Solving Problems and Validating Excellence

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

“IPC’s slogan is Build Electronics Better, which is 100% what Validation Services is,” says Randy Cherry, who directs the program, now in its 11th year. Having created the program from the ground up and weathered the COVID drought just when the program was gaining momentum, IPC Validations Services has 165 customers and an impressive 98% retention rate.

Why is this program important? That was the question no doubt more than a few IPC members were asking themselves when David Bergman, VP of Standards and Technology, first thought of the idea for a value-added service that would provide analyses, auditing, and qualification to global manufacturers built around specific IPC standards. This would be the first audit of its kind and would take place on the factory floor.

Starting any new system is a tremendous amount of work, but defining, creating, and implementing such a complete system of oversight and qualification took years to gain momentum. As VS took off, it yielded a continuous stream of direct industry feedback about what companies most needed and would find most helpful. Out of this, the program grew.

In 2016, the Standards Gap Analysis (SGA) program came into being, allowing for a completely confidential pre-audit process for companies considering a full VS audit, but wanting to identify areas for process improvement beforehand. Out of the audit and SGA programs, Technology Solutions became a service offering in 2018, providing technical expertise to help manufacturers solve problems on the factory floor. In 2019, the IPC-1791 Trusted Supplier and Cybersecurity List came to fruition, a clear sign to OEMs and customers that the listed PCB and EMS manufacturers are “safe” suppliers who will consistently guard their IP and where no counterfeit parts will ever be used.

Though the word “audit” continues to instill fear and trepidation in business owners, “The difference between Validation Services and something like an ISO audit is that a VS audit is completely confidential, and you are simply given what you need to improve so that you can complete your audit successfully,” says Mike Milostan, IPC director of marketing. “Once a company is ready, we come back in, do the full-scale audit, and issue a qualification that is valid for three years. Both internally, from a process improvement and quality control standpoint, to externally, from a customer perception perspective and passing that first hurdle of vendor qualification, Validation Services is a tremendous value for the companies that participate.”

To read this entire article, which appeared in the June 2024 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.