The problem of identifying suppliers with a high risk of failure is becoming more serious as talks of interest rate hikes and free trade agreement dissolution become more common. While this blog considers suppliers in an electronics supply chain, the risks and mitigations described apply more broadly. Most companies have strategies and indicators for dealing […]
Predicting Supplier Failure Read More »
In this article, I summarize some points from a lecture that I gave at Hong Kong University in 2014; it drew on a blog I wrote in 2013. I repeat some of the ideas from that blog here because I believe they are critically important for world-class companies. I was focused on supply base design,
8 Supply Chain Design Rules for Engineers Read More »
Is there such a thing as an ideal purchasing professional and, if so, what traits do they possess? I believe there is such an ideal – I have met several of them. In my work with price and organizational benchmarking, I meet many procurement individuals from a variety of companies. I have been exposed to
The Ideal Purchasing Professional Read More »
Last month I made a presentation to the IEEE Consumer Electronics Group in San Jose, CA. I asked this group of engineers a very important question. It was important because of the implications that designer choices have on the supply chain. I started with my left hand holding the top of a slinky and my
Supply Chain Structure Should Not Baffle Electronics Design Engineers Read More »
My perspective on supply chain comes with a strong semiconductor technology bias, a partiality for supply management and an appreciation of operations with the processes that surround it. Coming from the semiconductor and telecommunications industries, I have seen the need for innovation, quality and cost management. Being an engineer, I like data; having worked in
Poor Data Clouds Supply Chain Visibility Read More »
The concept of the acceleration of everything has fascinated me since I became Nortel’s Chief Procurement Officer many years ago. Prior to that position, I had worked in semiconductor technology development and Operations and had spent some time in China negotiating and running joint venture companies. I was aware of Moore’s law and the enabling
The Acceleration of Everything Read More »
Readers who have followed my writing in blogs and whitepapers may find this blog out of character. Its premise is that the value delivered by EMS companies (contract manufacturers) is higher than the amount they charge for services. While my message is pay for value, it often comes across as too many are paying too
The True Value of Contract Manufacturers Read More »
Security of supply is one of the most critical priorities of any supply chain; cost and compliance are the other top ones. Given how critical security of supply is, I am often surprised by how inadequate many due diligence programs are at getting to the heart of risk or ensuring that adequate agility exists to
Supply Chain Security & Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Read More »
Accenture and others have reported that company stock prices can dropanywhere from 7.5 to 12 percent following severe supply chain disruptions. PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimates this drop at 9 percent and says that, for two-thirds of those companies, stock performance will still lag competitors a year after the disruption. If this is the case, why do we
What Engineers Must Know About the Supply Chain, Part 1 Read More »
Most supply chain professionals would benefit from some training in accounting. I am surprised by the number of times I encounter people holding positions of responsibility who just don’t understand the numbers well enough. I must admit that accountants don’t make it particularly easy. Take cashflow calculations as an example. There are two ways of
Supply Chain Accounting 101 Read More »
