Shanghai?
outlook
Issue 4 of 6
September 2024
CONNECTION AS ONE MOLEX,
COLLABORATION FOR TRANSFORMATION!
4
CONTENTS
PRINCIPLE BASED MANAGEMENT
PBM Workshop Highlights
05-06
"Stewardship" Principle Introduction
04
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Shanghai Fusion PD Project Updates
07
OpEx Model Project Updates
08
Shanghai Outlook
Internal Use Only
Front-Line Supervisor Development Program Updates
09
Employee Insights of?
Organizational Transformation
11
Shanghai IT Team Introduction
12
TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Supervisor Development Program Updates
July ~ August Long Service Award
13
PLANT DYNAMICS
14-15
"One Molex" Visit Ⅳ
Internal Use Only
CY24 May New Records Team Building
16-17
CY24 Open Day Activity
18
19
CY24 Union Re-election
20
21
Plating Team: 5 Years Renovation and Upgrading Project
22
PD Team: Motor stack floating board to board connector
23
INTERACTION WITH READERS
Award-winning Quiz
25
26
Call For Articles
Quality Team: CY23 IEIT Gold Award
24
10
"Molex Logo" Cycling Activity
Molding Team: Basement Optimization Project
04
PRINCIPLE BASED MANAGEMENT
"Stewardship" Principle Introduction
By: Ye Lei
Stewardship is an important principle of our organization that seeks to achieve its goals by respecting the rights of others and responsibly managing our own behavior and the resources entrusted to us. In brief, we are all responsible for the management and protection of resources, whether they be company assets, the environment or our colleagues. It is our goal to create greater value by maintaining and optimizing resources we are involved with.
For most of our employees, Stewardship is about being thoughtful in our daily work and treating others with honesty, humility, respect. Above all, please remember to “Stop, Think and Ask” when you realize something is wrong. On a personal level, Stewardship can be done differently depending on the role you take on in Company. For example:
PBM Workshop Highlights
By: Molex Shanghai Employees
From July to August, there were 6 PBM workshops on topics such as "Changing Paradigm", "Challenge", "5 Dimensions", "Principled Entrepreneurship", etc. We invited some of the participants to share their insights and positive impacts on their work and life after attending the PBM workshop:
Supply Chain & Materials Team PBM Workshop
Participant: Judy Gu
Li Yin and Annie shared “Challenge” principle during the PBM workshop. Through animation, video and text introduction, they guided the discussion on topics related to “Challenge”. These interactions not only deepened our understanding of “Challenge”, but also made us realize the importance of “Challenge” in our daily work.
During the sharing session, many colleagues shared how they apply “Challenge” in their work, and told stories about how they “challenged” others or were “challenged” by others. The participants expressed their understanding and recognition of “Challenge” in a relaxed atmosphere.
I remember a plant alaways conducts team discussions and raises questions before introducing any new suppliers. The “challenge” was a way for everyone to understand the supplier's qualifications and capabilities, the products and services they could provide, and the problems they could solve. This prompted the plant to think deeply about whether or not to bring in a new supplier. This “challenge” process is extremely valuable and leads to more effective supplier management.
We have a deeper understanding of the company's culture and created more value through such sharing sessions. We look forward to more exciting sharing sessions in the future!
05
PRINCIPLE BASED MANAGEMENT
Shanghai Outlook
Shanghai Outlook
If you are a maintenance technician who is responsible for the maintenance and management of equipment, then your stewardship approach should be regularly inspecting and maintaining the equipment to ensure that its efficient operation. You also need to explore other ways to use the equipment more efficiently to avoid waste and increase capacity. These actions not only create cost saving, but also contribute to a safer and more productive work environment;
If you're the person responsible for safety in your team, your stewardship approach involves paying attention to the safety of your colleagues, making sure that everyone knows how to operate the machines safely and alerting others to potential risks. By acting in this way, you contribute to creating a safer work environment.
For Molex, stewardship is a commitment, and also our top priority in terms of environmental, social and corporate governance. Stewardship is not just a principle; it is a code of conduct that we can practice in our daily work. Every employee at Molex can contribute to the realization of these goals through their own efforts. This not only create greater value for the company, but also helps to build a better world for society and for the future.
Production PBM Workshop
Facilitator: Simon Gong
ME Team PBM Workshop
Facilitator: Chris Qiu
I was deeply honored to be the facilitator together with Huang Xiaofeng, Stamping Team Production Supervisor, with Production Department Engineers in July. The topic of the workshop was “Changing Paradigm” and during the workshop, participants were enthusiastic and engaged, leading to lively discussions about paradigms and their changes in the workplace.
Paradigm thinking means a set of habitual thinking, theories and methods of doing things that each of us possesses. When dealing with problems, we tend to adopt the ways we are accustomed to. However, with the increasingly fierce competition in the market, we need to use innovative thinking to solve issues and create more value for Molex. Therefore, we need to make paradigm change. We can achieve this paradigm change by expanding our thinking, facilitating effective communication, collaborating across departments, as well as managing risks.
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PRINCIPLE BASED MANAGEMENT
For most of us, it is challenging to change paradigm because existing paradigms represent ease and the ability to rely on past successes and experiences. Therefore, we need to change our mindset firstly, and even if there are existing solutions, we need to use a paradigm change mindset to think about whether there are better approaches available.
Through this discussion with different roles, I have gained valuable insights. In my future work, I will try to apply the concept of “Changing Paradigm” in areas such as project improvement and introduction of new technologies.
The topic of ME Team Q3 PBM Workshop is “Principle-based vs Rule-based”. In this sharing, as a facilitator, I discussed with the participants why the company preferred Principles-Based Management to Rules-Based Management.
