If you read industry publications you have seen these headlines . . .
Demand Surge Causes a Shortage of Components
Electronics Weekly June 2017
Electronic Component Shortages: ‘No End in Sight’
EPS News May 2018
Staying Ahead of the Electronics Component Shortage
Industry Weekly June 2018
In early 2017, news of the market shift and component shortages became very apparent. Components that used to be readily available for on-demand ordering, were suddenly posting successive waves of supply shortages, price hikes and lengthening lead times. A major surge in demand on one side and a critical shortage of parts and materials on the other, were beginning to strain OEM’s capabilities to meet customer demand.
With over 40 years in the industry, MJS Designs has seen and survived more then its fair share of market changes; influxes in overseas manufacturing, changes in regulations and our most recent challenge, maintaining our quick-turn reputation in an era where component procurement has gone from a process of placing orders to taking deep dives into our supply chains and conducting hours of research for routine projects to minimize lead times and present viable alternates for our customer’s material needs.
MJS Designs has a long history of taking the market seriously and responding to component/technology evolutions. In mid-2017 we saw that shortages were impacting our customers. Their internal teams could no longer find viable resources and, thus, were turning to MJS Designs for materials more often. We knew it was critical to ensure our team was ready to support our customers in a changing market.
Four Ways MJS Designs Could be YOUR Hero When Obtaining Components
- We have strategically expanded our purchasing department
The MJS Designs Purchasing department is a team of five highly experienced, detail driven and mission-oriented individuals.
Shannon Boysen, Supply Chain Manager and 20-year team member of MJS Designs, is quick to tell you her focus isn’t on managing people, but rather managing a highly defined process, system and protocol for procuring parts, supplies and even packaging for customer projects. No one is more aware of the shortages then Shannon whose work load and research time dramatically increased over the first part of 2018.
Deborah Osenbau, team member of MJS Designs for over 11 years and Inventory Manager, is the liaison between the production team and the purchasing team. Her job is to make sure the production team has the parts they need for any given project and has them in a time frame to meet strict deadlines. When the needed parts are not in inventory, Deborah works closely with the purchasing department to obtain the alternate parts, complete with CFCs (Certificate of Compliance).
Alan Quast, Purchasing Specialist, who joined the MJS Designs purchasing team in the fall of 2017 has an extensive history in industry purchasing. He is masterful at in-depth research to find viable alternatives for requested components, meticulously checking lead times to make sure component stipulations are precise at the time the quote is presented.
Jesse Shand, Purchasing Specialist and Sales Support, joined the company in the spring of 2018. Jesse is key in helping to assure quotes are complete and is the liaison between purchasing and sales. Jesse works closely with the sales department to understand the customer’s component requirements and deadlines. All of which create variables that must be considered when procuring parts.
Gabriela Deniz, is the newest member of the MJS Designs purchasing department team. Gabriela’s experience in customer service is being leveraged for customer communications and liaison between internal teams.
The MJS Designs Purchasing Team is well rounded and highly experienced in obtaining alternate component options, with pricing and specific lead times.
- Component Stipulation Spreadsheet is Unique
At MJS Designs we are known for our comprehensive, no surprises, thorough quoting. The component stipulation spreadsheet has taken on a very prominent role in the quoting process. We are no longer able to simply present components, prices and lead-times. We now need to offer alternatives on just about every part and provide CFCs (Certificate of Compliance) from the manufacturers. Obtaining CFC’s from credible suppliers is critical to the integrity of the part, the traceability and assuring final functionality is as intended.
Many industry articles predict an increase in counterfeit parts as the shortage continues. MJS Designs will not compromise quality components. We only work with suppliers who have a history of industry integrity and traceability.
- 20 Years of Building Supply Chain Relationships
With the demand for electronics in the private, government and public sectors, constantly on the increase, there is also a dramatic increase in material suppliers in the market place. Many suppliers provide industry standard parts from established, franchised distributors, while many others have no tie or verifiable information on the quality standards of the parts they supply.
A reputable manufacturer, like MJS Designs, will have an established process to vet-out and prequalify suppliers assuring quality to the customer. New suppliers may have to endure credit checks, reference checks and answer in-depth surveys to become an approved supplier for an established manufacturer.
While we don’t pit suppliers against each other. We do thoroughly research pricing and availability to match our customer’s needs.
- Team Credentials and Certifications
Members of the MJS Designs purchasing team are Counterfeit Component Detection and Prevention PRO-STD-001 Certified. We obtained our first PRO-STD-001 Certification as part of our commitment to exceptional and precision quality. In the current environment of component shortages, counterfeit parts can slip into the supply chains of the inexperienced or uncertified electronics manufacturing providers. The PRO-STD-001 Certification means our team uses a current and thorough counterfeit component check point inspection process to assure traceability and the acquisition of vendor CFCs.
MJS Designs takes every available precaution to mitigate risk of counterfeit parts and has a long history of success in this area.
Do you have questions about counterfeit parts, alternates to parts you are no longer able to obtain or the future of your projects in the current shortage? Contact us and a member of our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Visit www.mjsdesigns.com or email sales@mjsdesigns.com