FEATURE Cutting costs
Striking a balance: How Private Label complements its branded counterparts in industrial automation and control. By Tom Darkins, Global Product Segment Leader, Farnell
P
rivate Label products for the manufacturing control environment have experienced a surge in popularity across various industries
in recent years. Companies seeking to quality have found that Private Label only higher-cost branded options in their manufacturing processes. Despite the increasing demand for Private Label products, some businesses remain sceptical about their use. Concerns about their reliability, performance, and overall quality still deter some potential Private Label buyers, even though their use could help to resolve cost and supply chain challenges. By striking a balance between market-leading brands and Private Label products, manufacturers can Cost Savings enable manufacturers to reduce overall production costs by replacing low-risk components with complementary, lower- cost alternatives. Strategically balancing Private Label and branded products ensures purchased from market-leading brands while everyday components can be sourced more Availability Private Label products is their availability. High-end distributors, such as Farnell, have strategic sourcing teams in place to manage Private Label products are more readily available. This reliability is crucial in maintaining a consistent supply chain to meet production schedules. Technical Support including Farnell, provide robust in-house technical support. This ensures that any queries or issues can be addressed swiftly and reliably, minimising downtime and enhancing Versatility used in various industries, from automotive to food and beverage to electronics. This versatility makes them a practical choice
28 March 2025 | Automation
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
manufacturing environments. Supply Chain Resilience chain challenges can impact all products, allocation issues. This is due to the broader range of sourcing options available to overcome supply chain disruptions, and ensure a steady supply of components. Private Label products, although market-leading branded names as the ‘brains’ behind process and control equipment. This perception can create hesitation when it comes to adopting Private Label solutions for critical applications. However, by integrating Private Label
products for low-risk applications, such as switches, relays, wires, and sensors, engineers can take advantage of the best of both Private Label and high-end products. This balanced approach allows budgetary
resources to be directed towards high- Machine Interfaces (HMIs), Programmable Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), which many companies prefer to source from well-known, brands.
comprehensive range of products and technology to complement branded products in industrial system design, maintenance, and repair. For example,
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Farnell’s Multicomp Pro range, a Private Label portfolio of reliable alternatives branded products, includes passive and electro-mechanical components, interconnects, sensors and transducers, test and measurement equipment, and other tools and consumables. Distributors are bridging the gap between branded and Private Label products by availability Private Label alternatives. This helps partners and customers better manage their budgets while not abandoning tried and trusted brands for deployment on business-critical functions. components can be substituted for branded compromising quality and without incurring penalties, they can provide a strategic advantage for manufacturers. Reliable Private Label alternatives, such as those in Farnell’s Multicomp Pro that complement the market leaders, which remain the preferred choice for critical, high- helping companies of all sizes to achieve a competitive advantage by maximising the return on investment.
Farnell
uk.farnell.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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
