Any engineering project or electronic application may require various components, including microchips, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, and various passive and active components. Sourcing the proper component is critical to the success of an electronics project. Although this may sound easy, sourcing components can be complex and time-consuming. It requires several considerations, such as cost, availability, quality, and lead times. This post introduces you to various aspects of electronic component sourcing, including different stages of procurement, factors that may affect the process, and the reliability on EMS providers in this stage.
Stages of Electronic Component Procurement
- Requirements Gathering: Before starting your component search gain a clear understanding of your project requirements including the specifications of each component you need, the quantities required, and the desired delivery timeline.
- Choosing Suppliers: Finding a reliable supplier is essential for ensuring the quality and timely delivery of components. Consider the supplier’s reputation, experience and track record before procurement. You can also go through the customer review of the supplier.
- Compare the Price and Quality: Once you have identified reliable suppliers, compare their prices and quality to determine the best option. Also, check for any additional costs, such as shipping or handling fees, or any other hidden costs.
- Online Sourcing Platforms: Many online sourcing platforms offer a wide selection of components and provide detailed product information, including datasheets and technical specifications. They are excellent resources for finding and comparing components from multiple suppliers. This will help you explore the market.
- Check for Alternatives: If a particular component is not available from your preferred supplier, consider alternate options. For instance, you may be able to use a different manufacturer or a similar part that meets your requirements.
- Lead times: Lead times can have a significant impact on the overall schedule for a project. Make sure to allow sufficient time for delivery and consider purchasing components in advance according to your application requirements.
Factors That May Affect Electronic Component Sourcing
- Component Demand: Rising or falling demand for a particular component may affect its availability and price. For instance, high demand may affect the availability of a part causing an increase in pricing. In some cases, if the demand is low or if parts are only used for particular projects, the prices may still be high.
- Component Availability: The availability of a component is a critical factor to consider during PCB component sourcing. It is always better to place the order at the earliest to eliminate any downtime due to product unavailability.
- Quality: The quality of components is critical for ensuring the success of a project. It is important to ensure that components are purchased from reputable suppliers and that they meet the required specifications.
- Regulation and Compliance: Some components may be subjected to regulation and compliance requirements, such as RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals). These regulations can impact the availability and cost of components, and therefore it is important to consider them during the sourcing of electronic components.
Should You Rely on Your Design Team or an EMS Provider?
If you do not want to spend time on electronic components sourcing, you can rely on your EMS provider. An EMS provider can help you with effective component sourcing.
- Electronics manufacturing service (EMS) providers always stock common components. They serve several customers, and therefore they keep a good deal of passives, transistors, capacitors, common ICs, LEDs, and other important components in their inventory. You can partner with a reliable EMS provider to take advantage of these stocks and reduce your lead time.
- They can see supply chain disruptions that aren’t visible to sourcing services and search engines.
- EMS providers such as Suntronic have extensive experience in electronics parts and components procurement. They can advise you on which components may suddenly become unavailable, which may delay your manufacturing or assembly runs, and so on.
Effective electronic component sourcing requires careful planning and research. Make sure to partner with a trusted and reliable EMS provider for your industrial projects. Suntronic is a leading EMS provider which offers reliable electronic manufacturing services as well as PCB assembly services which has helped clients simplify electronics component procurement. Suntronic also ensures the fastest turnaround time and product quality. Contact us today to learn more about the services provided by Suntronic Inc.