Publication date: 27 October 2009
Distribution catalogues and websites have their uses but are a dangerous basis for design. A catalogue is published (or posted online) to sell the stock that is in the warehouse today – it does not provide any form of guidance on what might be available tomorrow.
The presence of a component in a print or online catalogue tells you that you can have five by tomorrow. It doesn’t tell you how long before you can have another five. Will there indeed be another five, or is the vendor in the process of withdrawing the part? The only way to find out is to partner with a reputable authorised distributor, whose relationship with their suppliers ensures that they know this kind of thing. This constitutes a sort of ‘supply chain of information’ that will parallel the supply chain of product once the design goes into production.
Designers developing production (as opposed to one-off) projects need to make an ‘informed choice’ of part. The Internet, which provides ready access to panoply of product information and datasheets, should be regarded as the start and not the end-point of that choice. Using the web, it is possible to draw up a short list of solutions that might fill the design slot in terms of features and performance. A final choice should be made in consultation with a good FAE representing one or more of the potential vendors. This discussion can not only provide much more detail on the key parameters for that specific design, but can also cover manufacturing issues like packaging, MOQs and delivery.
The FAE can also provide a view on the long term availability of the options being considered. Parts are withdrawn for all sorts of reasons. Essential raw materials can suddenly become hard to obtain. A merger between two vendors can lead to duplication in the product range. Frustrating though these changes are, they are normally forecast on the information supply chain before they happen.
This chain will continue to be valuable as the finished design moves through its life-cycle. When embarking on the design of the second generation system, check the information supply chain on the likely long-term availability of key components. It may be that new versions of key devices are on the drawing board that will allow you to improve performance, add functions and/or reduce cost. Equally, if parts are being withdrawn alternatives can be specified as part of the redesign process.
It is always good to work in partnership with your distributor, and give them a schedule of future demand. Based on that schedule, the distributor can anticipate supply problems – and provide early warning of changes to lead-time or availability. With early warning, remedial action like a last time buy or extending the schedule can allow production to continue.
We spend a lot of FAE time working with customers to re-engineer prototypes designed round solutions that aren’t available in production volumes. In every case, that FAE would have been available and happy to have that discussion much earlier in the design process, getting the product to market more quickly with less effort and less stress. By all means browse the web for inspiration, but remember that we offer a free reality check on your proposed part before you commit yourself.
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