This management model is preferred by Molex because the principles provide a more flexible and adaptive decision-making framework that can effectively respond to a complex and changing business environment. The principles motivate employees to be creative and critical thinkers, providing a flexible framework that encourages innovation, adaptability and long-term value creation. Principles-based decision-making is the best choice when faced with complex, changing situations that require individualized solutions and personal judgment. Rules, on the other hand, provide the necessary structure and boundaries for day-to-day operations, and rules-based decision-making should be selected when facing compliance requirements, legal mandates, or situations where consistency and predictability need to be ensured, such as in safety or quality control.
To better understand the difference between principle-based and rule-based, we shared a Mirror Mezz case study: how to deal with a wire product with potential quality risks under the pressure of a customer's rush. This case help us understand how to make decisions in different situations. In addition, in preparing for this workshop, I also used a practical AI tool - AskFred, which was able to help our facilitators understand and apply the relevant principles very well.
Shanghai Fusion PD Project Updates
By: Fusion PD Project Team
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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Insights on the learning from Colin Chen (PD Team):
I am glad to be a Teamcenter super user student to learn and experience the system, and I'd like to share my insights :
This training and learning have provided me a deeper understanding of Teamcenter and look forward to applying this knowledge to improve my work efficiency in the real world.
Insights on the learning from Cheng Kang (PD Team):
In the process of learning to use Teamcenter, I first gained an in-depth understanding of its core functions and interface. I found that Teamcenter is a powerful Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tool that facilitates team collaboration, manages design and manufacturing data, as well as tracks the entire product lifecycle.
Intuitive Navigation and Layout: it is recommended to first master the main menus, toolbars and search functions.
Effective Management of Various Data, Including Parts, Assemblies, Documents and Drawings: I learned how to upload, retrieve and update these data. It also supports customized workflows, allowing the creation of different processes tailored base on project requirements. I learned how to create and manage workflows to facilitate effective collaboration and task tracking.
Critical Version Control Features: I learned how to check out, check in and compare different versions of files to ensure data consistency and traceability. Understanding how to set user permissions and roles is essential for security and data protection, and I learned how to assign different levels of access.
Shanghai Outlook
Two new systems, Teamcenter and Polarion, needed to be launched for the Fusion PD digital transformation project. Ongoing Teamcenter performance issues have negatively impacted existing TIS and DSS users. In order to improve employee and customer experiences and provide a reliable tool for the entire end-user population, the Teamcenter resources must shift their focus to further define, prioritize, and remediate these issues. As a result, deferred to the second half of this year.
Nevertheless, trainers and super users have completed their train-the-trainer sessions. In the meantime, a follow-up intensive train-the-trainer program has been underway since May. In this issue, we have invited Colin Chen and Cheng Kang from the PD team to share their insights and experience from participating in the Teamcenter training. We hope that these trainings, along with the resolution of issues, will provide you with a smoother and more efficient experience of using the system.
Powerful Functions: Teamcenter manages the whole product lifecycle based on the part numbers and integrates the PDP5.0 development process. This system allows us to clearly track the status of the part numbers in the whole life cycle and ensure that different functional departments collaborate on the same platform.?
Simple User Interface: The web interface of Teamcenter is designed to be simple and easy to understand and operate during use. However, the system is sometimes slow to respond in a training environment. We hope that system speed will be improved to provide a smoother user experience during formal usage.
Module Integration and Complexity: Teamcenter is mainly divided into two modules, CCM (Change Management) and EBOM (Engineering Bill of Materials.) In the CCM module, PR (Problem Report) derive to CR (Change Request) and CR derive to CO (Change Order). Meanwhile, the EBOM module covers the design release process, including design freezing, design approval, purchasing or manufacturing, and part approval. These functions are also integrated with the NX and SAP systems. Because Teamcenter is a powerful system that integrates the management of the entire product lifecycle, it is much more complex than ECTR systems and has different underlying logic.
OpEx Model Project Updates
By: Fusion M&O Team
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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
??Significant progress made by Digital Transformation Project over past 2 months:
??Two Top Projects are progressing rapidly
Task Level dashboard project has completed the production and material dashboard for Stamping and Molding, and it is now in use; Plating business requirements have completed the second round of collection and discussion, the initial development framework has been approved; the Assembly task level dashboard has completed Cell-1 interface development, and is currently undergoing testing; the requirements for tools, machines, and QC dashboard have been collected, and the development framework is under construction.
The paperless project involved multiple meetings to discuss paper forms collected from 4 major production departments, QA and Warehouse. It is expected to be reduced by 50% by the end of the project, with the necessarily retained forms to be used in the future as E-Forms or automatically refreshed reports.
??The digital reporting integration platform has completed the development of the general framework
Modules are being populated, and the platform is expected to be completed by the end of September, while preparations for user training and other related work are underway. This platform allows us to extract, integrate and consolidate data from the current Shanghai plant ecosystem, and create customized reports according to the different requests of users in a self-service, efficient and convenient manner.
??Stage-by-stage progress in OPC system deployment and go-live
As a continuously deployed digitalization project, with the strong cooperation of production and equipment maintenance of Assembly, Automation, IT, IE, PIC, Warehouse and QC, the Assembly has completed the go-live of DDR5 on the 3rd floor and all of the production lines on the 4th floor (Mirror Mezz, SMT, VtypeC, etc.), realizing the collection of production data from the OPC system and the convenient traceability of the material information. This has reduced manual record-keeping by operators, and laid a solid foundation for Auto trigger material in the future.
