COVID’s Impact Worldwide
Virtually every manufacturing company in the world has been impacted in some way by COVID-19. Many have seen their demand fall precipitously as the world economy contracts. Other companies that provide products such as PPE, ventilators, or even cleaning supplies, have witnessed unprecedented surges that strain both their supply chains and their ability to scale manufacturing operations.
The Real Cost of Global Supply Chains
While the global nature of these supply chains provides access to lower cost materials, it has also created a level of interdependence, and consequently complexity, that becomes magnified when problems occur. This is particularly true for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) whose products contain electrical and electronic components and assemblies.
It is when we are presented with the greatest challenges that we create the most innovative and effective solutions. Each company’s circumstances are unique, but the solutions have been almost universal: supply chain and manufacturing strategies must be reinforced to become more resilient, and independent.
Supply Chain Solutions
While it is impossible to insulate ourselves completely, adherence to some of the following principles as it relates to their use of Electronic Manufacturing Service providers (EMS) is helping companies to shield themselves from the most severe effects of COVID-19.
- Manufacture where you sell – Maintain manufacturing capacity in the region where the end product is consumed
- Consider alternate low cost regions – Mitigate exposure by sourcing products in different countries
- Dual EMS sourcing – Maintain two or more contract manufacturers for your most critical assemblies
- Scale down sole sourcing for materials – Minimizing sole sourcing of crucial raw materials mitigates your risk
- Promote supply chain redundancy – Partnering with a manufacturer with duplicate capabilities in multiple site locations helps to reduce risk
How we’re Preparing for the Future
Choosing a contract manufacturer has never been an easy task. The events of 2020 have further complicated the process. We understand the urgent need for more transparent communication between suppliers and buyers. We’ve added the following resources in order to help our current customers, while on-boarding our new customers with ease.
- Live virtual tours
- Business Continuity Plans
- Thorough first article manufacturing process review
We aim to assist all of our partners with custom solutions that fit their needs in this challenging time and into the future.