We’re more than two years into the pandemic and roughly a year into the extensively covered supply chain and labor shortages, and things are still looking complex for electronics manufacturers nationwide and around the world.
Globally, manufacturers are rethinking their electronics orders and processes — a notable example of which includes Apple, which plans to reduce orders for some of its flagship products due to the Russia–Ukraine war. Products and parts needed for the automotive and medical device sectors also continue to be heavily impacted by the war and supply issues.
Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies have also experienced challenges as supply chain issues and the ongoing labor shortages create a difficult situation. Despite this, you as an electronics brand, OEM, or distributor need a partner in place to help you maintain production goals and electronics fulfillment deadlines.
More than ever, work with an established, reliable company that has the people, processes, and technology in place to support you, help you meet customer demand, and provide unmatched service in a time when such capabilities are difficult to find. Here, we’ll explore a few characteristics of such partners and how they can make an impact on your business. In particular, we’ll be focusing on how this relates to electronics fulfillment, which — apart from electronics manufacturing itself — is where the greatest risk and opportunities lie.
How the Right Partner Supports Your Electronics Fulfillment Needs
They Have the People and Expertise to Support Your Program
In a time when talent is hard to retain, let alone find, working with an electronics fulfillment company that has a tenured, experienced, and hardworking team will justify the investment in the partnership and yield consistent positive outcomes. Imagine working with a partner whose team is constantly rotating. A frequently shifting workforce means that a company is going to have to invest more time in training than completing your electronics manufacturing, assembly and kitting, quality and testing, and distribution needs. You’d experience delays and frustrations that impact your customers.
While this is often outside of a company’s control, and people do move on to new opportunities, it’s up to employers to do what they can to keep their best talent. Companies that proactively source talent from technical institutions and that focus on training, process development, teamwork, and more, create environments in which people feel accomplished, productive, and empowered. This, among other things, leads to employees feeling fulfilled in their work, which keeps them aboard longer. And when you partner with an organization like this, you can rest assured that those team members will be there to support your electronics fulfillment needs.
Go deeper: Learn about the advantages of working with a reliable electronics contract manufacturer.
They Have the Resilience to Serve as Your Full-Service Provider
Based on the current supply chain climate, you may already be experiencing challenges with your electronics fulfillment partner. Whether they’re having trouble getting the materials they need to assemble, kit, and ship your products to customers, or they’re simply having staffing difficulties, you still have a business to operate and customers to delight.
The key to success here is understanding what your partner’s supplier relationships look like, how they’ve been able to meet demands for other customers, and other key factors so you can make an informed decision about whether to work with them. It’ll be crucial to choose an electronics fulfillment partner that has strong suppliers and has cultivated relationships with those companies so that your partner won’t find themselves in a bind down the road.
They Build Risk Mitigation Strategies to Keep You Moving Forward
When it comes to electronics fulfillment, it’s essential that your partner go above and beyond for you in every way they can. That means doing more than assisting you with certified and quality-focused electronics manufacturing capabilities, streamlined assembly services that eliminate manual hassles for your team, and testing services that ensure lasting performance. It means building in processes and solutions that reduce your financial exposure to the consequences of supply chain inefficiencies.
Working with one partner for your electronics program ensures that virtually every aspect — from upfront design and manufacturing to assembling devices and kitting them for customers — is handled by one reliable service provider. Additionally, working with a partner that provides aftermarket service and repair services further streamlines your program and compresses your supply chain and service timelines.
Now is the Time to Make a Change for the Better
For electronics manufacturers, medical device companies, industrial electronics suppliers, and other related organizations, it has never been more essential to evaluate the partners you’re working with to ensure you’ll be able to meet your customers’ demands reliably.
At South Dakota Partners, we have the talent, tools, processes, and experience to help you reach your goals — whether that’s a PCBA development or repair program, box builds for industrial electronics, or a medical device electronics need. We’ll help you reduce your risk while producing unmatched products that your customers can lean on for years to come.
Connect with us today to learn more about our electronics capabilities.