??Optimization of existing functions of OPC system
At the beginning of August, we performed a patch upgrade on the production environment of OPC system, solved the issues of label scanning and the FQC sample management issue, etc. This made the application of OPC system smoother, allowing for the final inspection of FQC to be recorded and traced within the OPC system. In addition, there are five other system enhancements on change work orders, label printing, etc. The developed applications can optimize existing functions, improve user experience, and save operating time. These enhancements are expected to be completed in October this year, will be deployed into the production environment of the OPC system.
At the beginning of the training, the instructor led the participants into the world of DMAIC, emphasizing the precision of defining the problem, the rigor of measuring the data, and the depth of analyzing the root cause, in a meticulous and patient manner. In the process, participants learned and mastered tools such as the fishbone diagram and control chart. All participants brought their reflections and practical results during the DOE review process. The details that were repeatedly revised through countless trials reflect the growth and transformation of the participants during this journey. During the review discussion, ideas sparked lively exchanges,, and cross-departmental collaboration also became closer during the process.
?? Green Belt Training
In the end, all the participants passed the examination with excellent results. It not only empowered the participants with more tools and methods, but also solidified their resolve in the pursuit of excellence.. In the future, these green belt holders will serve as beacons, guiding the company toward greater heights and farther horizons.
Supervisor Development Program Updates
By: Jolin Zhou
09
TALENT DEVELOPMENT
On the afternoon of July 23rd, 2024, 22 supervisors from Molex Shanghai participated in the sixth session of the Supervisor Development Program on the topic of “Innovative Leadership”.
Generally speaking, Innovative Leadership is a dynamic approach and an effective tool for integrating various leadership styles to foster creativity and drive innovation within an organization. Through our study, we learned that “Innovative Leadership” is also an important part of PBM's culture. In this culture, team members are empowered to propose new approaches and take calculated risks. By encouraging principled entrepreneurship and aligning it with PBM, it's not just about innovation, it's about innovating in ways that add real value and are consistent with our values and principles.
In the course of the study, we learned the definition and importance of innovation leadership and recognized that its core lies in mobilizing the masses and tackling difficult challenges. Innovative leadership significantly drives the capability for ongoing innovation. In the section on innovation tools and methods, the instructor introduced us to inspirational thinking, associative thinking and reverse thinking through vivid cases. As supervisors, we should focus on fostering an innovative team environment, which includes but is not limited to the creation of an innovative culture and atmosphere, motivating team members to actively participate in innovation, improving the innovation mechanism and process, as well as the design and management of new workflows.
At the end of the course, we designed an action learning session and gave each supervisor a post-course assignment: “Through the learning of this module, how will you motivate your team members to actively participate in innovation? What work behaviors do you plan to change?”
Two weeks later, eight supervisors submitted their results of the exercise, which included an action plan, documentation of the process, and a self-evaluation. The feedback was highly meaningful and pragmatic. At the end of August, we invited the supervisors to gather again to share their action plans and progress, and the instructor patiently provided individual feedback and suggestions, which proved to be very beneficial to each supervisor. By integrating the learning guidance of PBM, participants were able to re-examine their daily work and management, encourage team members to come up with new ideas from time to time, utilize the process of evaluating and implementing the new methods proposed by team members, and helping employees find a balance between risky and principled decision-making.
Shanghai Outlook
Front-Line Supervisor Development Program Updates
By: Robin Wu
Following the discussion on the topic of “Principle-based vs. Rule-based”, the Frontline Supervisor Development Program entered the learning and discussion phase of the second PBM topic in July and August. After communicating with supervisors and management, we realized that building trust with employees is the cornerstone of effective leadership and a key element of PBM. Thus, with substantial support from our PBM consultant, we conducted an in-depth discussion on the topic of “Knowing Your Employees and Building Trust”. Over these two months, our learning focus covered (but was not limited to) the following:
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
-Supervisors can maximize their personal contribution as supervisors by “helping each employee develop and contribute the most”.
-“People” are not “machines” and cannot be managed by “controlling equipment”.
-Getting to know each employee and building trust is the foundation of effective management.
-Preparing conversations with employees by using a “Personal Reflection Form” as a tool.
-Building trusting relationships requires effort and persistence.
After two months of learning and practice as a sponsor and supporter of the program, I have come to realize that a supervisor's first priority is not to be personally involved in the process, but to develop and nurture their employees, and to support each employee to achieve what they are currently unable to do on their own. This is the primary responsibility and the greatest contribution of a supervisor.
I believe that as a supervisor, you will experience a great sense of accomplishment when you can get to know your employees better, build trust with them, as well as mentor and help them unleash their potential. Let's work together and strive for positive change!
Stamping - Huang Xiao Fen?Learning Feedback
Stamping team's production hours and output are now significantly higher than before, but inspections in the testing room are often not completed promptly. Therefore, I had an in-depth communication with the employees in the team and identified several potential areas for improvement.
For example, the employee responsible for inspecting B6 products was not familiar enough with measuring other products, did not provide timely feedback on this issue. After learning about this situation, I arranged for a senior inspection the shift to train her and formed an improvement team with three members. Now, the testing room is able to keep up with the pace of production, and employees have improved together by supporting each other.
Through these actions, we have not only improved work efficiency, but also promoted collaboration and trust among our employees, which aligns perfectly with our goals.
Employee Insights of?Organizational?Transformation
By: Stamping Team
Time flies with fulfilling work, and it has been half a year since Stamping Department started organizational transformation. The implementation of a flat management structure has significantly optimized the workflow, improved work efficiency and teamwork ability. By reducing the management levels, a flat management approach has shortened the distance between the upper and lower levels, fostering closer relationships. This management model empowers employees with more autonomy and responsibility, and enhances team cohesion and innovation.
