WestOak Industries / EMS Provider, FAQs Page


The questions covered on this page are the responses to frequently asked questions during sales calls and customer visits or audits.

		Does WestOak Industries document engineering changes?
		Yes. We document and control all engineering changes. All documents are subject to engineering change orders.

		Does WestOak Industries identify the current revisions on all drawings?
		Yes. There is a revision control policy in place.

		Does WestOak Industries remove the old documentation?
		All old documentation is removed from the active job folder and is placed in an inactive folder for a period of time and then discarded.

		Does WestOak Industries track the documentation that it's customers provide?
		Yes. All customer documentation is logged, recorded on the daily receiving materials and documentation list. At that time it is stamped with the date it was received and with an "original" stamp that then gets routed to the engineering department. Where the old is stamped obsolete and placed in the inactive folder.

		Does WestOak Industries qualify a process before they begin to build?
		Yes. WestOak Industries will build and inspect first articles and provide first articles to the customer for approval if it is required.

		Does WestOak Industries provide work instructions to the production department for all operations?
		Yes. A Manufacturing Instruction Book (MIB) is created for every product that WestOak builds.

		Does WestOak Industries have a supplier corrective action request (SCAR) system for reporting rejects?
		Yes. We require written corrective action from the vendor when a nonconforming product is identified.

		Does WestOak Industries provide changes to documentation to its suppliers?
		Yes. Suppliers are given new purchasing specifications and /or drawings as required.

		Does WestOak Industries have an automated purchasing system?
		Yes. The customer Bill of Material (BOM) is converted to WestOak Industries part numbers are entered into our manufacturing resource planning software. This BOM is used to issue materials and create work order shortages to aid Purchasing in the procurement process.

		Does WestOak Industries do design for manufacturability (DFM) audits?
		Yes. If given the opportunity we perform DFM audits before the manufacturing process begins, ideally in the engineering stages of the design, to determine processes, special handling requirements, and cost feasibility.

		Does WestOak Industries perform final inspections on its outgoing parts?
		Yes. A final visual inspection is done on all products prior to shipment to the customer. An electrical test is also performed when specified.

		Does WestOak Industries document the inspection process and log what was found?
		Yes. We maintain records that indicate the product was tested and inspected and passed the appropriate inspection criteria.

		Does WestOak Industries identify the inspection criteria of the products it builds?
		Yes. We have specific procedures in place to rout the products requiring inspection to that department at the appropriate time. All board assemblies are inspected to the IPC-610 and ANSI J STD-001 specifications for the appropriate class of product.

		Can WestOak Industries comply with the customer's special packaging requirements?
		Yes. If special packaging requirements are specified, WestOak Industries adheres to the requirements outlined by the customer.

		Does WestOak Industries store the material and/or products in a controlled environment?
		Yes. All material is stored under stock room control.

		Does WestOak Industries employees' practice electrostatic discharge preventative measure?
		Yes. All WestOak Industries employees utilize grounding straps that are tested periodically throughout each day.

		Does WestOak Industries have a system for controlling nonconforming materials?
		Yes. A returned product corrective action (RPCA) number is assigned to each return. A RPCA form is started for that product and is used to record the findings and causes of that return as it makes its way through the return process.

		Does WestOak Industries notify the customer of the disposition of each return?
		Yes. A copy of the completed RPCA form is supplied to the appropriate person with the disposition of the product and the cost to repair all non-warranty items.

		Does WestOak Industries quality assurance manager review returns?
		Yes. The QA manager reviews and authorizes the disposition on all returns.

		Does WestOak Industries have a training program?
		Yes. WestOak Industries provides training in all areas of manufacturing from basic and advanced soldering to component identification, and ESD procedures. We provide many training classes on site including our Pace Certified soldering training courses.

		Does WestOak Industries record training for their employees?
		Yes. Training records are maintained for every employee on staff, and are available for review.

		Does WestOak Industries re-train their employees periodically?
		Yes. Every employee goes through the training classes whether they are in their 1st week or 15th year of service.

		Can WestOak Industries provide design-consulting services such as printed wiring board (PCB) layout, component selection, or design for manufacturability (DFM)?
		Yes. We provide design-consulting services including PCB layout, component selection, and DFM. Our engineering group utilizes several software packages to aid in the design, including P-Cad, Cam 350, AutoCad, and many others.

		Does WestOak Industries have the capability to program IC's in-house?
		Yes. WestOak Industries currently offers this service to many of our existing customers. A cost analysis is usually done to determine the feasibility of in-house programming.

		Does WestOak Industries have systems integration capabilities?
		Yes. WestOak Industries systems integration capabilities include inventory control, mechanical assembly, final assembly and test, product and materials traceability, consignment inventory, value engineering, and prototype management.

		Does WestOak Industries subcontract any of the manufacturing process?
		The goal of WestOak Industries is to provide all of the necessary resources in house. If however it is necessary or the customer should request it, WestOak Industries has the flexibility to subcontract a portion of the assembly process.
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