SigmaQuest Updates SigmaSure 6.0 with Repair Insight Module

Santa Clara, Calif., March 7, 2007 — SigmaQuest announced the availability of SigmaSure 6.0 that features a new Repair Insight module. With the software, OEMs can quickly pinpoint the exact source of product failures, track and compare historical information on which types of repairs have been made on products, and receive recommendations on which repairs are most effective. RMA Insight also bridges the product quality intelligence gap between return material authorization (RMA) and manufacturing quality data.

The repair module is ideal for electronic manufacturers that are seeking to reduce warranty costs and improve product performance across the entire lifecycle. It is particularly suited for OEMs with high volumes of products under warranty that are failing, those being faced with product recalls, those with large bone piles/scrap, or those that want insurance against any type of product failure or recall in industries including telecommunications, networking, medical devices, computers and peripherals. For example, a computer manufacturer that continues to receive like complaints can quickly identify if a defect is caused by the software running on the computer or a particular device that is failing in the computer. In the situation where a defective device is identified, the manufacturer can quickly identify where the product was developed, specifically which manufacturing center and on which line, as well as who was the supplier of the particular product component that failed. The module also enables OEMs to easily identify which repairs are most effective, and it gives recommendations to repair centers as to which repairs to try first, based on historical trends.

“Repair knowledge can be equated with tribal knowledge in that is often unwritten information that is not commonly shared with others within an organization. Yet, for enhanced productivity, this information needs to be known and analyzed by others in the supply network so that they can produce quality products,” said Nader Fathi, president and CEO of SigmaQuest. “With the introduction of SigmaSure 6.0 and Repair Insight, we are providing optimal approaches for OEMs, suppliers and their outsourced partners to collaborate in real time to improve their product quality and lower warranty costs, as they can all access the same information, regardless of geographic location or IT infrastructure. Moreover, our offering our Software as a Service – OnDemand, makes it is easier to adopt as users can access data anytime and anywhere as well as get up to speed quicker with lower implementation costs.”

The repair module in some ways can be equated with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) systems. However, it offers a substantial value add in that the repair data can be correlated along with other product development, test and quality information so that the exact product defect can be quickly identified. Also, it captures granular parametric data for each device as opposed to just capturing overview summary data. Of further note, Repair Insight is compatible with other software. For example, ART, (Agilent Repair Tool) data can also be uploaded into Repair Insight. The failure analysis and corrective action information from Repair Insight is captured via a form and a web service application programming interface (API) and displayed via user-friendly dashboards.

SigmaSure 6.0 Provides Enhanced Collaboration Features Beyond Repair Insight, the newly released SigmaSure 6.0 software features several significant upgrades. Most notably, the company is now offering group dashboards so that groups of users can add to and share their dashboard information. The information can also be exported into PDF or executable files so data can be shared with outside teams and organizations that may not have access to SigmaSure or the particular dashboard being viewed. Further, the SigmaSure Alerts System now sends alerts via email so users don’t need to be logged onto the dashboard to see if there is a warning. The software provides alerts on product, process, parametric, station and fixture type of issues. Example of such events that could trigger such alerts are Marginal Measurements and Escapes–product defects that frequently fail to be detected at the manufacturing test stage and get delivered to the customer.

Jake Kulp, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at MC Assembly, a national leader in the contract manufacturing industry noted, “SigmaQuest’s Repair Insight fills an important link in the product quality tracking and management process. Now, it will be even easier to pinpoint the exact cause of a product failure and ensure that our repair teams are making the appropriate fixes. Moreover, it ties in well with our existing portfolio of SigmaQuest software that enable us to track the quality of our products from the moment they enter manufacturing and throughout their lifecycles.”

Pricing and Availability SigmaSure 6.0 with Repair Insight as an optional module is available today as an OnDemand product starting at a U.S. list price of $8,500 per month.

About SigmaQuest SigmaQuest Inc. is an OnDemand software company whose solutions provide unprecedented insight and actionable information to ensure product and process integrity, by collecting, controlling and analyzing quality data throughout the product lifecycle. Its solutions enable global enterprises, such as OEMs that design, manufacture and service a broad array of products containing electronic components, to help deliver lower warranty costs, improve product quality and increase customer satisfaction. SigmaQuest’s suite of products consists of Manufacturing and Test Insight, Supplier Quality Insight and RMA Insight, all of which are offered in an OnDemand, real-time environment. The company’s market-changing approach has been recognized in Managing Automation’s Top Ten Companies to Watch, Manufacturing Business Technology’s Top 40 Emerging Vendors, and Test & Measurement World’s “Best in Test” awards.