Many employees with outstanding performance emerged during the transformation, and their insights and reflections provided valuable inspiration for management. In Stamping Team, He Zhonghua, Zhai Longgang and Lu Ningbo stood out for their outstanding performance and unique insights.
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
After Stamping’s organizational transformation, we experienced significant pressure. Firstly, we need to face the leaders directly. The supervisors inquired in detail whether the dies were repaired or not, which required us to complete the tasks more quickly and effectively. Secondly, the speed of issue resolution was significantly accelerated. Issues were basically resolved instantly after they were raised without prevarication or delay. Finally, the close contact with the supervisor enabled us to quickly identify our own problems and quickly establish clear direction for training, as well as conducting spot checks and random inspections.
After the transformation, my success rate in die repairs has increased from 60% to 85%. I am very satisfied with this and I will work harder and strive for better results in this working environment.
I'm not very good at communication, but in Stamping Shift A, I have earnestly completed the tasks arranged by the Cell leader. The supervisor keeps encouraging us to actively strive for it, and I also courage to ask for training in the knowledge of dies. After passing the assessment, although my main duty is operator, I proactively assist the Cell leader with material change and adjustment in my free time. Though these tasks are not my duties, I feel it is important to contribute as a team member to enhance our collective performance.
My first impression after the transformation was that I was much busier than before. Whenever the Setters needed to repair or adjust their machines, they constantly rushed me with comments like, “Hurry up, I’m in a rush. Is it done yet? Let’s move faster.” Although I quickly adapted to the change and integrated into the fast-paced work environment, I also discovered the essence of this transformation: with fewer reporting levels, communication has become smoother, efficiency has significantly improved, everyone's motivation has increased, and the optimization of the reward and punishment system has further motivated us to move forward positively. Improved, everyone's motivation has increased, and the optimization of the reward and punishment system has further motivated us to move forward positively.
He Zhonghua?
Toolmaker
Zhai Longgang
Technician Maintenance
Lu Ningbo
Operator
Here I would like to share a real case of the application of PBM “Knowing your employees & Building trust”.
After communicating with stamping operator Ren Shaoli, I found that skills improvement within the team was slow, with a success rate of only 40% in repairing an average of 20 dies per month. I realized through repeated observations that employees in my team had the initiative and willingness to improve. I took 2 actions, switching shifts and pairing up for assistance. Through one month's practice, the success rate of repairing 30 sets of dies in August was 80%. In the daily communication meeting, I praised their improvement and encouraged to stimulate the employees to put forward more needs that could facilitate mutual benefits for both individuals and the company.
Stamping - Feng Jie??Learning Feedback
Shanghai IT Team Introduction
By: IT Team
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
July ~ August Long Service Award
By: Loucts Zhang & Feng Jun
Molex Shanghai Long Service Award is a certification of professionalism, down-to-earthness, hard work and excellence, recognizing the efforts of our employees and their outstanding achievements!
We are honored to announce our July-August 2024 Molex Long Service Awards, with 33 horned employees.
We invited two of our employees as the representatives of the award winners to share their experience of working in Molex Shanghai.
Plating
Loucts Zhang
Stamping
Feng Jun
I am Feng Jun, a senior technician in the Stamping Team. Time passes by, without realizing it, I have been working with Molex for twenty-five years.
Over the past twenty-five years, I have witnessed Molex's growth and transformations. From the naivety and confusion when I first joined the company, to the maturity and confidence now, this is where I spent my youth and dreams. In Molex, I met many excellent colleagues and leaders who gave me selfless help and support. We have overcome many challenges together and contributed to Molex’s development.
Looking back on these twenty-five years, my growth as a technician cannot be separated from the training of the company and my own efforts. As an experienced employee, I tended to repeat myself in the daily work in the past, but I felt that we were full of motivation again after the change of flat management in Stamping Department, and I was fully committed to my work, and I also strengthened the functions of management and technical analysis. When I face the difficulty of repairing the die, I need to analyze the cause and solve the issue, while also promptly arranging for maintenance personnel to repair defective dies. I also participate in the customization and inspection of spare parts. It keeps me busy, but I feel fulfilled nonetheless.
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
During the past 20 years, I have gone through the transformation of six roles: from Quality System to Plating Quality Assurance; from Quality Assurance Supervisor to Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Black Belt; and from Operations Excellence Manager to Senior Plating Manager. During my 8 years as Operations Excellence Manager, I have actively practiced management based on PBM principles, enabling my Operations Excellence team members to maximize their contributions by taking full advantage of their comparative strengths in specific activities such as TOP, Plant Layout Transformation, and MOS implementation. Recently, Plating Team held a team building activity, and we came up with the slogan “Make the Plating Team a Leader”. I believe that under this shared vision, our colleagues in Plating Team will collaborate closely, pool their efforts, integrate Fusion and MOS, and enhance both their own work experience and that of our internal and external customers, paving the way for new opportunities and greater value!
Molex Shanghai operates two IT teams, the Site Support Operational Technology Asia Team (SSOT Asia Team) and the Enterprise Technology Service Manufacturing and Operational Support Team, led by Mike Wang, Ascent Zhu and Johnson Liao.
The SSOT team serves as a bridge between factory needs and global IT resources to support digitization projects. As a trusted partner to the business units in their plant digital transformation, the SSOT team is committed to proactively responding to business needs, identifying opportunities, accelerating digital integration capabilities, and driving transformation to deliver superior value.
