Technologies Change, Customer Challenges Remain the Same
Dateline 1991: Contec enables Coulter to avoid a costly revalidation, continue production at reduced costs and support product in the field.An unexpected end-of-life notification for a critical component left the Coulter (now Beckman Coulter) EPICS division with a major problem. The announcement came too late to buy a lifetime quantity of the component – an embedded Intel single board computer (SBC) Multibus 286 CPU for a flow cytometry analyzer. The company’s previous supplier had virtually no inventory to protect Coulter’s forward production or fulfill field service requirements. Facing a costly revalidation, Coulter didn’t have the engineering resources to search widely for a replacement part.
Dateline 1991: Contec enables Coulter to avoid a costly revalidation, continue production at reduced costs and support product in the field. An unexpected end-of-life notification for a critical component left the Coulter (now Beckman Coulter) EPICS division with a major problem. The announcement came too late to buy a lifetime quantity of the component ? an embedded Intel single board computer (SBC) Multibus 286 CPU for a flow cytometry analyzer. The company’s previous supplier had virtually no inventory to protect Coulter’s forward production or fulfill field service requirements. Facing a costly revalidation, Coulter didn’t have the engineering resources to search widely for a replacement part.
Contec’s Business Development Vice President, Gene Garofalo, surveyed the market and managed to identify two potential OEMs with the same single board computer requirement and possible excess inventory. After contacting the OEMs to discuss terms and conditions, he negotiated a purchase to support Coulter’s existing production and field replacement unit requirements. In addition, expert familiarity with Multibus computer architecture enabled Contec to support warranty extensions that Coulter could offer its clients. Contec also assumed the logistics of supporting the product for future deliveries, carrying the inventory at a competitive cost.
Coulter saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in revalidation costs. Coulter was able to continue delivering its product to meet customer requirements, service existing product in the field and offer warranty support. The company also reduced the cost of forward production because Contec could deliver the product as required by Coulter’s production schedule, saving on inventory costs. Said Todd Lary, Coulter Program Manager, “Contec had been aggressively offering their services, and when this EOL issue arose, Gene jumped at the opportunity and came through with flying colors.” In addition, Contec provided technical support in choosing replacement components for Coulter’s next flow cytometry analyzer, reducing the company’s required investment in engineering time. Finally, Contec’s program management services ensured a smooth product transition, allowing Coulter to remain focused on its own core competencies. “After this successful co-operative action,” said Lary, “we gave Contec more opportunities to supply us with custom embedded products, and the rest is history.”
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