Current problems in the electronic components market including shortages, allocations and EoL notices bring specialist distributors and customers closer.
Forty years ago, when BEC Distribution was first established, there was no internet, no websites or Supply Chain Management. However, component manufacturers now sell more through specialist distributors than in the past. The reasons include:
- Increased national and international regulations
- Supply Chain policies of OEM and EMS providers including no sole sourcing,
- Distributors ability to soften EoL impacts
- Information fatigue: in a world full of information and short of our attention, customers must hash through hundreds of thousands of pages for what’s the best technology for their requirements, for their challenges and for the boards that they are building.
To help engineers and buyers with these new realities, BEC Distribution now offers performance comparison tables, genuine franchised EoL alternatives, shorter lead times and on some occasions better pricing.
Manufacturers’ EoL announcements and their disastrous impacts on engineers and buyers have been an enduring theme of BEC Distribution’s supply experience. Changes in raw materials, or their availability, even Mergers & Acquisitions could trigger EoL notices.
Typically, manufacturers discontinue lines after 7-10 years. This is a potential risk for customers whose products have longer expected lifetimes including Aerospace, Medical, Surveillance or Defence industry equipment.
But EoL as a term used by manufacturers does not mean the end of demand or usefulness of a component to design engineers. A more appropriate term would be “End-of-Sale” (EoS) by a specific manufacturer. Nonetheless for both manufacturers and customers, EoL remains an impossible to eliminate reality.
BEC Distribution’s EoL Component Sourcing Service will be a lifeline to R&D engineers, design houses or Supply Chain Management at OEM’s and EMS providers. With a stock of 15m EoL passive components, BEC can provide pin-for-pin direct replacement or alternatives. If the required components are not in stock, BEC can recommend standard alternatives, or source custom value components.
Sourcing EoL components without proper assessment and technical due diligence is however, a potential risk to performance or quality of final products. One of the most important things to look for in a distribution partner is their technical sourcing ability, proven experience in the market, together with CoC guaranteeing that the alternatives match original specifications. In addition to Technical Support, BEC can also provide FOC samples.
For more information please contact sales@bec.co.uk or visit www.bec.co.uk