The main business partners of SSOT include Site OE, OCM/HRBP and IT global resources (such as Tech Product Team, KGS, Local Vendor). The team consists of approximately 30 members distributed across various plants in Asia, including: Ascent Zhu (Shanghai ITBP & BA China Leader), Wu Xiaohua (Kunshan ITBP), Yan Zhe and Mike Wang onsite Shanghai plant.
Site Support Operational Technology Asia Team
Shanghai Outlook
Shanghai Outlook
Key Functions:
(1) Identify the value of new features in global solutions for plants and provide professional advice to assist in evaluating their adoption.
(2) Evaluate new requirements from plants and identify functional differences from global IT systems and the associated development costs.
(3) Support local digitalization efforts, providing IT standards and complementary IT capabilities.
Enterprise Technology Service Support Team
The Enterprise Technology Service Support Team is committed to providing superior support and ensuring the smooth operation of manufacturing and operational systems worldwide. The team's vision includes Versatile Application Support: We are committed to providing application support services that can be applied to various digital teams; Agile and Standards-Compliant Practices: We follow the principles of being both standards-compliant and agile, fostering the long-term profitability of One Molex; and Global Employee Experience: We endeavor to enhance the employee experience globally and support operational efficiencies.
We have three teams, comprising 17 members in total, providing 24x7 support worldwide: KGS India office with 10 members, KGS Mexico office with 2 members, and Molex with 5 members.
Key Functions:
(1) Support for manufacturing and operational systems: expertise in Opcenter, APS, AIP, MII, Ignition and others?
(2) System maintenance and reliability management: ensure systems are maintained and remain reliable.
(3) Version management and support: handle version updates and support.
(4) License management and support: manage and support software licenses.
(5) Change management and support: facilitate and support the change management process.
These experiences make me grow and improve continuously. I am proud to grow with Molex and look forward to working with the company to create even greater achievements in the future.
By: Molex Shanghai Employee
"One Molex" Visit Ⅳ
Aligning with the GOC vision, more and more "One Molex" knowledge sharing and visiting are taking place among Molex divisions and plants. Employees from Shanghai plant visited other plants for exchange and learning.
July 24th-25th MXSH Team visited? Ansan plant?
At the end of July, Molex Shanghai team visited Ansan Plant for two days. The visit gave us a deep insight of the Ansan Plant's efficient operational solutions in terms of production operations and supply chain management.
During the visit, we were warmly received by OpEx and Plant Management Team, who introduced in detail the plant's operational indicators and the progress of various CY24 projects. All team members took away information that would be helpful for team management. For example, the automated packaging machine at the Ansan Plant has tripled packaging efficiency and significantly improved inefficient packaging methods, and Molex Shanghai plans to adopt this technology to improve our production efficiency.
During our interaction with the OpEx team at the Ansan Plant, we learned that they place great emphasis on data analysis and process optimization, where every aspect of the process is monitored and analyzed in real time to make timely adjustments to the strategy and ensure the efficient operation of the management process.
This visit not only broadened our team's horizons, but also made us realize that production management is a discipline that requires continuous innovation and optimization. We sincerely hope that there will be more such opportunities in the future to learn and exchange ideas with other plants to continuously improve our operations.
August 19th-24th CCS Division team visited Mexico Nogales plant
To assist with the complete redesign of the entire Molding Team in the Nogales plant, Julia Huang, Yew Kah Ong and Huang Cheng had a special trip to Mexico so as to further enhance the plant's production efficiency and optimize the operation flow.
They conducted a comprehensive assessment of the entire production area on site, simulating the layout and identifying and optimizing areas that were underutilized or poorly arranged. The team completed mock-ups of the injection molding tool room and mixing area, optimized the latest layout scenarios, and re-divided and rearranged the areas to ensure optimal allocation of equipment, materials, as well as personnel.
Moreover, they established an excellent working relationship with the Nogales team, laying a solid foundation for future cooperation. Through this exchange and practice, the team not only achieved their optimization goals, but also injected new momentum into Molex’s development.
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PLANT DYNAMICS
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PLANT DYNAMICS
August MXSH supported Vietnam plant
Last year, the Molex Shanghai plant was recognized as a global flagship plant, an honor that marked a significant shift. Adopting a holistic strategy, the company transferred part of the production capacity of Mirror Mezz, one of the most sought-after projects, to the Vietnam plant in March this year, while sharing advanced technology and experience.
Recently, in order to increase the production capacity, optimize the process of the Mirror Mezz production line previously transferred, make sure Vietnam plant exactly execute the product inspection standards, Molex Shanghai sent several teams comprising members from PE, ME, MQA, Plating and Assembly to Vietnam plant support around August, these efforts have injected new vitality into the company's global operations.
Capacity Improvement: The team set a clear output target of 10,000 pieces per day. However, at that time, the Vietnam team's production capacity was only over 6,000 pieces per day, leaving a gap of nearly 30%. After in-depth research and discussion, we confirmed with the Vietnam automation team that the bottleneck on the production line was mainly focused on the Mylar (tape) placement station, which had a cycle time of 7.8 seconds and needed to be optimized to 6 seconds to reach the target.
Achieving this goal required crucial support from the Shanghai electronic control engineers. With the Shanghai team's assistance in communication and the Vietnamese colleagues' program debugging efforts, the cycle time was finally successfully optimized to the target value, where the actual cycle time even reached 5.8 seconds, which exceeded the expectation and ensured that the production capacity target was successfully achieved.
