Electronic Procurement, Logistics and Supply

Protecting Your Supply Chain From Counterfeit Electronic Components

2012-01-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Recently there has been a lot of concern within theelectronics manufacturing industry regarding the threat ofcounterfeit components entering a supply chain. If counterfeitcomponents enter your supply chain and they go undetected or areignored then you will soon find yourself with a crisis on your hands.

Due to their poor quality and lifespan, counterfeitcomponents seriously affect the quality of the product they areplaced in. They are known to cause faults within the devices they arein and this in turn will have a negative impact on companyreputation, consumer confidence and therefore, future sales. Morethan that, when placed within devices built for the military,aviation or medical industries, counterfeits can endanger lives andcompanies can face very high penalties if they do not use “trustedsuppliers” or have their own detection procedures in place.Counterfeit components in the supply chain can have a catastrophicimpact on business.

Mark Snider, founder and president of ERAI, stated,“It's common that 1 percent to 3 percent of parts found on bills ofmaterial we see coming from OEM's are counterfeit, substandard orhigh risk parts. Just one counterfeit part incident poses riskranging from catastrophic brand and financial damage to costlydisruptions such as a halt in production or engineering workassociated with a major redesign. When this same 1 to 3 percent isexpressed in more absolute terms – real parts numbering in thehundreds or thousands for most companies – it rightfully sendsalarm bells ringing throughout the organization. This should be thereal cause for concern for companies lacking formal efforts tomitigate, detect and resolve the threat of counterfeits.”

As a part of the Cyclops Group, Global Supply Servicesare affiliated with a distributor who has the same well establishedquality procedures in place. All the work is undertaken to ISO 9001standards and our experienced ESD trained team have experience inmany types of counterfeit detection.

The Cyclops Group have published a free white paperwhich is available for download from their website. This white paperis aimed at buyers of electronic components as is entitled, “8 StepGuide to Buying Electronic Components With Confidence and AvoidingCounterfeits.” It highlights the detection methods currently usedby the Cyclops Group and also offers many handy tips for how you canminimise risk and protect your business and your customers.

Pleasefind the download at the link: 8 Step Guide to Buying Electronic Components With Confidence and Avoiding Counterfeits.

Ingersoll Rand Extend Supply Chain Contract With Global Supply Services For Another 3 Years

2011-11-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Global Supply Services are pleased to announce today, the extension of our supply chain contract with Ingersoll Rand. The contract which has been extended till 31^st December 2014 gives us responsibility for a supply chain of over 250 parts.

Global Supply Services have been a supply chain partner to Ingersoll Rand for over 12 years.

The extension of the business relationship is a firm testimony of the good work that we believe we are doing at GSS.

Ingersoll Rand's strategic sourcing manager, Sandip Reddy, said to us, “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank GSS for all the work that you have done in 2011 to help us achieve our goals. It has been a pleasure working with your organisation.”

Global Supply Services have vast experience of managing OEM supply chains, using OEM forecasts to ensure buffer stocks are held locally to minimise time to line deliveries., and having direct access to our customers material requirements electronically which are downloaded daily, ensuring material is delivered on time.

The Benefits Of Outsourcing Supply Chain Management

2011-10-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

We are operating in an economic climate where every business expense matters. Many companies have been feeling the squeeze of the recession and cutbacks are an inevitable part of that. When looking for areas of their business to make savings many business owners shy away from outsourcing as a solution. Outsourcing means relying on another company to do something that you feel you may already be doing quite well and in many cases the outsourcing of a particular business area could put somebody out of a job. However there are business areas where outsourcing can actually be an improvement to the business and lead to growth and expansion.

Supply chains are the core of any manufacturing business and it is important that they are as efficient as they can be. Many manufacturers have their own in-house supply chain infrastructure in place, but they may prove unreliable when pushed to the extremes of market fluctuations. Ever changing customer demands and the pressures on suppliers can lead to unpredictable changes in any market.

