GCM
Going Beyond Manufacturing

In the competitive world of outsourced contract manufacturing, remaining competitive and providing a unique offering is both critical and challenging. Once the efforts to establish a high-quality and focused offering is completed, the next challenge is determining how to become the ‘go-to’ option for new and existing customers.

The answer lies in delivering unmatched value and exceptional services while sustaining this throughout the customer relationship. For the past four decades, GCM, a Union City, CA-based firm, has gone beyond merely offering component-manufacturing services by providing its OEM partners with a full range of services—from product design to manufacturing capabilities. The organization is committed to delivering consistent product quality through manufacturing and service excellence that meets and often exceeds customers’ expectations. Seamus Meagher, president of GCM, avers, “Our primary market is Med Tech; we provide innovative products and services to leading Medical Device OEMs in robotic surgery systems, oncology treatment, cardiovascular therapy, diagnostic testing platforms, and other fields.” The firm’s manufacturing capabilities underpin the extremely precise requirements of the medical market; its expertise spans precision machining, robotic welding and joining technologies, precision assembly, and engineering services—from prototyping to process development and validation, among others. “By combining our clients’ product design and commercialization expertise with our acquaintance in manufacturing, we develop the best possible version of a product and help get it to the market in a timely manner,” asserts Meagher.

Furthermore, GCM’s extensive competencies also encompass the ability to provide critical design feedback on products and create prototypes and test them to the stringent requirements of the industries. The firm has established procedures to provide PPAP, FMEA, and process validations where required.Two main areas where GCM has been recently successful are performing multi-site qualifications and helping customers better manage inventory.

By combining our clients’ product design and commercialization expertise with our acquaintance in manufacturing, we develop the best possible version of a product and help get it to the market in a timely manner.

“Our engineering know-how, ability to produce highly technical products, and develop reliable assemblies for mission-critical medical applications is what makes us the desired partner for handling difficult-to-manufacture and high-complexity precision components,” adds Meagher

Another notable aspect of GCM is the collaborative approach utilized to address clients’ needs and requirements. “Initially, we pull together a team of engineers to have a zoom call with the client to review their product specifications; we provide value engineering services,” informs Meagher. Once the specifications and the deadline are agreed upon, GCM begins with the manufacturing process and documents a control plan. This is followed by running the manufactured product through validation, all while maintaining constant communication with the customer. Sometimes, there might be tradeoffs or challenges. The GCM team works through these with its quality engineering team or manufacturing engineering team to deliver an end product that meets specifications. What perhaps speaks for itself is the firm’s ability to consistently deliver high-quality, highly-engineered products and scale-up manufacturing as demand grows.

In an impressive feat, GCM helped a Miami-based client that sells critical diagnostic equipment address a complex manufacturing challenge. “The client had a very precise miniature component that needed to be manufactured. The solution provider they had previously collaborated with failed to fulfill their demand,” explains Meagher. In addition, the client had a couple of million dollars worth of equipment that they needed to ship. GCM put together its engineering team and came up with a new process. In two weeks, they delivered the item the client demanded and shipped their systems.

Treading ahead with many more similar success stories under its hood, GCM is all set to expand its footprint beyond capital equipment and into medical instruments. “We are looking for opportunities to expand in that direction of the business to support more of the overall requirements of robotic surgery, and other surgical applications,” concludes Meagher.