Electronic Parts Availability Updates

Prevent Delays in Medical Device Manufacturing with an Experienced ECM

December 5, 2022

The supply chain is the biggest and most obvious factor in manufacturing delays right now. Lengthy lead times for the specialized electronic components used in devices determine how quickly you can get your device to market. However, FDA approval for medical device components doesn’t help speed up the process either. The regulations on medical devices are extensive, FDA approval is necessary, and that takes time. An additional factor is the demand for components. As the industry grows, more demand is put on an already struggling supply chain, and predicting the end of the supply chain shortage is nearly impossible.

There are a few ways to cope with the component shortage:

• Partner with an experienced ECM

Your ECM will have developed relationships with vetted suppliers, will understand the FDA approval process and help you source components effectively, and will have a plan for redesign and reverse engineering when components aren’t available.

• Stock Up On Components When They’re Available

There is a risk to this strategy, as you don’t want to be stuck with a large supply of obsolete components, but in some cases, the reward of quicker manufacturing is worth the risk.

• Anticipate Your Needs

Knowing what you’ll need months, or even years, in advance, can make a big difference in those components being available to you.

A Proactive Approach to Electronic Component Lead Time Delays

December 1, 2022

To avoid the lead time delays caused by component shortages, you need a proactive approach that includes an ECM partner with vetted suppliers, vast experience in the industry, and one who can manage your project from design to delivery. Many industries rely on high-quality PCBs, and since they are in high demand, companies are overbuying to stock their own shelves, and this is causing the market to struggle even more.

What Exactly is Causing the Long Lead Times?

When components are in short supply, distributors plead with buyers not to overbuy, but many buyers panic that they’ll be left without, and do the exact opposite. Beyond the simple supply and demand, there are a few extra factors at play as well. First, manufacturers are reluctant to build more factories or increase production because they don’t know if this demand will be sustained. Then, companies who can afford the investment are buying two to three times what they normally would, putting even more demand on a dwindling supply.

Ways to Deal With Long Lead Times:

• Purchase Advance Stock in Anticipation of Shortages
• Keep Communication Open

Ope you are struggling to keep up with component shortages and are frustrated with long lead times, you aren’t alone. Having an experienced, domestic turnkey ECM partner can help you navigate the current market, advise you on when to overbuy and when to wait, and give you a realistic forecast so you can plan ahead.

An ECM Partnership is Your Best Ally to Navigate Chip Shortages

May 31, 2022

Although many hoped that the chip shortage would be over by now, there are still no significant signs of improvement. Factory shutdowns and skyrocketing demands have made things even more difficult for manufacturers who need these chips for their products. However, this doesn’t mean that your industry is doomed and you are destined to let your clients down. With the right manufacturing partner, you can work through the chip shortage successfully. 

The best way for companies to navigate this shortage is by working with an experienced, domestic electronic services manufacturer. An experienced turnkey partner can help reengineer your board with new components, find alternative suppliers, anticipate your future needs to help find the chips in advance, and keep your customers satisfied throughout the chip shortage. Experienced electronic manufacturers will have the right vetted supplier relationships to work through the chip shortage while still meeting your needs and customer demands.

Avoid Supply Chain Challenges by Reverse Engineering Legacy Designs

May 26, 2022

Reverse engineering has long been used to deal with parts obsolescence. When parts are no longer available, but the product still has use, reverse engineering can give the product a longer life by redesigning the product using new parts instead of starting a design from scratch to replace a product that is still useful.

This same concept works with the current supply chain challenges. 

The components you need may still exist, but may be unavailable due to semiconductor chip or other electronic component parts shortages. Reverse engineering for PCBs can look at the components that are readily available and work on redesigning a project or electronic enclosure with the parts and components that are available, letting you complete orders and fulfill customer requests.

On-Site Engineers Invaluable During Current Supply Chain Concerns

May 6, 2022

All manufacturers want to satisfy their clients, but supply chain concerns are making on-time delivery a challenge. Every industry has been impacted by supply chain concerns, and electronic manufacturers with on-site engineers are the best way to work through supply chain issues. Having engineers on-site who know how to deal with parts obsolescence gives you the advantage of having a team ready to mitigate shortages with reverse engineering, DFM analysis, and supply chain management with vetted suppliers. 

A domestic electronic contract manufacturer with the right design and or reverse-engineering team will have experience, industry knowledge, certification, design services, and supply chain management strategies to get your project through to completion even during the current supply chain concerns. Partnering with a domestic turnkey electronic manufacturer is the best way to successfully work through the current supply chain challenges.

Looking to the Future of Supply Chain Shortages For Electronic Manufacturing

March 31, 2022

The demand for chips will not decrease, but the factories that produce the chips are looking to the future with a better plan in place.

Building the right supply chain to manage the need for chips is the first step toward stability. Many companies are also working through their future plans to make their orders early enough in their process to meet their delivery timelines.

New factories are being built which will increase the capacity to meet any and all future demands as well. Increasing the capacity for chipmaking is the right way to ensure that this current shortage will not repeat itself any time soon and get current manufacturing levels back to more reasonable timelines.

Navigating the Current Situation

March 15, 2022

The chip shortage is not going away any time soon, and will certainly be an issue through the next 12 to 18 months. Right now, the backlog is significant enough that manufacturers need to anticipate approximately four to five times the lead time they were accustomed to up to this point.

In addition, electronic manufacturers also need to understand their role in navigating the shortage. 

When they place orders larger than necessary because they are concerned suppliers won’t fill the entire order, they make the problem worse.

By only ordering what they need for their current projects, the electronic parts and components factories will know what they need to produce to meet the actual current needs.

How The Chip Shortage Began

March 1, 2022

Although it seems easy to blame the pandemic for the chip shortage, in reality, COVID-19 is really only one piece of the problem. Surging demand and poor planning were much bigger factors in the chip shortage, and the disruptions from lockdown made an already tenuous situation worse. 

More and more products need chips for their functionality, and that increase in demand was not anticipated early enough to meet. When lockdowns closed factories temporarily, the demand for products continued to increase, and the situation reached its current state which has left manufacturers scrambling.