Our printed circuit boards and packaging are manufactured in California. Our source of custom Lithium batteries is based in Hong Kong. Injection molded parts and LCD displays are created in China, while the heart of our test equipment originated in Hungary. There were great reasons for choosing each—they are all “best of breed”—but what do you get when you add all of this together? A lot of shipping!
And even more than that, time. Along with the complexity of coordinating so many companies to bring together even a product as tiny as the AltimeterOne. Every one of these partners was very carefully chosen but even so, there are inevitable hiccups. A slow down from one partner can result in a plea to another to try to make the time up somehow.
We’re very fortunate that our production partners have been so responsive–and willing to work hard to resolve issues quickly. While we’ll always look for ways to bring costs down and reduce the time it takes to manufacture, it’s worth noting that globalization has its challenges, too.