Interview with Christopher Marxen Director, Manufacturing /Operations, Siemens Hearing Instruments
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AO/Beck: Hi Chris. Thanks for your time this morning. For the readers' benefit, I should state that we're at the new Siemens facility in La Mirada, California. The facility is state-of-the-art, and quite impressive. Let's start with a little information about you and your professional background please.
Marxen: Sure, Doug. I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota - the hearing aid Mecca of the world! I earned my associate's degree in electronics in 1984, also in Minneapolis!
AO/Beck: And you've been in the hearing aid industry since then?
Marxen: That's correct.
AO/Beck: How long have you been with Siemens?
Marxen: Four years.
AO/Beck: Chris, my understanding is that you work at all four Siemens facilities. That's a lot of travel time.
Marxen: I'm based in Piscataway, New Jersey as the Director of Manufacturing and Operations with responsibility for the other three sites, too. So I spend a little time in Illinois, Georgia, California, and New Jersey.
AO/Beck: What are your primary responsibilities?
Marxen: My responsibility is essentially manufacturing, which encompasses new production, repairs, and remakes of product in all Siemens facilities.
AO/Beck: Was your education primarily in the digital world or is that something you've had to go back and re-educate yourself on?
Marxen: Interesting question. I actually had digital theory way back when I got my degree but being in the industry so long I've grown up with and matured with the technology as it has evolved. I've learned as DSP has developed.
AO/Beck: Let's talk specifically about the new plant in La Mirada. La Mirada is in the southern end of Los Angeles County, almost at the Orange County border.
Marxen: Yes, that's correct. It makes for an excellent location for our new facility. The local operations manager is David Anderson and he runs the plant and day-to-day operations. I've been involved since we started looking for a new facility in California, which was about two years ago. I've been traveling out here every two months or so to look at sites and research opportunities, and as you can see, we believe we've found the right one! Manufacturing moved in and was up and running by Dec.1st,2002. As you know, the official grand opening was January 2003. The new location is 28,000 square feet.
Our industry is somewhat unique in that custom manufacturing requires a high labor content and a small manufacturing space. So the challenge for us here in the LA - Orange County area was to find a location that had the square footage we wanted but also had the parking we needed for all of our employees. That is a formidable challenge in this part of the world.
AO/Beck: How many employees do you have here?
Marxen: 145 total, and out of that number, 125 are in manufacturing.
AO/Beck: What percentage of your products actually are made by the LasR™ process in La Mirada?
Marxen: Our laser technology has been very successful and right now 50 percent of all of our production is laser production.
AO/Beck: Wow, that was a quick conversion!
Marxen: We've taken the approach that we'd turn it on model-by-model. We started with CICs. The theory was, if we could make CIC work we could make any model work! We've gone to the larger models from there.
AO/Beck: What changes have you seen in-house, as a result of the LasR system?
Marxen: We've seen a noticeable improvement in customer satisfaction because of the texture of the material and the secure fit that we're getting from the enhanced material we use. But you still have difficult ear canals, harder and softer ears, good impressions, bad impressions and we still have some returns with laser technology. But overall, it has improved the product and we're very pleased with the results.
AO/Beck: Is Siemens positioned to introduce a full digital impression?
Marxen: Yes. We believe we're leading the way in this platform and we have everything in place to be able to handle receiving the digital image, whether it's the scan of an ear or the scan of an impression.
AO/Beck: What sort of timeline are we on before that is available? I presume you're testing it at this point?
Marxen: The big question is what level and type of technology to take into the office setting. The technology exists today that we could put an office scanner in an office and scan an impression.
AO/Beck: But wouldn't it be prohibitively expensive?
Marxen: It would probably be in the $30,000-$40,000 range.
AO/Beck: And when do you think we're going to get it to a price point that makes it attractive for dispensing offices?
Marxen: There is momentum building currently from some of the bigger scanning companies. They see the potential of all these offices and the potential for putting impression scanners in hearing healthcare offices across the country. I think within the next 12-15 months you could reach the right price point easily.
AO/Beck: If we had digital ear scanners in the offices, I have to think the returns for credits and remakes would dramatically decrease, and likely would approach zero. I suppose that once we have digital scanners, we could show the patient an image of the hearing aid in their own ear to make sure they're happy with the cosmetic presentation before it's produced, too?
Marxen: Absolutely. Digitizing the ear would open up a multitude of opportunities that would enhance customer satisfaction.
AO/Beck: What does the La Mirada plant have that's unique to it?
Marxen: What's unique about our new facility is that we had an opportunity to design it from the ground up to meet our specifications rather than retrofit a space. It's designed specifically with our workflow in mind and designed around the LasR™ technology for the digital manufacturing of hearing instruments. The first impression when you go into the building is that it's a very open floor plan. It's a big space and it's designed to be open with high ceilings and with a real nice feel to it. So you don't have your traditional manufacturing groups such as a shell lab separated from the final assembly process. And of course, the LasR process is unique because not only do you get a better shell, but you get away from traditional monomer and polymer technologies and UV technologies. LasR is a cleaner technology in a very open space and is well integrated with our final assembly process.
