My "Build" Theory

Hello all!
I just checked in on my order and it is now in the kitting stage. It was sitting at the build stage for about a week. Some may say that it took one step backwards. I say nay to that. I have a theory to share with you all. Let me know what you think.

I think once Dell confirms that your payment is legit, they automatically put you in production. I think they do this to fool you into thinking that they immediately got started on your laptop once everything became legit. However, I think that once they actually start making your computer, they start with the kitting stage and make their way through the following process:

kitting -> build -> testing -> boxing -> shipped.

Since it takes around 4-5 hours to actually make the computer...that is if they have all of their parts, who knows where it would be by the time 3 am comes around! I am aware that the stages take longer than the time I gave. But you never know with Dell.

What do you think of my theory?

 

it takes 8 mins to manufacture a laptop. I cant find the post where someone confirmed it...but Its true.

 

wait how do u tell what stage of building it is in?

 

If you're in the US there is a phone # to call but since you're in Canada it does not work.

 

damn... that sucks

 

Of course they start with the kitting stage... click here, it says it in plain English...

It's true, in Canada, you cannot check which specific stage of production your notebook is currently in.

 

I think my theory is gaining some leverage. It just went into the testing phase! Maybe by midnight, it might be boxing.

 

Woa, that's pretty fast moving from kitting to testing in several hours!... If your theory is true, then I really wish mine went into kitting soon!

 

jak,
I don't know why they chose my computer instead of yours to go into kitting first. You ordered first. In all fairness they should have chosen yours before mine.

 

look at my sig at how fast mine went through the process

 

Your computer was testing for two days? That is a long time for it to be in that phase.

 

I believe so, it makes me think it had an issue and they had to fix something and put it back in testing....now if boxing hurries up I'll still get it by the end of the week

 

Thanks, matt . I think it may have been due to the fact I used the EPP site. I'm actually glad to hear you got out of build stage!

 

You are exactly right, I believe the same thing, I said it in another thread. When your laptop has been in build for awhile I wouldnt believe it, esp. since a lot of us were in build for weeks. If you get kitting you should be very happy as things will move along quickly from there.

 

Check this out. Explains everything.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EEhNkzdKyrw

 

interesting...

 

Well Matt, looks like another 8/7 buddy has beat me through the process! Congrats though, and a little off topic, but I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated the post you made about the "real" importance of what we're all waiting for here. Sorry to hear you had a sick son, I have 2 boys myself and a 3rd due in 2 weeks, so I can completely relate to how you feel about what is really important in life.

~Julia

 

More weight for your theory Matt:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=155595

Seriously, I think you are correct. How else would a current shortage of processors/graphic cards affect an order placed 3 weeks ago?? With all the other laptops coming out of Dell, you would think 3 weeks ago, in the kitting stage, he would've already had his componets altogether?!?!

 

Technically the testing (called burn-in) takes only 30 - 40mins. That INCLUDES the software being downloaded to your computer.

By far the biggest delay in Dell's Manufacturing centers are lack of parts. It usually takes about 6 hours for notebook to go from parts to a box on a pallet.

In the video, it says Dell has no warehouses, which is true. Each Dell Manufacturing Center is surrounded by a campus of buildings where it's suppliers operate from. About every two hours or so, each supplier gets an email telling how many parts Dell needs and they truck it over, usually accross the screen

The kitting process is short. Your tracking code is put in a tote and it goes down a conveyor belt and people down the line see on a screen what parts to put in your tote.

The tote then goes to the Integrated build area where it lands on a builders desk and he goes to work. it takes more like 5 minutes to assemble the laptop . The laptop then is taken by the super stacker machine and placed in a storage rack where a network cable and a power cable are plugged into it.

This is the burn phase.

From there, the stacker sends the laptop to the boxing area. The laptop is placed into the box and goes down the conveyor belt. Along the belt people on both sides put in parts like power cables, batt or other accessories you ordered into the box. A machine closes the box and tapes it. (my favorite machine in the factory!)

It then goes down to DC (Distributation Center). It's palletized and Dell orders a plane to send all the pallets to the US. (typically Nashville) There it's unloaded, placed in another box, usually and then off to the trucks we go.

Boy, that was a long story.

 

*** Lol - I must have started my tome just as you finished yours

Anyway .... ***

This is how it works -

You order.

Once the order and payment method is confirmed the order is sent to the factory.

If all the parts are available from suppliers your order will be kitted - all the various parts are put in a plastic tub and put on the line to be sent to the person who will build your machine and be responsible for it until it's shipped from the factory (they are called "owners").

If the parts aren't available then the order will be held in pre-production.
Now, they dont half fill the bin with what you need and put it to one side and just wait for the missing part, they just hold back the order. On site all the parts suppliers have their own facilities and they are concerned with stocking and importing the parts into their facilities. Dell will then send out an order based on what it needs for the next 2 hours of production and the various parts will be sent into the Dell Manufacturing facility. Only once those items have crossed the white line into the plant do they become Dells property and responsibility.

So in theory you can get caught in a catch 22 in pre-production - today we have screens but no CPU, tomorrow we have CPU's but no screens, the next day we have screens and CPU's but no GPU's. So youre order gets trapped in limbo. But it's the individual suppliers responsibility to supply Dells needs for a particular period.

Once Dell gets word that all the various parts are available the order will move into production and the parts will be ordered with the rest of the gear they need for the next 2 hours, kitted into a tub, sent to the owner who will build it and on to testing. If it fails any part of the testing stage it's returned to its "owner" to rectify the problem and tested again. If it passes fine it's sent to be boxed and whacked on a truck for distribution.

 

Even worse if your laptop while in the burn stage fails at the end of the 2nd shift, it chills in the racks til the next morning........

I've heard that a few times hehe.

Interesting, we refer em as builders here in Austin, TX, since they technically work in the intergrated build phase.

It's kinda cool to watch a manufacturing plant work. There are sever here in Austin, but they build desktops and servers.

I guess another holdup would be equipment problems. Those only last a few hours at most and ALWAYS happens on the boxing's section. The rest of the phases have far less equipment issues.

 

Here is a cool read.

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread85821.html

 

So what you're saying is that if it's in the boxing stage for more than an hour or two, then the robot crushed it and they are gluing the pieces back together and doing some quick body work??? Just kidding. ;P

From What I've read so far.. the "Boxing" stage consists of:

1) Placing your laptop (without external parts) in a smaller box.
2) Shipping it to the airport in whatever 3rd world place it was made.
3) Flying it to USA.
4) Placing it in the secondary shipping boxes along with other external parts/software/dummy manuals.
5) Shipping via DHL/UPS/FEDEX to your home.

So "Boxing" is typically at least 2 days if not 3 minimum.

 

Boxing does tend to last 2-3 days. I've been in boxing since about noon saturday (8/11). Hoping to move to shipping today!

 

Testing is 80 mins, http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=150896

 

I agree with your Matt. Theres a link here somewhere, posted I think by IUCandi to a YouTube video that describes the dell process and it says that "kitting" is where they gather all the parts for your laptop, put them all in a box, and then the build stage begins. So how can we be in "build" if they are waiting for parts?

 

I think the immediate build mode is there just to shut us up - so they think. I think it has riled up more people because they are thinking,"Why does it take so long to build my computer? It is already past the kitting stage!"

 

Another thought...
It seems like a lot of us our in boxing right now. Could it be possible that we are all on the same plane over to America where our computers will be shipped? This could explain why some are in boxing for a long time and others for awhile.