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Assuring Quality During the Semiconductor Shortage of 2022

缺货管理

Our first post in the series about chip shortage mitigation in 2022 examines how you can assure quality during the semiconductor shortage.

We know that shortages force change in sourcing practices, as typically reliable supply channels simply aren’t available to meet demand. Ongoing, unprecedented shortages in the past two years have caused manufacturers to reevaluate long-held practices like lean manufacturing and sole sourcing from OEMs. But one constant that can’t endure compromise: sourcing the highest quality components. How can you assure quality during the semiconductor shortage we’re currently experiencing? Exacting standards, in line with your organization’s practices, must apply to bridge lack of supply and quality standards.

3 ways to assure quality during the semiconductor shortage

1. Timing is everything.

When sourcing hard-to-find components, timing challenges are probably your most critical concern. Many manufacturers are experiencing urgent supply needs to keep their lines up and running. But due to shipping challenges, global political unrest, and raw materials shortages, sourcing through standard channels is not always possible.

The good news? When expanding your sourcing beyond your standard suppliers, a lot more product is suddenly apparent. The challenge, however, is that you cannot sacrifice quality and risk-mitigation best practices when demand is not met by normal supply channels.

This can raise the uncertainty and risk in your sourcing process. Finding a sourcing partner with infrastructure, lab facilities, and highly qualified personnel standing ready to test your components’ integrity can ease the timing concerns around quality assurance.

2. Seek industry-leading practices and certifications.

A strenuous qualification process vets providers and applies risk management inspections based on specific supply channels and any associated flags for quality considerations. This is especially important for your hard-to-find and end-of-life purchases, where the stakes are particularly high.

Flowing down customers’ test criteria is also a strong option, usually involving the same methodologies and equipment the customer would use in house. But the ANAB-accredited technical competency for ISO/IEC 17025:2017 adds on calibration and operation at a higher standard. There’s no guesswork with the ANAB accreditation — quality assurance is solidified under this standard.

In addition to relevant certifications, an open door policy to share best practices in a two-way exchange between an independent distributor and a customer is ideal. The gold standard for this sort of exchange is when customers can come on site to observe quality assurance practices backed by data that provides evidence of their effectiveness. Overall, transparency is the key to succeeding at continual improvement, with customer input as a major driver on that journey.

3. Embrace global expansion while seeking rigorous quality control.

The combination of quick turnover and exceptional accreditations means nothing if your sourcing partner can’t reach the supply that you need. Growth happens in times of change, and a lot of growth right now is on a global scale.

We are finding that expanding global footprints means investing in relationships beyond your normal scope to find other opportunities that mirror your sensitivity to timing and demands for quality. But a broader sourcing network demands more rigorous quality control.

Are your partners stretching to achieve the exceptional for your electronics sourcing? With the spotlight on semiconductor shortages and quality assurance, the timing and scope of your electronic component sourcing must come together with exceptional quality assurances.

A preview of upcoming articles in this series:

ABF SUBSTRATE SHORTAGES: One of the many global supply chain factors affecting the semiconductor shortages are substrates. Shortages of substrates, also known as wafers, have presented an outsized hurdle to fixing the global semiconductor shortages. We will offer our take on how this developing topic is impacting the overall picture of semiconductor shortages.

SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGING SHORTAGES: Resolving ongoing chip shortages will require the stabilization of many complex supply chain factors that underlie the final product. These complex factors include the last key step in semiconductor manufacturing: packaging. We’ll address the packaging shortages in more detail, along with possibilities for how this aspect of the semiconductor shortages may resolve.

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