For many smaller customers, an education in the theory and benefits of DfSC is the first step in supporting the new-product development process, says John Cronk, western area director, FIRST® supply chain solutions, Future Electronics, Montreal.
Future has introduced the concept to many customers through its Lean Processing seminars, which it hosts for customers throughout the region."As a distributor, we are in the unique position of being able to link technical resources with supply chain expertise to produce a process which ensures that customers are going to have the most cost-effective approach to applying materials to their design programs," Cronk
says."We like to use the term ‘design for supply chain' because it opens up a new paradigm and makes customers aware that there is a lot they can do to make the design process more efficient from a cost standpoint."
While the concept of DfSC appeals to many OEMs, actual implementation is often hampered by the struggle to reconcile the concept of price versus cost, says Cronk
."We find that a lot of customers, even some of the large guys, are losing the benefit of a good solid supply chain initiative because they are focusing too much on price," says Cronk
."When they do that, they fail to consider the ‘hidden' costs in their choices, such as how much it is going to cost them to rework the design because the part they have chosen is nearing its end of life."
Online access to technical data and supply chain solutions is also an integral part of Future Electronics' customer offerings, Cronk