Sourcing ELECTRONICS
Playing cat andmouse
S
While Digi-Key's catalogue continues to showcase new product introductions, itsweb store offersmany advantages over the printed format
For Digi-Key, catalogue distribution is an opportunity to provide customers worldwide with a reference guide and overview of readily available parts. Despite the fact that the catalogue includes more than 500,000 electronic components, this is just a fraction of Digi-Key’s total product offering of nearly 1.7 million products. It provides an indication of which products are active and in stock.
Hundreds of thousands of electronic components are
represented in the catalogue, providing what is believed to be the largest selection of board level components available for off-the- shelf delivery. The catalogue is the foundation fromwhich Digi- Key has expanded its business to customers around the world.
While the primary focus of Digi-Key’s catalogue has been to
provide new product introductions and store them in the catalogue, the web offers many advantages over a printed format. As a result, customers are migrating rapidly to using Digi- Key’s local market, country-specific websites.More than 90 per cent of the orders Digi-Key ships to Europe are received through the web. It’s quick, it’s easy and purchasers can rely on receiving their order within several business days.
Customers experience a
number of benefits working on-line, as opposed to using the catalogue. Of course, purchasers can choose from a variety of package styles and quantities in either venue, but Digi-Key’s websites offer clear advantages in searching, researching and purchasing products. Customers are able to view real-time pricing and in- stock levels for all products. Lead times are shown when the order quantity requested
32 | July 2010
exceeds the quantity available. Additionally, customers can see side-by-side part information to compare products and determine the parts that will best suit their needs.
Digi-Key's Chris Beeson explains how the web is overtaking the catalogue
As one of Digi-Key’s many direct marketing vehicles, the
annual catalogue serves as a form of outreach and as an informative reference guide. It is a complementary source of information to the website.
In an effort to reduce costs and the use of natural resources,
Digi-Key will soon provide customers in Europe with the opportunity to choose whether or not to receive Digi-Key’s annual catalogue, using the website for part information, sourcing and purchasing instead. Additionally, many customers use the Digi-Key catalogue in conjunction with Digi-Key’s website for part reference when making purchases on-line.
In the future, Digi-Key customers may be able to
request or customise virtual catalogues with specific products, suppliers and technology solutions. Currently, customers can customise virtual catalogues when utilising Digi-Key’s interactive catalogue by selecting a range of pages, or any sequence or combination of pages. This feature is available on the
local market Digi-Key websites for: the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Canada.
www.digikey.com/europe
Customise a virtual catalogue by utilising Digi-Key’s interactive catalogue
www.electronics-sourcing.eu
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