How Cross-Functional CI Teams Solve EMS Problems Faster—and Keep OEMs Ahead

When a production issue affects your product, every hour counts.
At SVI, we’ve learned that speed and sustainability of problem-solving come down to more than just engineering skill—it’s about how the team is structured. That’s why Cross-Functional Teams (CFTs) are a core element of our Continuous Improvement (CI) strategy.

By bringing together expertise across engineering, quality, production, and supply chain, CFTs allow us to diagnose problems quickly, implement countermeasures, and prevent recurrence—all without interrupting customer schedules.

Why Traditional Problem Solving Falls Short

In many EMS environments, production teams solve issues in isolation. This often leads to patch fixes that don’t address root causes—especially when issues span departments (e.g., procurement delays affecting line balancing or packaging flaws causing damage in transit).

The result? Repeated disruptions, reactive firefighting, and avoidable costs.

What Makes SVI’s Cross-Functional CI Teams Different

At SVI, CI isn’t an isolated initiative—it’s a core part of our end-to-end operations. Our CFTs are trained to:

• Work in parallel across engineering, QA, logistics, and supply chain
• Use real-time factory data to identify root causes
• Apply Lean Six Sigma principles to validate solutions
• Standardize improvements across global sites

This approach allows us to solve issues faster and prevent them from recurring—a key advantage for OEMs facing tight launch timelines or strict reliability standards.

Real-World Example: Fixing Downtime at the Source

A recent CI project in our Thailand facility highlights the power of CFTs.
Problem: A customer’s test station was creating bottlenecks and causing delays.
Approach: SVI’s cross-functional CI team—combining process engineers, test specialists, and planners—mapped the workflow, pinpointed the bottleneck, and redesigned the process flow.
Result: 85% reduction in downtime, better line utilization, and improved on-time delivery for the customer.

CI That Moves You Forward

Continuous Improvement at SVI is a strategy, not a side effort. It’s built into every part of our manufacturing—from NPI to logistics—and monitored across global teams.

• We hold weekly SMART Meetings where teams review CI progress on cost and waste reduction.
• Project reviews happen every two weeks, with top management directly involved.
• And once a year, we recognize top-performing teams with the Annual SMART Project Awards for measurable operational and financial impact.

Let’s Build a Smarter Line—Together

If you're an OEM looking to reduce defects, improve responsiveness, and grow in a fast-changing market, SVI’s CI system is built for you.

Looking for an EMS partner that builds improvement into every product? Let’s talk.

📩 Talk to Our Team