Productivity Improvement: The team started by clarifying the differences in the assembly process between the two plants. Although the entire assembly line was transferred from Shanghai to Vietnam, there were still some gap. For example, the packing method for each tray at the package station was different and operated differently than in Shanghai. Through communication and training, the Vietnam team quickly made improvements by adopting the same packaging methods as in Shanghai, which led to a rapid increase in output efficiency.
These targeted improvements have led to significant enhancements in both production efficiency and product yields.
Product Quality Management: The MQA team shared project quality management related documents, lessons learned and QN records with the Vietnam plant, and discussed them with colleagues in the Vietnam QA department to ensure that these measures are accurately implemented in daily production.
Customer Audit: In May this year, we conducted an internal audit in advance with our Vietnam QA colleagues and accompanied the customer for a comprehensive audit of the Vietnam plant. After successfully passing the customer audit, we double confirmed all findings identified by the customer one by one with Vietnamese colleagues and took measures to solve them. Early August, first batch samples passed customer's certification test, the Mirror Mezz product produced in Vietnam plant were finally approved for shipment.
Yield Improvement: We mainly solved the issues of wetting height overkill, solder ball pulling force out of the specification, and soldering test fail, etc. We on site trained QA on the judgment standard, and re-trained on the solder ball pull force test method, the soldering test method as well as the solder paste management process, in order to avoid the issues due to improper test method and misjudgment, and to help PEs to make targeted improvement on the real defects.
With the efforts of all departments of Shanghai team, the production capacity and yield of the Mirror Mezz production line in Vietnam plant have been significantly improved and are gradually approaching the pre-transfer levels seen in Shanghai.
??Insights from Payne Wu, ME Team
??Insights from Su Xiaodong, MQA Team
Shanghai Outlook
CY24 Open Day Activity
By: Rachel Zhang
In early August, employees' families were highly enthusiastic about participating in the 2024 "One Molex, One Family" Molex Shanghai Open Day activity. Over 60 families signed up, making the event incredibly lively!
Families are invited to experience Molex Shanghai's technology and development, providing a good opportunity to be familiar with company's production and work conditions.
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PLANT DYNAMICS
At the beginning, families signed in with the graffiti way, all children received the customized "Mini Molex Badges". Family members also dressed in customized T-shirts with the event's custom logo, gathering at various photo backdrops to take unforgettable photos.
During the opening ceremony, Plant Operation Director KH Park greeted to all attendees with "Chinese" made everyone feel the warmly welcomed. After that, Peter Li, Molex Shanghai Manufacturing Engineering Director introduced the company's history and product applications through engaging interactions, providing a deeper understanding of the company's development. Product Manager Ken's
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PLANT DYNAMICS
These junior Molex children looked very serious and adorable! Dressed in visitor cloth with caps, glasses, and shoe covers. They listened attentively in the production shop floor and office building, learning about their parents' work environment and company operations. This experience surely gave them a deeper understanding and admiration for their parents' work.
The interesting "Chemistry Class" and "Auto CAD Drawing Class" not only taught the kids new knowledge but also allowed them to experience tools and skills used in real work. The "special skills" demonstrated by the Molex Shanghai instructors amazed the children, creating a lively atmosphere of learning and discussion!
From the well-planned layout to the application of advanced technology, and the spirit of craftsmanship, every detail showcased the professional and responsibility of Molex employees. Through the plant tour, families gained a deeper understanding of the company's operations and felt great respect and pride for the hard work of Molex employees.
The Molex Shanghai Open Day concluded successfully, thanks to Molex Shanghai management team's support, the assistance of colleagues and volunteers from various departments, and the enthusiastic participation of families and children. We hope to see your smiles at the plant again next year!
Shanghai Outlook
presentation introduced Shanghai plant's flagship product - Mirror Mezz, also sparked the children's interest in learning!
CY24 May New Records Team Building
By: Rachel Zhang
In May, Molex Shanghai hit a new record in terms of two key indicators: Third-party Revenue and Gross Profit. This brilliant performance could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of all our colleagues. To recognize their contribution, the Shanghai management team provided a special gift for the team building to motivate every colleague to continue to “Connection as One Molex, Collaboration for Transformation”!
The team building activities of each department were colorful, not only showing the spirit of their respective teams, but also full of creativity and fun. These activities not only enhanced team cohesion, but also highlighted the enthusiasm and innovative spirit of all participants.
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CY24 Union Re-election
By: Shaw Song
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PLANT DYNAMICS
According to relevant laws and regulations in China, the term of office for enterprise union committees is clearly defined. Regular re-election is not only crucial for ensuring the legal and compliant operation of the enterprise union organization but also for ensuring that union activities are conducted within a legal framework, effectively safeguarding employees' rights and fulfilling the various functions of the union. Therefore, Molex Shanghai Union Committee held the 1st general meeting of the 4th committee on August 27th, and successfully elected the 4th union committee members.
A total of 75 employee representatives from all departments of Molex Shanghai attended the meeting. In addition, Mr. Tao Guibao, Deputy Director of Human Resources Department of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Administration and Vice Chairman of Free Trade Zone Union, Ms. Zhou Chenfeng, Vice Chairman of Waigaoqiao New Development Union, as well as representatives of Molex Shanghai management team, KH Park, Operations Director of Molex Shanghai, and Lucy Li, Senior Director of Human Resources, were also present at the meeting.
Liu Yun, as the chairman of the previous committee, presented a work summary of the 3rd union committee and shared the union financial update. Then in the formal election phase, the employee representatives reviewed the candidate members' qualifications and exercised their right to vote and cast their valuable ballots, which finally succeeded in electing 7 members of the 4th Molex Shanghai Union Committee.