AO/Beck: Does LasR technology cost the end user the same as the UV or traditional shell technology?
Marxen: Yes.
AO/Beck: And what is the standard turn around time?
Marxen: We will ship every new instrument within three days or less.
AO/Beck: What does the La Mirada location allow that the Cerritos location prohibited?
Marxen: With the new layout we've come up with is a more efficient production flow design, which we didn't have in Cerritos. La Mirada is a little larger production team that allows for staff coverage during times of vacation and holiday, and absenteeism, so we get improved efficiency with more consistent turn-around time, based on this flow line that we've designed.
AO/Beck: My understanding is that for any of the interested dispensers, audiologists, or other hearing healthcare professionals, is that they can contact you for tours of the facility and to see how everything works?
Marxen: Yes. We encourage our customers to come in and see our state-of-the-art factory. We would probably organize the tour with our outside sales reps so tours could be conducted by a familiar face whenever possible. We would love to do that, we love to show off this facility.
AO/Beck: If the readers would like to set-up a tour, I guess the best thing is to contact their sales representative first?
Marxen: Yes, that's probably best, but they can also email me at cMarxen@siemens-hearing.com or they can contact Dave Anderson, facility manager, at danderson@siemens-hearing.com.
AO/Beck: So in summary, the new facility has allowed a more efficient process to occur in the manufacturing of custom made hearing aid shells? Are there additional benefits of LASR over the traditional UV process?
Marxen: Yes. It's been a big challenge to really control the older obsolete process, and all hearing aid processes. No matter what manufacturing you use have variables, from dipping in wax, and wax runs, to different technician skill levels and difficult impressions, etc. Previously, it was challenging to control the process. Now with LasR technology, we have machines and software that monitor the process, so we can quickly identify if it starts to go out of control. So what people may not see from the outside is that we now have the science that allows us to control our process. That's a powerful tool in this industry. In the past, using previous shell technologies, you couldn't easily find the source of the problem. It might have been the technician who made an error, such as they dipped it wrong, or took off too much material, but we never knew. Now with LasR technology and software, and our control charting methodology to track the parts, we can tell immediately if something is out-of-whack. So we're very excited about this facility and the technology that resides here.
AO/Beck: Chris, thanks so much for your time today and the tour. The facility is really something to see, and I encourage the readers to take a tour if they find themselves in southern California.
Marxen: Thanks Doug. It's nice to have Audiology Online here, and we appreciate your help in spreading the news about La Mirada.
Click here to visit the Siemens Hearing Instruments website.
Marxen: Sure, Doug. I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota - the hearing aid Mecca of the world! I earned my associate's degree in electronics in 1984, also in Minneapolis!
AO/Beck: And you've been in the hearing aid industry since then?
Marxen: That's correct.
AO/Beck: How long have you been with Siemens?
Marxen: Four years.
AO/Beck: Chris, my understanding is that you work at all four Siemens facilities. That's a lot of travel time.
Marxen: I'm based in Piscataway, New Jersey as the Director of Manufacturing and Operations with responsibility for the other three sites, too. So I spend a little time in Illinois, Georgia, California, and New Jersey.
AO/Beck: What are your primary responsibilities?
Marxen: My responsibility is essentially manufacturing, which encompasses new production, repairs, and remakes of product in all Siemens facilities.
AO/Beck: Was your education primarily in the digital world or is that something you've had to go back and re-educate yourself on?
Marxen: Interesting question. I actually had digital theory way back when I got my degree but being in the industry so long I've grown up with and matured with the technology as it has evolved. I've learned as DSP has developed.
AO/Beck: Let's talk specifically about the new plant in La Mirada. La Mirada is in the southern end of Los Angeles County, almost at the Orange County border.
Marxen: Yes, that's correct. It makes for an excellent location for our new facility. The local operations manager is David Anderson and he runs the plant and day-to-day operations. I've been involved since we started looking for a new facility in California, which was about two years ago. I've been traveling out here every two months or so to look at sites and research opportunities, and as you can see, we believe we've found the right one! Manufacturing moved in and was up and running by Dec.1st,2002. As you know, the official grand opening was January 2003. The new location is 28,000 square feet.
Our industry is somewhat unique in that custom manufacturing requires a high labor content and a small manufacturing space. So the challenge for us here in the LA - Orange County area was to find a location that had the square footage we wanted but also had the parking we needed for all of our employees. That is a formidable challenge in this part of the world.
AO/Beck: How many employees do you have here?
Marxen: 145 total, and out of that number, 125 are in manufacturing.
AO/Beck: What percentage of your products actually are made by the LasR™ process in La Mirada?
Marxen: Our laser technology has been very successful and right now 50 percent of all of our production is laser production.
AO/Beck: Wow, that was a quick conversion!
