DISTRIBUTION
Distributors can no longer be “Box Shifters”
Services are a must, says BEC Distribution director John Dodds A
good example of Added-Value Services is to help engineers and buyers in the Electronic Components Industry with End-of- Life (EoL) issues and also to help overcome today’s long lead times for current products.
Background to EoL and current component supply issues
Typically, large component manufacturers discontinue product lines after 5-10 years. This strategy is understandable as the heavy capital investment made in high-volume manufacturing plant needs to make a continuing financial return. This strategy can have a potentially disastrous impact on customers whose products have longer expected lifetime, e.g. Aerospace, Medical, Surveillance or Defence industry equipment.
EoL component alternatives from a Service-led distributor will be a lifeline to R&D engineers and buyers, where components have been designed into their product lines. The availability of pin-for-pin replacements from quality third-party sources will often far exceed 10 years. This is an essential part of the Services that component Distributors must now offer.
Planning for the future With this high level of support, engineers
and buyers can plan ahead right from the beginning when components are first used or when they are designed-in, ensuring that EoL does not necessarily mean end of supply or support.
A ‘Scrub Service’ will be an essential part of the support. The Scrub Service will flag EoLs, recommend alternatives and collate other information for buyers to update their ERP systems. When customers have ‘nearly’ consumed their scheduled ordered parts, they will be prepared with quotes or bids on their active bills of materials, Proactive discussions would be held,
looking at what actions need to be taken, including offering alternate suppliers or substitute parts, redesigning a board or suggesting a long-term stocking solution.
Finding the right Partner Sourcing EoL components without this proper assessment and technical due diligence could involve potential risks to performance or quality of final product. Customers need to carefully consider from whom to source EoL components. One of the most important things to look for in a Component Distribution Partner is their technical sourcing ability and proven experience in the market, together with guarantees that the alternatives fully match original specifications.
This Added-Value Service can help “design- out” substandard components and replace them with newer, improved alternatives. As a result, buyers and designers should find a Distribution Partner that can offer a wide choice and expertise to help them with these challenges.
BEC Distribution’s Added-Value Services are a good example of what customers now expect. The services include the availability of direct alternatives with short lead times, typically 6-8 weeks. BEC’s range of EoL replacements and pin-for-pin replacements includes: shielded power inductors, multi- layer ceramic chip inductors, radial peaking coils, open wire-wound chip inductors and thin-film chip inductors.
sales@bec.co.uk
APRIL 2024 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS 15
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 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
