Mini-Circuits Weathers Japanese Earthquake, Tsunami with On-Time Delivery

When news of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami first hit, Mini-Circuits Business Continuity Plan came to the fore. “Close relationships with our suppliers and distributors around the world are essential to us,” said Arthur Ackerman, Quality Assurance manager. “So initially, we focused on getting in touch with all of our Japanese partners, and offering any needed support. Luckily, they were all in good health.”

At the same time, the Material Planning team started drilling down through global inventory and supply-chain data for every item in production or scheduled for delivery. “As soon as we become aware of any potential problems, we react immediately to assess our position and plug any gaps,” noted Steven Feigenbaum, Materials Manager.

Customer inquiries were soon flooding in, and the QA and Special Projects teams helped Sales address them all as quickly as possible. Material Planning focused its efforts on critical components from the affected region. “Our approach to supply chain management, including multiple approved suppliers and staged inventory, kept our production lines up and running,” Feigenbaum added. “We were able to meet our commitments without disruption.”

Ted Heil, Mini-Circuits Vice President, summed up the company’s response. “Speed and accountability are part of our Guiding Principles and Quality Policy. Although we carry the industry’s broadest lineup of RF/IF and microwave components and subassemblies, we have the agility to meet, and exceed, customer expectations every day.”