Imagine assembling Samsung, Sony, Sharp and Toshiba televisions in the same plant at the same time—each with different flat panels, components and features, from built-in WiFi to 3D displays—and you’ll have some idea of the challenges facing MBX Systems in manufacturing made-to-order server appliances and embedded systems.
Each custom-built appliance uses a different chassis, dozens of different components, and variations in processes such as cabling, branding, software image loading, and testing. These widely divergent requirements can wreak havoc on scheduling, workload distribution, on-time delivery and particularly quality control.