I am a believer in using second sourcing as a primary security-of-supply strategy. I know some believe that close relationships with a single manufacturer can yield better overall value and better supply security, but I am not of that school. My position is that two sources provide leverage by creating competition, which is good for […]
Purchasing: Risks in ‘Virtual’ Second Sources Read More »
Out of capacity, lead times at 44 weeks, and price increases: Sounds familiar? Since my blog on volume vs. price last month, there’s been a continuing discussion of what sets the pricing of electronic components, starting with the question: “If not volume, then what?” I will share here some thoughts on component pricing, starting with
Putting the Volume-Price Myth to Rest Read More »
In a recent blog, I attempted to dispel the myth that there is a clear relationship between volume and price of electronic components. Many still find this hard to believe. They hold to the idea that price is somehow tied to manufacturing cost, which is related to volume. This is rarely the case in the
Who Benefits From Component Price Secrecy? Read More »
For years, I have been telling people there is no relationship between volume and price. Occasionally, I meet an enlightened soul who agrees with me. More often, I am met with blank stares of disbelief. Yes, I agree that, when you buy a few engineering samples, look at pricing on a distributor’s Website, and ask
The (Non) Relationship Between Volume & Price Read More »
In our work at freebenchmarking.com, one of the surprising findings is the amount of cost reduction available to companies by just implementing pricing that they have already achieved with suppliers. In times of economic uncertainty and with price reductions getting more difficult to achieve, companies can’t afford to let profits leak away. We see two
Savings in Your Backyard Read More »
Knowledge chains enable supply chain performance. They bring together the information and context that let you make decisions and take actions. Gaps in a supply chain are noticed and fixed immediately, but holes in a knowledge chain often go undetected. This is because supply chain gaps are usually catastrophic, but knowledge gaps are performance-limiting. How
Many Advantages of a Strong Knowledge Chain Read More »
I am disturbed by how many of my friends are unprepared for retirement. I shouldn’t be surprised, however — walk through Wal-Mart or stay at any North American hotel, and you see too many older people, who should be enjoying their golden years, working. I’m also disturbed by the high levels of unemployment; skilled people
The Myth vs. Reality of Worker Productivity Read More »
As promised in my previous post, LiveChat Follow-Up on Price Competitiveness, Part 1, I am outlining in this blog the final two actions from my top five steps to ensuring competitive pricing in the current environment. This follows on the request from EBN readers for more specific information on how to achieve better pricing, beyond
LiveChat Follow-Up on Price Competitiveness (Part 2) Read More »
Several of you have asked for more specific information on how to achieve better pricing, beyond what we were able to cover in last month’sLiveChat. In a two-part response, I want to discuss my top five actions that can improve your price competitiveness in the current environment. 1. Use target pricing: This is not a
LiveChat Follow-Up on Price Competitiveness (Part 1) Read More »
The late Richard Beckhard, industrial psychologist and adjunct professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, developed an equation for change. He called it a “change equation” when really it was its vector equivalent — progress — but as he’s not a physicist, he can be forgiven. His equation describes how to achieve change in
The Price Change Equation Read More »