Marxen: We've taken the approach that we'd turn it on model-by-model. We started with CICs. The theory was, if we could make CIC work we could make any model work! We've gone to the larger models from there.
AO/Beck: What changes have you seen in-house, as a result of the LasR system?
Marxen: We've seen a noticeable improvement in customer satisfaction because of the texture of the material and the secure fit that we're getting from the enhanced material we use. But you still have difficult ear canals, harder and softer ears, good impressions, bad impressions and we still have some returns with laser technology. But overall, it has improved the product and we're very pleased with the results.
AO/Beck: Is Siemens positioned to introduce a full digital impression?
Marxen: Yes. We believe we're leading the way in this platform and we have everything in place to be able to handle receiving the digital image, whether it's the scan of an ear or the scan of an impression.
AO/Beck: What sort of timeline are we on before that is available? I presume you're testing it at this point?
Marxen: The big question is what level and type of technology to take into the office setting. The technology exists today that we could put an office scanner in an office and scan an impression.
AO/Beck: But wouldn't it be prohibitively expensive?
Marxen: It would probably be in the $30,000-$40,000 range.
AO/Beck: And when do you think we're going to get it to a price point that makes it attractive for dispensing offices?
Marxen: There is momentum building currently from some of the bigger scanning companies. They see the potential of all these offices and the potential for putting impression scanners in hearing healthcare offices across the country. I think within the next 12-15 months you could reach the right price point easily.
AO/Beck: If we had digital ear scanners in the offices, I have to think the returns for credits and remakes would dramatically decrease, and likely would approach zero. I suppose that once we have digital scanners, we could show the patient an image of the hearing aid in their own ear to make sure they're happy with the cosmetic presentation before it's produced, too?
Marxen: Absolutely. Digitizing the ear would open up a multitude of opportunities that would enhance customer satisfaction.
AO/Beck: What does the La Mirada plant have that's unique to it?
Marxen: What's unique about our new facility is that we had an opportunity to design it from the ground up to meet our specifications rather than retrofit a space. It's designed specifically with our workflow in mind and designed around the LasR™ technology for the digital manufacturing of hearing instruments. The first impression when you go into the building is that it's a very open floor plan. It's a big space and it's designed to be open with high ceilings and with a real nice feel to it. So you don't have your traditional manufacturing groups such as a shell lab separated from the final assembly process. And of course, the LasR process is unique because not only do you get a better shell, but you get away from traditional monomer and polymer technologies and UV technologies. LasR is a cleaner technology in a very open space and is well integrated with our final assembly process.
AO/Beck: Does LasR technology cost the end user the same as the UV or traditional shell technology?
Marxen: Yes.
AO/Beck: And what is the standard turn around time?
Marxen: We will ship every new instrument within three days or less.
AO/Beck: What does the La Mirada location allow that the Cerritos location prohibited?
Marxen: With the new layout we've come up with is a more efficient production flow design, which we didn't have in Cerritos. La Mirada is a little larger production team that allows for staff coverage during times of vacation and holiday, and absenteeism, so we get improved efficiency with more consistent turn-around time, based on this flow line that we've designed.
AO/Beck: My understanding is that for any of the interested dispensers, audiologists, or other hearing healthcare professionals, is that they can contact you for tours of the facility and to see how everything works?
Marxen: Yes. We encourage our customers to come in and see our state-of-the-art factory. We would probably organize the tour with our outside sales reps so tours could be conducted by a familiar face whenever possible. We would love to do that, we love to show off this facility.
AO/Beck: If the readers would like to set-up a tour, I guess the best thing is to contact their sales representative first?
Marxen: Yes, that's probably best, but they can also email me at cMarxen@siemens-hearing.com or they can contact Dave Anderson, facility manager, at danderson@siemens-hearing.com.
AO/Beck: So in summary, the new facility has allowed a more efficient process to occur in the manufacturing of custom made hearing aid shells? Are there additional benefits of LASR over the traditional UV process?
Marxen: Yes. It's been a big challenge to really control the older obsolete process, and all hearing aid processes. No matter what manufacturing you use have variables, from dipping in wax, and wax runs, to different technician skill levels and difficult impressions, etc. Previously, it was challenging to control the process. Now with LasR technology, we have machines and software that monitor the process, so we can quickly identify if it starts to go out of control. So what people may not see from the outside is that we now have the science that allows us to control our process. That's a powerful tool in this industry. In the past, using previous shell technologies, you couldn't easily find the source of the problem. It might have been the technician who made an error, such as they dipped it wrong, or took off too much material, but we never knew. Now with LasR technology and software, and our control charting methodology to track the parts, we can tell immediately if something is out-of-whack. So we're very excited about this facility and the technology that resides here.
AO/Beck: Chris, thanks so much for your time today and the tour. The facility is really something to see, and I encourage the readers to take a tour if they find themselves in southern California.
Marxen: Thanks Doug. It's nice to have Audiology Online here, and we appreciate your help in spreading the news about La Mirada.
Click here to visit the Siemens Hearing Instruments website.
