Advantages of Producing GPS Receivers in Volume

Richard H. Wylly

Abstract:	Any customer expects low costs, high reliability, and on-time deliveries from high volume production operations. The United States military also has certain minimal expectations of quality levels for the GPS receivers produced for its aircraft, shipboard, and land based users. SCI Systems, inc., is able to meet all of the Department of Defense’s requirements for such production because of the advantages it enjoys as a high volume, electronics systems manufacturer. SCI entered the GPS receiver production market utilizing techniques and capital equipment borrowed from its commercial contract manufacturing experience. SCl’s intent was to offer the U.S. DOD the best value for volume production of multi-channel, C/A and P/Y Code GPS receivers. The result has been efficient manufacturing and test operations that offer a low cost in production of high reliability receiver products. As a corporation, SCI has the plant and equipment to support all types of high volume electronic systems production. Because of the flexibilities allowed by a modular, production line configuration, SCI has also been able to respond quickly to its GPS receiver customers’ desires to change production processes and/or develop prototypes. Although not always the case, SCI can apply its plant, equipment, and personnel strengths to gain market share by aggressive price competition for GPS receiver production. In one way or another, most manufacturing efforts are oriented to the reduction of cost while improving quality. Identifying cost savings opportunities is always part of the manufacturing mission. This focus has allowed SCI to enter the military GPS receiver production business and produce highly reliable sets at a profit. A lesson learned from within the corporation is to invest in capital facilities so as to reduce the variable costs of producing product; this lesson has proved invaluable in the pursuit of new GPS receiver production business opportunities.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993) September 22 - 24, 1993 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	53 - 58
Cite this article:	Wylly, Richard H., "Advantages of Producing GPS Receivers in Volume," Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993), Salt Lake City, UT, September 1993, pp. 53-58.
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