Invisalign is invisible way of straightening teeth. The company behind it is AlignTech in SantaClara. The competitor (claimed as patent infringe) is OrthoClear is based in SFO and manufacturing in Pakistan. AlighTech has requested for stopping the import.
The web sites for these 2 companies are similar looking. The doctor/orthodontist certification program is looking identical. Ormco is another competing company.
VIP - Virtual Invisalign Practice, a web page for hosting Doctor's info
ClinCheck - Electronic manufacture of invisiallign. Custom made - more than 20,000,000. This is considered as mass manufacturing of custom made item in any category.
vip.invisalign.com
aligntech has offshore component to testing (from their hiring)
Few HR providers for AlignTech collected from the job boards are ATR International and Xoriant. There is a SQA Manager position available with this company but there is a goof up in the web page, where it is not indexed - getting less visibility to this opening.
Invisalign manufacturing process is outlined in the pdf doc that outlines 6 step process 1) Capturing tooth anatomy with impressions 2) creating 3D image 3) planning virtual treatment (computerized movie on ClinCheck) 4) Creating stereolithography (sla) 5) create alligners 6) Ready to ship
outsourcing backlash is noted in Annual Report 2005 where the party 1 to 2 switch made in 2005Q4 and swich back from 2 to 1 in 2006Q1. Incidentally this was not also as per plan check Form 10Q for period ending Sept 05.
Cecilia Claudio, CIO and vice president of engineering for Align Technology, a Santa Clara maker of orthodontic products, and a board member of RampRate LLC, an IT outsourcing advisor in Santa Monica, Calif seems to have promoted the outsourcing effort per infoworld. AlighTech got a new CIO who started as of 12/12/05 (from google finance).