Connectors
SeCuring a greaT deal on ConneCTorS
Careful planning and the right distributor support can keep budgets under control explains technical director of Toby Electronics, JimPortlock
Toby Electronics' JimPortlock cautions against over specification
In commonwith other electronic components, the connectormarket is experiencing a sustained period of increasing prices, driven primarily by rising commodity, labour and transport costs. Buyers can still keep budgets under control though,with
careful planning and the right distributor support. Choice of supplier is a critical issue. For some broadline
distributors, connectors represent a relatively low value element of the overall sale and while connector technology is rarely complex, specialist expertise can still prove useful in identifying themost cost-effective solutions.
Specify appropriately
Appropriate specification is a good example. Gold is commonly employed as a plating for connector terminals, and this is clearly a significant factor behind rising prices, however, there is undoubtedly a tendency to over-specify interconnection products. A specialist supplier can often help buyers cut costs without compromising performance, by recommending reductions in gold plating thickness or a change of platingmaterial, for example.
Buyers should also be looking to take advantage of the fact that
the interconnectionmarket is dominated by industry standard designs. This year, for example, IDC is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, yet it remains a cornerstone ofmany systems. Similarly, USB is a well-established I/O solution, and HDMI looks set to follow. As a result, distributors should be able to draw on a wide range of sources to find themost competitive parts. This could include not just ‘brand’ names, but also ‘own label’ commodity solutions.
In simple terms, buyers should expect distributors to work harder
– cross referencing existing parts with replacements that will do exactly the same job, but at a lower cost.
Check stock levels
Of course purchase price is only part of the story. Events such as the Icelandic ash cloud and Japanese tsunami have demonstrated the
16 | August 2011
fragility of the electronic supply
chain.Multiple sources of supply increase resilience. Perhaps evenmore important is a distributor’s willingness to invest in stock. An attractive quote is of little use to a hard pressed buyer if it is accompanied by an unrealistic lead time orMOQ. This is particularly true of the UK electronics industry, which is characterised by relatively small production runs of high value, high quality equipment, typically built to tight deadlines.
In gauging the ability of a distributor to deliver on its promises,
buyers arewell advised to look not just at the number ofmanufacturers on the linecard, but also the strength of those relationships.
If a distributor can demonstrate a good track recordwith a
franchise, it is probably because it has built a better understanding of its product range andworked harder tomeet customer requirements. This could extend fromhelping designerswith samples, technical advice and engineer visits, through to commercial and logistics services, such as fixed price contracts and buffer stock or kanban arrangements. Themore successful a distributor becomes for a particular franchise, the greater leverage it haswhen negotiating on behalf of customers.
Talk teamwork
Ultimately, efficient connector purchasing is about teamwork. Not just between the buyer and supplier, but also between design, manufacturing and purchasing professionals.With somany standard interconnection solutions available, early adoption of emerging technologies should only be consideredwhen essential tomeet systemrequirements.
A distributor prepared to get involved at the earliest stages of the
design process is therefore an invaluable asset for buyers responsible forminimising total cost of ownership. If designers can be guided towards an appropriately specified connector, available froma range of manufacturers, buyers will undoubtedly find themselves in the strongest possible position to tackle the upward trend in prices.
www.toby.co.uk www.electronics-sourcing.co.uk
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