With the joint efforts of all the delegates, the 1st general meeting of the 4th Molex Shanghai Union came to a successful conclusion. We believe that the new committee will continue to maintain full cooperation with the company and carry out continuous exchanges in the areas of protecting employees' rights and interests, creating career development opportunities, promoting work-life balance, improving employees' satisfaction, as well as fostering the harmonious development of the company.
Shanghai Outlook
Shanghai Outlook
Mr. Tao and KH, on behalf of the upper union and the Shanghai plant respectively, expressed their recognition and gratitude to the 3rd committee of Molex Shanghai Union for its efforts over the past five years. They affirmed that effective cooperation between the union and the company is the key to create harmonious labor relations, and they also expected that the new union committee would continue to make achievements in safeguarding the rights and interests of employees, promoting harmonious labor relations and enhancing employee satisfaction.
By: Sun Jiawei
"Molex Logo" Cycling Activity
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Shanghai Molex Cycle Club has been established for a long time, and has organized several fun riding activities: including Xinchang Riding, Binjiang Riding and Dishui Lake Riding. In order to continuously add vitality to the club, the captains brainstormed and decided to combine riding with “Molex Elements” to organize something special and meaningful.
The most important part of the event was the route. We drew the route on the computer according to the letterforms of “Molex”, but the route book could not recognize the real road conditions, so we had to visit the site in advance and redraw the route. Each letter of “Molex” is a zigzag line, which is difficult to depict on a vertical and horizontal map. We searched the entire Free Trade Zone and found that there was a road at the Cosco Shanghai Ruiying Real Estate Center that resembled the letter “M”, and next to the “M” in a circle was the “O”. In order to emphasize the “L”, we lengthened the riding distance of the straight line section of the “L”, turned back halfway, intersected with the “E”, and finally returned the end point to the entrance of the company after drawing the “X”. In this way, the complete logo was created.
The event took place on the evening of August 1st. It was still a bit hot on the day of the activity, but it didn't affect our passion. We put on our jerseys, rode our bicycles, and lined up on the side of the road. “Let's go”, I called out as the leader of the club, and we all went to the starting point of the event, Kingston Corporation. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at the end of the activity, the entrance of the Molex plant. All participants were very committed and perseverant, and they all finished the activity. I handed out the finishers' medals to all of them, and then we took a group photo together, and the activity was successfully concluded.
This activity allowed colleagues from various departments to get to know each other better, and all of them worked hard in the activity to exercise their physical fitness, gaining a better understanding of One Molex.
Activity Video
Molding Team: Basement Optimization Project
By: Hu Xuefeng
The supply of raw materials has always been an integral part of production in the plastics industry. With the ongoing changes and development, we have a higher awareness of the working environment, safety and efficiency, Molding is also making great efforts to make improvements and optimization.
Before optimization, Molding team conducted interviews with employees according to the unique structure of the current basement workshop, Better understand how to achieve the reality of the dust cleanliness, easy maintenance, safe operation and other characteristics, and even on the basis of the original space optimization and noise reduction and other requirements.
Based on these requirements, we finally decided to relocate the centralized feeding equipment from the original attic to the ground after several measurements and verification of equipment placement. Although we fulfilled the requirements of dust cleaning, ease of inspection, and safe operation, we encountered challenges in transferring and installing feeding equipment that was over 20 years old and rearranging piping that differed from the actual placement and operation space. Eventually, our team overcame all the difficulties and successfully completed the optimization of the central feeding system in the basement in nearly a month without impacting the production.
PLANT DYNAMICS
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Before Optimize
After Optimize
①The number of barrels for centralized material reduced from 8 to 3, reduce the cost of using the equipment.
②Improved equipment space utilization and rational placement of the site.
③Reduced personnel working hours in spot inspection/operation/cleaning and centralized material management.
④Reduced the safety hazard of elevated work and confined space operation
to zero, while reducing the noise level from 93DB to 75DB.
Shanghai Outlook
Shanghai Outlook
The success of the event required everyone's collective effort in preparation, including designing riding jerseys, finishers' medals, and planning the route. We promoted the event in our WeChat group, confirmed the size of participants and the number of registrations in advance, and arranged for the necessary bikes.
Plating Team: 5 Years Renovation and Upgrading Project
By: Jiang Huicheng
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PLANT DYNAMICS
Part of the production line at Molex Shanghai Plating Department has been in operation for more than 20 years, which is difficult to maintain due to the design of the original body. The equipment is aging and many spare parts are no longer available on the market. Therefore, we plan to upgrade/dismantle this part of the production line to prevent the risk of product quality and piping leakage and to increase productivity and reduce COPQ.
As part of the transformation strategy for the Plating Division at the Shanghai Plant, MC#1~MC#4 will be gradually upgraded over the next five years, while MC#7 and MC#8 will be dismantled in 2025 and 2027, respectively.
The upgrade of plating line MC#1 is expected to be completed within this year. The target product is Mirror Mezz, with a speed of up to 12m/min, which is 50% faster than the production speed of ST#21,22, which is also a linear plating line, and aligns with the speed of U-shaped lines ST#23,24.
PD Team: Motor stack floating board to board connector
By: Robert Pei
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PLANT DYNAMICS
Advantages of Motor Stack floating board-to-board connectors over wire-to-board connectors:
1.Cost Advantage: Traditional wire-to-board connectors require two pairs of connectors and one cable to connect two PCBs. Floating board-to-board connectors require only one pair of connectors to connect two PCBs.
2.Space Advantage: Using floating board-to-board connectors can save more space when connecting two PCBs. It can solve the concept of high-density stacking on the customers’ side.
