COMPONENT DESIGN
Securing Golden Screws “Just in Case”
Independent distributor Classic Components, employs a comprehensive strategy to mitigate supply chain disruption and avoid delays
F
or decades, the general wisdom in approaching manufacturing has been to rely on a “just in time” strategy to ensure component parts are available the moment they are needed rather than tying up capital to purchase and store inventory. However, with the recent supply chain disruptions that have been causing delays across industries, there is an argument to be made for holding “just in case” (JIC) inventory as well. This is especially important for “golden screws,” the one or two critical components that are needed to finish production and start generating revenue. While the “just in time”(JIT) philosophy has been effective for over 30 years now, the recent disruptions that have been happening in the supply chain are unpredictable.
“When there is supply chain harmony, when everybody is delivering on time and there is plenty of inventory in distribution, “just in time” works really well, but that is not the current reality and as COVID taught us, you can never anticipate the next event,” says Mike Thomas, vice president and global general manager at Classic Components, a premier independent distributor based in Torrance, CA. “This makes the “just in case” inventory philosophy a crucial piece of the profitability puzzle moving forward.” Thomas believes in balancing “just in time” inventory, which helps businesses keep their inventory low and their capital high, with JIC, particularly of items that may be essential to the continued profitability of their business. A term that is gaining traction to describe such parts is the “golden screw,” an item that at times is difficult to procure but is essential to doing business.
“There are a lot of “golden screws” now that companies just couldn’t get their hands on and there were many products that couldn’t even be shipped. So, now they are meeting and shifting their strategies to ensure they always have the golden screws in the future,” Thomas notes.
Combining these two inventory strategies gives organizations the best of both worlds – the low inventory and available capital of JIT with the security of JIC – and Classic Components can offer its partners this type of balance when it comes to electronic components.
26 FEBRUARY 2023 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
Above: Independent distribution channels offer manufacturers the electronic chips they need to keep production running.
“With companies like ours, we invest our own money to purchase items for customers ahead of time. We keep a certain amount in buffer stock, and we ship it out when needed and then we get paid by the customer. In doing so, the customers achieve their goal of having only what they need, when they need it, which is basically “just in time” philosophy,” explains Thomas.
However, customers need to be willing to shift their strategy to accommodate a JIC philosophy. Organizations must have the foresight and awareness to anticipate future orders not yet placed and be proactive about securing that inventory required to ensure there are no delays when the product is needed. “It is important to adopt a “just in case” philosophy both for less sophisticated items along with higher end items as well, to cover all the bases,” says Thomas. “To extend the construction analogy, if a house is built with nails and screws, it will also require expensive fixtures to be completed.”
The distributor can help secure these items for the OEM without asking for money up front and assist with the logistics of transporting the items when needed. They do this by being flexible in their approach and shipping material, whether upstream or downstream, including to contract manufacturers, sister companies, and subsidiaries.
Not many companies are offering this type of service during shortages, including traditional distributors.
Although authorized distributors provide added value such as engineering support, contractual obligations dictate all materials must come directly from the factory. This makes sense when the supply chain is operating as expected, and there are no global pandemics or other supply chain constraints. The current disruptions, however, are creating lead times in the regular distribution space of up to 50 weeks for parts that used to be available in eight to 18 weeks, a massive disruption that independent distributors can work around more easily.
Regular authorized distributors may also struggle to get parts because the contractual agreement that these companies sign prevents them from sourcing products in the open market. Independent distributors like Classic Components can lock in prices and delivery dates using its vast network of supply chains and partners for many months at a time. This ensures that the inventory will be there when the customer needs it and not sold to someone else.
“It is a philosophical adjustment. Companies have to look in the mirror and say: we built our organization on “just in time” and that is how our shareholders measure us, but we need to secure the “golden screws” to protect against any possible future disruptions,” says Thomas.
Classic Components
www.class-ic.com
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