Atlanta, GA – In a follow-up webinar to one of the most highly rated presentations at ECIA's Executive Conference, Evan de la Torre gave listeners invaluable insights into the challenges of complex sales such as those within the electronics component industry. The high tech B2B sales process has been turned upside down by globalization, the…
Everyone agrees that getting students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and eventually manufacturing and supply chain is key to our collective success. Both the US and Europe know this ‘skills gap’ is a genuine threat to their ability to compete and that automation is not the answer. In fact, automation and…
It is hard to overestimate the damage being caused by counterfeit parts entering the supply chain. For the consumer the problem is huge, with up to seven percent of tech being fake, according to published statistics, and with video controllers and consoles the largest culprit. These fakes are not only bad news for the brands…
Augmented reality (AR) started life in the entertainment sector, but can it be deployed in the manufacturing world to truly add value? We all love the idea of putting on a virtual reality (VR) headset and being transported to another world, or finding ourselves courtside at a basketball game, but are these tools viable in…
In the context of the smart factory, good materials management has the potential to increase efficiency, reduced line stoppages and improve performance throughout the value chain. In a recent survey component shortage was slated as one of the top challenges faced by contract manufacturers, particularly those in tier two and three, below $1 billion in…
Atlanta, GA – ECIA is pleased to announce Melanie Pizzey has accepted leadership of the 2019 Executive Conference. Melanie will chair the ECIA Conference Committee to set the direction, choose topics and select speakers for the 2019 event scheduled for October 20-22, in Rosemont, Illinois. Melanie has been with TTI for 33 years, holding various…
First it was the election in the US that was threatening to disrupt the growth and success of manufacturing in Mexico, but they held firm and their steady ‘business as usual’ approach served them well. Then the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was exercising everyone’s collective anxiety. Again, the industry continued…
The road to smart factory nirvana is paved with challenges. One such challenge is the need for data that truly adds value. As manufacturers look to do more with the information they collect, inspection data is rapidly growing in importance, and many consider ‘good’ inspection data to be the currency of the smart factory. The…
The idea of factories around the world that work in harmony, delivering products to the market closest to them, is not a new one. In fact, a harmonious global manufacturing footprint was a real growth driver of the entire electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry from the turn of the last century and before. It drove…
Counterfeit electronics remain the bane of the electronics industry. Fake parts create safety hazards, siphon off profits, and tarnish corporate images. Image courtesy: Pixabay The problem is huge by all accounts, and probably underreported. The fake semiconductor market has reached $75 billion according to Industry Week, while Havocscope estimates that $169 billion in counterfeit parts…