Over the 4 years since Lytica Inc. launched our electronic component benchmarking tool set, we’ve concluded there are 4 reasons why companies don’t benchmark their electronic component expenses for competitiveness. There are assumed to be four reasons why companies don’t benchmark component prices. These are: Comfortable with the status quo Believe they are getting great/better…
A battery of questions about the implications for the electronics industry came to mind when Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) recently announced the new F-150 pickup’s aluminum construction. My initial question was “What are the downsides of switching from steel to aluminum?” Without a doubt, the issues involving safety and overall strength become primary consumer concerns…
The Consumer Electronics Show, (CES) is not just an event where bragging rights for first-to-market players can earn their technology stripes, but it is also an early public viewing venue for what will eventually become common household technology. That’s how many products are displayed but the reality can often be far from this because in…
One of the responsibilities for purchasing is to maintain a strong supplier relationship by providing critical feedback to the supplier from time to time. When there is a problem with a shipment or a sub-par performance of the product shipped, then the buyer should be in contact with the selling agent to determine the best…
This morning I was thinking about purchasing as a pivotal supply chain component and how critil this department is to the economic welfare of both manufacturers and distributors. We are used to expressing the supply chain economics in terms of ratios like “book-to-bill” or “order-to fulfillment.” Book-to-bill is a very telling ratio. If over a…
With RFID technology coming on line for many different business sectors, I could not help but notice the impact for B2B applications with respect to the management of critical data to ensure they can survive the untimely demise of a product in the field. Why is this important? Instead of having to reconstruct the scene…
During the RFID Live 2013 conference, I had the opportunity to preview some very significant technology introductions that will be implemented as standard features in both mobile and fixed stationed products very soon. One of the most intriguing innovations is the RFID application that I like to think of as a “kill switch.” One hardware…
Having just attended the RFID Live 2013 conference in San Francisco, I was reminded of the myriad applications for RFID in tracking assets, monitoring systems and transmitting key data to and from sensing and recording devices. As I considered the potential uses of RFID technology for purchasing and operations people, I mentally formulated an end-to-end…
As a buyer that was keen for big cost savings on behalf of the companies I’ve worked for, I crossed over to the dark side more often than not in my purchasing functions. I am not proud of it and I personally gained nothing from it except a feeling of accomplishment that I was able…
If you have been a buyer for even a short amount of time, you have probably already become aware of your dependency upon the integrity of everyone you deal with in the supply chain. You are in a pivotal position in both the supply and demand links because what you buy, (demand) is filling someone…