There is more to supply chain management than just logistics and warehousing. Manufacturers need to be aware of fluctuating consumer demands and ever changing factors such as suppliers lead times. The main USP of supply chain management specialists is that they have the infrastructure in place to adapt to changes in the market in a way that many smaller scale manufacturers, who do it solo, will not. This is where outsourcing comes in as a positive solution.

Whether or not to outsource supply chain management is a huge decision that many manufacturers have had to make when looking at reducing costs. There are many misconceptions about the outsourcing of supply chain services that have led some manufacturers to make decisions that have not been in the best interests of their business.

Firstly, many manufacturers feel that if they outsource their supply chains then they will lose control over things like their delivery schedules, which will in turn affect their production schedules and so on. Setting up a new supply chain should be a joint effort with both parties making very clear what their concerns and priorities are. Any good supply chain management company will understand the needs of their clients thoroughly and any good business leader will make sure that they know exactly what they want to achieve by outsourcing the management of their supply chain. They need to understand the long term costs of outsourcing versus the costs of keeping it in-house. That can only be done by liaising with service providers and understanding all of the implications.

Once a manufacturer has decided to outsource their supply chain then the process starts by both the service provider and their client reviewing the current supply chain and looking for strengths and weaknesses. The supply chain management provider can then take the best of what is already working well and incorporate it into a new and improved infrastructure. With analysis of previously defined metrics, both companies can measure what aspects of the new infrastructure work well and which do not. Experienced supply chain managers are able to look for improvements that will increase efficiency. The result should be a solution where the supply chain is operating at a level that is at least an improvement to what originally existed. It is at this point when the real benefits can be explored.

Working with a global supply chain management company means that there are provisions in place should problems arise. There will be alternate transportation options available as well as alternatives in the procurement process that would not have existed had the client kept the supply chain managed in-house.

The total long term cost of outsourcing cannot be guessed at until both client and service provider are fully aware of what is expected of each other. This is why it is important to look into these potential savings today.

Global Supply Services Excess Material List Is Now Live!

2011-07-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Global Supply Services have just posted their latest excess electronic and electro-mechanical material on the download section of the website....

Currently they have over 1,011,403 electronic and electro-mechanical components from over 104 different manufacturers.

To download your copy of the excel spreadsheet please click here NOW!

If you have any comments please post them below or alternatively email blog@global-supply-services.com.

Global Supply Services Launch Revolutionised, New Website!

2011-07-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our revolutionised, new website, www.global-supply-services.com. Take a look for yourself and say hello to a brand new Global Supply Services.

Tell us what you think, your feedback is extremely important to us and will help us to continue to serve you better, simply email web@global-supply-services.com.

If you have any comments please post them below.

Outsourcing Electronic Manufacturing Processes Set To Be More Of A Necessity

2011-05-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

A recent study by New Venture Resource Corp. (NVR) on the Worldwide Electronics Manufacturing Services Market stated that...

The worldwide electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market declined by -8.3% in 2009 in direct response to the worldwide electronics market decline. However the EMS resumed growth throughout 2010, as the outsourcing of all electronics manufacturing continues to be the predominant manufacturing resource of OEM's.

So although the EMS market was tight during 2009, it seems to be recovering rapidly...

NVR also estimates that total electronics assembly value was $891 billion in 2009 and will grow to over $1.4 trillion in 2014.

With such anticipated growth throughout the EMS market, outsourcing vital stages within the manufacturing process such as kitting, assembly, electrical/electronic purchasing will become more of a necessity.

If you have any comments please post them below or alternatively email blog@global-supply-services.com.

Welcome to the Electronic Procurement, Logistics & Supply Blog

2011-05-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure to welcome you to our new Electronic Procurement, Logistics & Supply Blog!

This blog brings you the latest news and developments on procurement, logistics and supply within the electronic and electrical component market.

I welcome any suggestions, questions or feedback you may have on this hot topic, please email blog@global-supply-services.com.

Daniel