Written by Dereck Moore, Vice President and General Manager, EMS Divisions
Estimated Read Time: 5 Minutes
At Impact Electronic Solutions, excellence is not a slogan: it is a manufacturing discipline. We have launched a focused initiative centered on building a deeper technical and operational foundation across our organization, reinforcing our mission of consistently delivering reliable products and responsive service to our customers.
This year, fifteen team members across engineering, quality, production, and program support will complete formal Six Sigma certification at the Yellow, Green, and Black Belt levels. The objective is simple but powerful: create a workforce that understands not only how to build electronics, but how to build them correctly, consistently, and measurably every time.
Six Sigma is a structured methodology designed to reduce variation and eliminate defects. For our customers, that translates directly into:
Higher first-pass yield
Predictable delivery performance
Faster problem resolution
Reduced lifecycle risk
Improved long-term product reliability
Rather than treating quality as an inspection step, Impact ES is embedding quality into every stage of manufacturing. This approach aligns with our philosophy of being more than a contract manufacturer, we operate as a long-term manufacturing partner.
The Impact ES team is applying Six Sigma tools directly to daily operations. These projects are focused on measurable improvements in process capability, data-driven decision-making, and controlled repeatability across production.
Our certification program emphasizes:
Root cause analysis
Process capability studies
Failure mode prevention
Statistical process control
Structured corrective actions
By training cross-functional employees, improvements do not remain isolated within the quality department. Instead, engineering, production, and test teams share a common technical language and problem-solving approach. This enables faster containment and permanent solutions.
Built for scale, Impact ES’s Vancouver and Clearwater facilities deliver high-mix, high-volume, and high-reliability printed circuit board assembly for mission-critical applications in the medical, industrial, robotics, aerospace, and defense sectors.
Impact ES provides complete electronic manufacturing services, including PCBA manufacturing, from prototype through full production as part of an integrated build-to-print or collaborative engineering model.
Our Six Sigma initiative is already being applied to:
Solder process optimization
Component placement accuracy
Defect reduction
Yield improvement
Process repeatability across product revisions
For customers, this means smoother product introductions and consistent scaling from NPI into volume manufacturing.
Reliable electronics require reliable testing. Impact ES designs and builds custom test system development solutions to verify functionality, performance, and long-term reliability.
Six Sigma training is strengthening our test engineering capability by improving:
Test coverage analysis
Data trending and statistical monitoring
Failure analysis turnaround
Preventive detection rather than reactive troubleshooting
Our test engineers are applying data analytics to identify potential process drift before it becomes a field issue, protecting customers from costly failures downstream.
Beyond circuit boards, the Vancouver site provides Process-Controlled box build assembly, integrating mechanical assemblies, and final systems.
Six Sigma methods are being used to improve:
Assembly standardization
Configuration control
Final system verification
Documentation accuracy
Traceability
This ensures that the final product, not just the circuit board, meets customer expectations for performance and reliability.
Impact ES supports customers from design through finished product and ongoing lifecycle support. Our goal is to be a manufacturing extension of our customers’ engineering teams, helping them scale production with confidence.
The Six Sigma certification program reinforces a core belief: reliable manufacturing is built by knowledgeable people using disciplined processes. Investing in our workforce is ultimately an investment in our customers’ success.
Customers working with Impact ES can expect:
Improved quality consistency
Structured corrective action processes
Stronger DFM, DFT, and NPI support
Data-driven manufacturing decisions
Scalable production readiness
By strengthening our technical foundation today, Impact ES ensures our customers can confidently launch and grow tomorrow’s products.
