Enable all “cells” to perform at their fullest potential.

　　At the invitation of Aiborui Consulting, the organizer of the 8th International Forum on Manufacturing Management in China, our company’s General Manager, Tang Yanling, attended the forum’s opening ceremony held on October 21 at the Binhai International Convention Center as a representative of an outstanding lean‑management enterprise. She also granted an interview to the Binhai Times, the content of which was published as a case study in the forum special issue of the Binhai Times dated October 22.

　　This interview, titled “Enabling Every ‘Cell’ to Reach Its Full Potential,” draws on Pulin Company’s 23-year history to explore how lean management can be applied to corporate governance, as well as several pioneering lean‑management practices first introduced by the company. At the conclusion of the interview, the speaker expressed a vision for the enterprise to grow into an internationally competitive organization, while also advocating for the strategic leveraging of societal resources to foster a harmonious, win‑win dynamic.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　——General Office

(Interview with Tang Yanling, General Manager of Tianjin Purun Circuit Co., Ltd.)

　　Enable all “cells” to perform at their fullest potential.

　　“I believe the essence of lean manufacturing lies in enabling every ‘cell’ within the enterprise to play its fullest role in building a three-dimensional organizational structure,” said Tang Yanling, General Manager of Tianjin Pulin Circuit Co., Ltd. As one of the earliest joint ventures introduced in Tianjin, Tianjin Pulin Circuit Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Tianjin Pulin Circuit) has now been in operation for 23 years. Over this period, it has undergone three major transformations—moving from simply adopting advanced foreign management practices to forging a management approach tailored to its own unique circumstances.

　　“From 1988 to 1994, Tianjin Pulinn Circuit’s management was relatively advanced compared with that of traditional state-owned enterprises,” Tang Yanling told the reporter. As a joint venture, the company placed great emphasis on adopting cutting-edge international management practices; compared with China’s conventional management models, foreign approaches were indeed more sophisticated. An outstanding PCB manufacturer must embrace innovative thinking, meet customer expectations, and, while collaborating with suppliers, actively learn from and draw upon their management expertise.

　　1994 marked a period when Tianjin attracted a significant influx of foreign investment, and Tianjin Pulinn Circuit experienced its second major transformation. “Motorola played an indispensable role in shaping Tianjin Pulinn Circuit,” said Tang Yanling. From 1994 to 1999, the company served as a supplier to Motorola. To promote the philosophy of achieving complete customer satisfaction, Motorola funded relevant training programs for its suppliers, and Tianjin Pulinn Circuit was fortunate enough to participate. Over five years of such training, a profound shift occurred in the company’s mindset: employees gained a deep understanding of lean management and production‑efficiency optimization. “During that time, many leading equipment suppliers helped us undergo a major transformation—both in terms of efficiency and in adopting more refined, precision‑driven manufacturing processes.” The approach of integrating experience and advanced processes into equipment had a lasting impact on Tianjin Pulinn’s expansion efforts. Moreover, at that time, all of the company’s customers were overseas, and these international clients explicitly emphasized environmental sustainability. “We were among the first enterprises in Tianjin to obtain UL certification.”

　　After 1999, in pursuit of breakthroughs in equipment and management, Tianjin Pulin Circuit undertook its third transformation. On the equipment front, the company boldly implemented a “horizontal‑line automated loading and unloading” system, enabling fully automated material handling and reducing yield fluctuations caused by variations in operator performance. “At that time, no other domestic enterprise was using such equipment; we were the only one to integrate automated systems into a horizontal production line.” In terms of management, another major highlight was adopting a forward‑looking, equipment‑centric approach: engineers standardized 80% of the process parameters, while management formalized 80% of the operational procedures. “We aimed to codify both processes and policies through this method, and this philosophy has won broad support from many companies.” Furthermore, to strengthen its management framework and refine lean‑management practices, Tianjin Pulin Circuit introduced an ERP system in 1998, with the goal of establishing a mobile, interactive data platform. “We enabled every operator to participate in data entry, ensuring that production schedules and financial information are all derived from this system.” “Only when everyone works with consistent, unified data can they truly align their efforts and build consensus.”

　　In 2007, Tianjin Pulinn Circuit successfully went public. “We aspire to become an internationally oriented enterprise. Looking ahead, we plan to leverage our financing platform to pursue mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments in both domestic and international companies across the PCB industry’s upstream and downstream sectors. Our goal is to harness societal resources for our benefit, fostering a harmonious, win-win outcome.”