CATALOG DISTRIBUTION
Catalogs foCus ontime, plaCe and utility
Buyers expect catalog distributors to have the right product on the shelf ready for immediate shipment—and then some. Here’s howone catalog house responds to customer demands ByMark Larson, Digi-Key
Catalog distributors in the electronics industry specialize in sample or prototype-size orders, nearly instant delivery and a wide variety of products. Some, such as Digi-Key Corp., have expanded that model into support for production-size orders. The catalog and volume distribution businesses require different levels of support and service that generally don’t coexist within the same business. Digi-Key has made both of these models work by focusing on personal service; immediate response; and ease-of-doing-business no matter what the customer’s size.
Digi-Key is an authorized distributor representing more than
440 of the world’s leading manufacturers of semiconductor, passive, interconnect and electromechanical products. Digi-Key stocks more than 500,000 products featured in its 2,700-page print catalog and more than 1.7 million products are offered on each of Digi-Key’s U.S. and Canadian websites,
www.digikey.com and
www.digikey.ca, respectively. Digi-Key’s No. 1 ranking for breadth of product makes it a one-stop shop for design engineers and purchasing agents in need of prototype/design and production quantities of electronic components.
Digi-Key processes orders and ships electronic components to
customers in more than 170 countries from its 600,000 square- foot facility in Thief River Falls,Minn. Digi-Key has the ability to process an order from entry to shipping in as little as 15 minutes.More than 99% of Digi-Key orders received before 8 p.m., central time, are shipped the same day.
Digi-Key ships orders to customers worldwide through UPS, Fedex, USPS and DHL. For Digi-Key’s customers in North
14 | June 2010
America, orders are shipped directly from Digi-Key’s Product Distribution Center in Thief River Falls for next-day delivery.
For shipping to Digi-
Key’s customers worldwide, orders are shipped directly from Digi-Key’s facility to a major U.S. hub where the orders are routed to their destinations in South America, Europe, theMiddle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific for delivery within 24 to 72 hours.
Digi-Key’s employees, order fulfillment processes, and
relationships with carriers are differentiating factors in Digi-Key’s ability to ship nearly 100% of all orders received before 8 p.m. central time, according to Digi-Key executives. Employees are dedicated to filling orders quickly and accurately. Carriers are dedicated to shipping Digi-Key orders to their destinations by utilizing their leading-edge shippingmethods and hubs worldwide.
additional services
Digi-Key also provides customer service, live technical support, design support services, and supply chain solution tools, as well as other value-added services fromits central location in the U.S.
Digi-Key’s assistance to purchasers and engineers is expansive. Digi-Key is committed to providing its customers in North
www.electronics-sourcing.com Digi-Key’s Mark Larson
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52