Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS)

A sector which also relates to many of the other areas of electronics is a common denominator in most Electronics Manufacturing destinations around the world. The growth of the global electronic manufacturing services market has been continuously on the rise. While carrying out production for Original Equipment (OEMs), companies in the global EMS sector also carry out activities in logistics management, procurement assistance, and managing the entire supply chain. During the period between 2018-2024, the EMS industry is expected to grow at a rate 7.5% per annum on average.

The electronics industry is extremely wide-spread and includes a multitude of industries, including governmental (e.g., security and access control applications), industrial (e.g., automation, IoT), consumer (smartphones, PCs, laptops etc.), healthcare (medical devices) and automotive. The growth of the EMS industry is mainly driven by the rising demand for automotive and consumer electronics, and the ever-rising use of electronics in almost every tangible product associated with human existence. This rising need for electronics and innovative technological solutions, combined with growing and diverse customer requirements, the need to control costs becomes an important factor for automation. This means that OEMs increasingly need to choose to cooperate with partners offering industry knowledge and experience in manufacturing.  This sector performs as a base industry for many industrial sectors. With decades of experience, the Printed Circuit Board Assembly sector has upgraded to the newest technologies and is able to support numerous requirements for PCB assembly operations. Hence a sizable selection of companies offers services to client organisations around the world with differing minimum order quantities (MoQs).

Depending on the organisation’s capacity, capability and business strategy, the scope of services offered by one EMS company varies from that of another. A typical EMS company will usually carry out:

• Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly (inc. SMT Assembly, THT Assembly and Conformal Coating) 
• Box Build (including Potting)
• Electromechanical assembly (including Cabinet Assembly)
• After-Sales Services (such as refurbishments, repairs, upgrades etc.)

The Western markets, especially the European region, have been procuring the services of Asian EMS suppliers for a long period of time. Sri Lanka, as an EMS supplier that services specialised niches in the global market, has a long-standing reputation for the quality of service, excellent customer relationships and exceptional delivery records that have been maintained with the OEMs. This helps many Sri Lankan EMS suppliers in procuring new business and building trusted partnerships that can be relied upon even during challenging times, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Sri Lankan EMS sector has the capacity to provide fully stacked product life cycle management, managing every stage of the product life cycle. This includes design, engineering and manufacturing as well as obsolescence management. Maintaining a good relationship with a trusted EMS partner brings many benefits that makes it possible for the OEM to get several services carried out by the same EMS partner via a single process, and that is the uniqueness the Sri Lankan EMS sector has to offer. In addition to this, many Sri Lankan EMS companies assist their long-standing customers with New Product Introduction, Engineering Support, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, and perform functional tests. The Sri Lankan EMS sector is committed to maintaining high quality and conforming to international standards. Some certifications include ISO 9001, 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, UL and from 2022 IATF.

Procuring the services of a capable Sri Lankan EMS supplier will provide the OE Manufacturer with cost-effective solutions, skilled labour, engineering expertise, reduced investment on equipment and property, access to better technology and improved productivity.