When you are sourcing hard-to-find parts, there are many timely, safe, and secure options available, but it all starts with proactively determining your needs.
Shortage mitigation demands resilience, creativity, and resourcefulness. And, almost two years after the start of the pandemic, many are feeling short on all of the above. The daily pressure of electronic components shortages is compounded by large or lifetime buys, missing components threatening your bill of materials, or staring down a 52-week lead-time with millions at stake.
These situations and more can create pressure to get approvals for alternative sources. But, sourcing hard-to-find parts outside of your usual lane can provide a variety of solutions. Here are four often-overlooked ways to think outside the box in meeting your sourcing demands.
4 Tips for Sourcing Hard-to-Find Parts in a Shortage Market
1. Proactively outsource monitoring of EOL and global supply chain instability.
No one wants to get caught off guard by an EOL notice in today’s tight market. An independent distributor can keep a close eye on mergers and EOL notice. This proactively ensures expert eyes on product availability for when the time comes to address EOL situations.
Right now, it’s particularly helpful to have global support monitoring the situation in regions particularly impacted by war and COVID-19. And, with the current surge of mergers, another wave of EOL is coming. Now is the time to start monitoring closely.
2. Don’t overlook franchise lines.
Realistically, an approval for an alternative source may not jump to front of mind when you are sourcing. But, often accessing franchise lines through an independent distributor can offer access to the parts you need in a timely fashion.
If you are facing the 52-week lead times that we are seeing for many in-demand parts, you might want to consider options to build and collaborate with a franchise manufacturer. There are criteria around price and quantity. But, if you are willing to invest in the support of a franchise manufacturer, that relationship is likely to open access to more options.
You might avoid the costs and engineering time of a completely new part with guidance to help you bridge or redesign. When options like this come with long-term support in repair, you’ll have security well beyond the initial buy.
Collaborating with an independent distributor who sources through franchise lines takes pressure off of a situation where you have a difficult- or hard-to-source part. With the rising number of mergers, establishing that relationship now creates an opportunity to have a place to go when the EOL notices hit.
3. Consider the whole picture when sourcing hard-to-find parts.
When you are looking for hard-to-find parts and your usual suppliers fall down, you might need to take a step back and consider the bigger picture. Look at the packaging needs, evaluate the voltage or temperature requirements: spaces may emerge where you can find an alternative.
Options and opportunities emerge when you are willing to bring ideas to the table. Sometimes there is space to work with in your sourcing needs that you haven’t considered before. Getting support to dig into the safe and secure alternatives out there can create breathing room for sourcing hard-to-find parts.
For example, with capacitors and resistors: if you are using a 20% cap but a 10% could work, you’ve got an immediate solution if those are in stock. While straightforward substitutions aren’t always possible, faking a proactive stance in sourcing hard-to-find parts will help solutions appear, even in the tightest of markets.
4. When nothing else is approved, go to a source with a strong global network.
In some cases, there is no substitution for the part you need. For certain parts — MOSFETs, for example — only industry standard qualifies. But, many sources are showing a two-year lead time on MOSFETs. You might think you have no other choice but to wait that out.
Even when your choices are limited and no other parts are approved, sourcing solutions are possible. By working with an independent distributor, you gain access to global networks that can ease supply and demand concerns by making the right connections to get exceptional quality parts that you need.
When you are sourcing hard-to-find parts, options abound in the independent electronic distribution space. Taking a proactive stance to determine your options and outsource monitoring puts you ahead of the game. And when timely sourcing options seem nonexistent, building new connections can forge a way forward.
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