route. Of course, I still had to pay the burdened rates at the same time I paid the recovery people, but then I was paying my burdened engineering rates for true engineering work that was making me a much higher return on the dollars (at least in theory) than working on unplanned rework lines.
Three very important questions as you approach parts 1 and 4 of the problem resolution process are:
1. Is this so small and straightforward that it won’t take much from our regular duties? If the answer to this is no or unknown, the next question is:
2. How much of this project can we write a check for so we can stay on target on our existing programs and at the same time get credit for competent management of our rework/recovery liabilities?
3. Who will make us look especially good to our customer in this time of crisis through their core competencies in rework management and recovery activities?
Note that often, several layers within steps 1-4 in the problem resolution outline are happening in parallel, and it would be best to get your recovery specialist involved as soon as you have answered the first question as a part of step 1.
Cautions:
It is critical that steps 1-3 of the problem resolution outline are completed by your people in a very complete way, or you will pay more for your recovery efforts than you have to, whether you do it yourself or outsource. The recovery efforts can be no better than the instructions and materials provided. If inaccurate or incomplete information is provided to the recovery organization from your team, their recovery efforts will be wasted until they either figure it out for themselves or you intervene with the appropriate amount of finished staff work.
Similarly, due diligence must be applied to your selection of a production/quality recovery/rework service. Let’s face it, RESULTS are the name of the game. This is difficult to assess on your first trial, but there are indicators to look for: I look for the following attributes:
1. Response time – I was usually in a big hurry by the time I got to step 3. Customer reps were breathing down my neck, demanding a schedule and daily reports. I needed help FAST! My best recovery providers were able to get people, facilities and equipment in place, ready to train in four to eight hours.
2. Location flexibility – I often had material strung out across the US, and sometimes in pipelines in Singapore, Malaysia, Hungary, Scotland, Italy, Hong Kong, Korea, China and Thailand. Again, my favorite rework suppliers were able to accommodate me where I needed them to be in most cases, often within a day or two of my request.
3. A very lean corporate structure – this will tell you that the emphasis is on recovery management, which is where you need the real expertise. My three favorite providers had only three permanent employees – a President, Vice President and an administrative assistant.
4. Skilled Contract Labor – I’ll again refer to my favorite folks - They have pools of previously tested skilled labor all over the US, Canada and Mexico. The real strength and core competency is in the ability to effectively set up, properly prep and manage these people.
5. Facilities – informal and formal relationships with several facilities in many locations and the ability to travel all over the world to set up similar operations wherever I needed them.
6. A well-defined compensation structure – While this might not seem important, I assure you that if your rework provider has to spend a lot of time recovering money from his clients, he is not going to be as focused on the actual core competencies that you really care about. Expect to pay in full upon completion. NOTE: Do not treat this like a normal supplier because this is not a normal supplier. This is the guy who can save you. If you treat him well, you will be treated well. Some providers require a deposit to get started, some set up an escrow account, some just need to be paid upon completion, and some work with combinations of these payment plans, depending on the nature and scope of work. Don’t trot out the 30-60-90 discount program. It’s really inappropriate, and you’ll risk rejection by the people most likely to make you a success.
How do I go about looking for a good quality recovery service?
Start with your favorite search engine and try the following keywords: Rework, Quality recovery, Quality Rework, Quality repair, Quality problems
There will be a high percentage of very specialized returns for this kind of search that will have nothing to do with what you’re looking for (ball grid array [bga], IR reflow, quality fender repair, etc.) but you’ll be able to spot the possibilities by the description. This can be a little tricky because these Quality Recovery guys are not the best marketers on the planet. When you find a likely prospect, give them a call and run down the elements above with them. When you find the right guy, it will be well worth the effort.
If you have a logistics or kitting provider, like Banta or CTI, they will often accommodate you in certain situations. I have found them to be generally less flexible and less influenced by my urgencies, and generally a little more expensive than their leaner counterparts that specialize in this kind of work, but they have the advantage of already having an arrangement with you (payment channels, contracts, etc.), and they may have some of your non-conforming material inventory already in their facilities.
If you are thinking that this might be a good idea for your next emergency, don’t wait for that next emergency to start. Find a rework provider and establish a relationship with him now. Get all of the payment arrangements worked out with your company so you are ready to focus on the emergency when it happens. Take some time today to make your life easier when that next inevitable critical situation rears its ugly head and stares you in the face.
Kent Walters is a former employee and manager for several major suppliers of complex electronic subassemblies to the big players in the computer industry (Compaq, Dell & HP). He was a technical and engineering manager for Conner Peripherals, Seagate Technology, IBM and Hitachi, following a long tenure at Hughes Aircraft in artificial intelligence and business systems analysis. Mr. Walters currently runs Technical Transfusion, a consulting service assisting many companies all over the United States on their technical support concerns, with a focus on hands-on technical support in the Houston, Texas area. See http://www.TechnicalTransfusion.com.
A Gift: One source the author will personally endorse (because they have saved his butt on numerous occasions for which he owes them big time) is MIH Management, Inc. - http://www.mihmgt.com. They follow the model outlined to the letter. If you can’t use them for whatever reason, look at their website and use them for an example - look for someone who is singing the same tune. Other resources can be found at http://www.reworkinfo.com