3.Assembly Advantage: Floating board-to-board connectors can be reflow soldered together with other parts and realize automatic machine assembly.
Motor Stack floating board-to-board connector series products are mainly used in multiple modules of new energy vehicles, including MCU, DC-DC, DC-DC+OBC, BMS, ECU, HV BOX and so on.
Shanghai Outlook
In the course of the project, considering the high cost of outsourcing the entire line, we tried for the first time to modify and upgrade the line in-house, including but not limited to in-house design of the plating line structure, in-house design of the plating process, in-house design of the electrical control. Instead of the original modular integration through suppliers to be installed in our plant in the past, now we purchased the plating line components separately and shipped them to the plant for assembly, in an effort to minimize the cost of the components, with an expected total cost reduction of 40%.
In this cross-departmental MC#1 upgrade project, PJM coordinated the resource leadership team, while the automation team was responsible for the circuit design/electrical control of the production line. The plating production team provided feedback on challenges encountered during production and collaborated with the plating ME team to improve the production line design. All departments collaborated and brainstormed, fully demonstrating the spirit of principled entrepreneurship, using knowledge as a driving force to create value by contributing, and embodying the PBM philosophy of striving to create a perfect plating line.
Driven by the current policy and high-quality supply, the demand for new energy vehicles will continue to show a trend of rapid growth, but also drive the upstream and downstream industries continue to develop and innovate.
The Motor Stack floating board-to-board connector is the first such connector independently designed by the Shanghai R&D Center, specifically designed to meet the high demands of modern industrial and automotive applications.
For example, it is capable of operating in a temperature range of -40℃~130℃, offers SAE/USCAR-2 V2 level vibration and shock resistance, absorbs ±0.75mm assembly error when multiple connectors are used in the same PCB board, and accommodates multiple stacking height of 19~30mm with high density transmission capabilities, etc.
The modular development of new energy vehicles has promoted the diversified application of floating board-to-board connectors in automobiles.
Based on this market prospect, Molex Interconnect (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. continues to innovate and develops a series of floating board-to-board connectors - Motor Stack floating board-to-board connectors - with dual-point contact, floatable and vibration-resistant to meet different mating heights.
Quality Team: CY23 IEIT Gold Award
By:John Xu
On July 10th of this year, IEIT SYSTEMS held the 2023 Gold Award (means the best quality award) Conference at its headquarters in Jinan. The conference reviewed the past year's performance in the areas of delivery, quality, and innovation, and presented awards to the best companies among its more than 200 suppliers. For Gold Award, IEIT's Gold Award required meeting both of the following two criterias:
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? Shanghai Outlook / Award-winning Quiz ?
In principle-based management, which of the following actions best exemplifies the stewardship principle?
What are the advantages of Motor Stack floating board-to-board connectors over wire-to-board connectors?
A. Maximizing short-term profits at the cost of long-term sustainability
B. Ignoring environmental issues and focusing only on operational efficiency
C. Investing in technologies that reduce waste and improve long-term environmental performance
D. Delegating compliance responsibilities to specialized departments without further consideration
Award-winning Quiz
Reader
Corner
The answers to these four questions can be found in the above text. You can surely get full marks! We prepare a gift for 20 readers who get full marks. Scan the QR code and answer the questions now!
Shanghai Outlook
?? A quarterly quality assessment score achieved 90 points or above for the past year, with the best quality performance among similar suppliers.
? No quality issues have been reported based on the past year's performance.
Molex Shanghai plant, which mainly supplies Mirror Mezz products, won the “IEIT Gold Award” for its outstanding performance. This award signifies IEIT's high recognition of our products, services and quality, which will help to increase the volume and scope of business between Molex and IEIT.
IEIT SYSTEMS extended warm congratulations to Molex for winning the Gold Award and expressed gratitude for Molex's long-term support.
During this award meeting, both parties engaged in a detailed cooperation communication. IEIT SYSTEMS introduced its latest business in the server field, reviewed the cooperation between the two parties, and made further requirements for the future cooperation focusing on: cost competitiveness, optimization of materials long-delivery days, re-improvement of the timeliness of deliveries and technical feedbacks, and continuous improvement of quality.
Molex provided updates on its business and product pipelines, introduced its support team, reviewed the partnership, outlined future collaboration opportunities, and engaged in in-depth discussions on the quality control case for Mirror Mezz. The two parties engaged in open discussions regarding cooperation plans in areas such as cost competitiveness, delivery flexibility, technology, and quality.
In the future, Molex Shanghai will continue to improve the cooperation with IEIT in terms of quality, delivery and productivity with the spirit of innovation, progress and collaboration.
Once again, let's congratulate Molex Shanghai plant for winning the IEIT SYSTEMS Gold Award of the Year!
Which of the following statements about digitization projects is correct?
A. Task-level Dashboard for Stamping, Molding, Materials, and Assembly has been put into operation
B. Task-level Dashboard requirements for molds, machine, and QC have been collected
C. The goal of the paperless project is zero paper records
D. In the future, all users from all departments will be able to create customized reports on the Digital?
? ? ?Reporting Integration Platform.
A. Quality Advantages? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?B. Installation Advantages
C. Cost Advantages? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?D. Space Advantages
Which of the following are indicators of record performance for the Molex Shanghai plant in May 2024?
A. Third-party sales revenue? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? B. Production cost differences
C. Gross profit? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? D. Quality costs
Editorial Team Introduction:
Final Reviewer: Lucy Li
Editor: Rachel Zhang
Final Reviewer: Julia Lu
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