At present, the electronics world is in an unprecedented situation: components of all types are in short supply and prices are rising fast. If you’re in a manufacturing business that relies on electronic assemblies, this is not news and you’re probably already grappling with the consequences – disrupted production, problems meeting order deadlines and pressure on your profit margins.

But might it be possible that choosing the right EMS partner would help to address these problems? Let’s take a look.

• Selecting an EMS partner - before, during and after the crisis
  
  
• Minimising the impact on your business
  
  
• Global reach at a local level

Selecting an EMS partner - before, during and after the crisis

To be honest, many of the criteria you would have applied in selecting an EMS partner before the component shortage crisis still apply. You want a company that’s responsive, has a reputation for quality, is capable of handling all your needs, has excellent technical expertise, delivers on-time and, of course, offers competitive pricing. But in the component shortage era, you should consider adding a few more criteria to that list. Start by asking potential EMS partners about their response to the crisis.

Should the answer be that they’ll take care of everything and make sure you have no problems, look elsewhere, tempting though that offer might be! The component shortage is real and worldwide, and it isn’t going to get better quickly. As a result, no EMS company can promise that you and your products won’t be affected, or that they can offer complete flexibility over your ordering and delivery schedules with no financial implications. These are promises they’ll be unable to keep, and broken promises are not the best basis for a new business relationship.

Minimizing the impact on your business

What they can and should be able to promise is that they have the expertise and resources needed to minimise the impact of the crisis on your business. These claims must be backed by facts, of course, so start by looking for satisfied customers who have already been helped. As an example, Asteelflash has to date been able to help 80% of the customers who have approached it with component supply problems.

Global reach at a local level

The right resources are also very important. An EMS with a worldwide presence and longstanding relationships with distributors and manufacturers in multiple countries is in a much stronger position to secure supplies of scarce components than one with more limited reach. Once again, Asteelflash, combined with USI, scores highly, with 27 production sites in 10 countries, and a huge network of distribution and manufacturing contacts.

Finally, don’t forget that the best EMS partners will also have expectations of you! Please listen to their advice – companies like Asteelflash make tens of thousands of products for many customers every year so it’s quite likely that they’ve come across options and solutions you’ve never seen. Access to expertise is an important part of the added value that a first-rank EMS partner will bring to your business.

Whether you’re thinking of switching EMS partners or you’re selecting one for the first time in this challenging era, remember that Asteelflash meets all the criteria set out in this blog post – and we’ll be very happy to tell you more.