You know the saying: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The natural disasters that buffeted the supply chain in 2011 are now history, albeit recent history. In March of that year, a massive earthquake, subsequent tsunami, and consequent nuclear disaster in northern Japan severely disrupted both the electronics and…
In a world that lives by the quarter, 2012 was quite a ride for distributors. In short, it could have been worse, but it sure could have been better. It was another year of go-go quarters followed by abrupt pauses. That led to some interesting numbers on the annual Top 25 Distributors survey, but little…
Fourteen months from now, the first conflict minerals reports are due to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC, in August 2012, ruled that US manufacturers and contract manufacturers must disclose any use of conflict minerals that originated in the Congo, where human rights abuses are linked to battles over those minerals. Here's a…
Less than a year after Amazon shook up things in the business-to-business supply chain, here comes Google. The search giant has launched a beta version of Google Shopping for Suppliers, which right now is focused on the electrical and electronics industries. Amazon Supply, which serves a host of different industries, now features more than 600,000…
For the first time this year, warning bells are going off regarding semiconductor inventory levels. Nothing has exactly been pointing to a yearend run on stock. However, given the ongoing assurances by the supply chain that communication and visibility efforts continue to improve between suppliers and their channel partners, the industry could expect a more…
ANDOVER, MA – Fusion Trade, experts in sourcing electronic components throughout the world, announced today that it has changed its name to Fusion Worldwide. The change is part of a larger effort to more accurately reflect the independent distributor’s global footprint and focus on being the industry’s most valued sourcing leader. The rebranding initiative also…
One might describe corporate sustainability management as a combination of government environmental legislation and “corporate grass roots” movements. Individual corporations and entire industries have seized on efforts usually seen as individuals' choices and have adopted these choices to the corporate domain. With incentives from customers and from legislative programs, corporate sustainability management has expanded into…
Anti-counterfeiting and quality control have been, and will always be, a daily battle. On the front lines of the complex chip world are accredited, high-tech laboratories that have demonstrated competence to meet standards such as ISO/IEC 17025. Accredited testing laboratories are essential elements of quality management and counterfeit mitigation strategies. These labs reliably fulfill customer…
HOUSTON, TEXAS – Smith & Associates, the industry leader in global electronics distribution, today announces its global headquarters’ accreditation under the ISO/IEC 17025 quality standard. This standard specifies general, cross-industry requirements for testing and calibration competency and is used by laboratories in developing their management systems for quality, administrative, and technical operations. “This accreditation reflects,…
In a previous blog, I discussed some of the factors behind the growing incidences of counterfeiting within the electronics industry. As noted, the industry has been teaming up with experts to fight the scourge with some modest success, but obviously there's more that can be done at the individual enterprise level. In this concluding blog…