Supply chain leaders across the globe are talking about the promise of blockchain, but there have been few demonstrations of suitable use cases. OEMs are already tiring of blockchain, according to market research firm Gartner. At its recent Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conferences 2019, the firm predicted that by 2023, 90 percent of blockchain-based supply…
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is often viewed through the same lens as on-shoring or re-shoring. From a nation’s perspective, these activities retain or add jobs. FDI is becoming more important – and more global – to businesses, according to The 2019 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index. Almost four-fifths of respondents expect to increase…
The electronics industry has developed some of the most ground-breaking technologies in human history. Yet, the best minds in high-tech have been unable to overcome one of the industry’s most insidious challenges: counterfeit electronics. To some extent, technology advancements have only added to the problem: electronic components can now be cloned so well that they…
Editor’s note: The IoT and the industrial IoT (IIoT) provide the capability for all stakeholders in the electronics supply chain to seamlessly connect and share critical data. Visibility from the moment a component begins production through its end-of-life is possible through these leading-edge applications. But there are also real dangers to the networks that link supply…
The causes, effects and implications of “The Great Component Shortage of 2018” have been thoroughly analyzed. The automotive and IoT industries have been driving unprecedented demand for smaller and more efficient passive electronics, which in turn has stretched lead times for these once- commoditized components to the breaking point. What hasn’t been discussed, however, is the equal…
As evidenced by Brexit and the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, economic nationalism is on the rise. Industries such as electronics have spent decades building and finetuning a vast network of global supply chains. If globalization is facing a backlash — and experts attest that it is — longstanding supply relationships are about to get…
Despite concerns over cost, volatility and quality, global procurement professionals are shifting their attention toward China — and away from the U.S., EU and Canada — as a leading sourcing destination, according to an IHS Markit survey. In fact, the share of respondents that plan to increase sourcing in the United States dropped from 44…
Forecasting is one aspect of supply chain planning that executive constantly works at, but the goal of making accurate predictions is still elusive to many. One analyst recently forecast that in the second half of 2015 there will be more disruptions at West Coast ports as they deal with the backlog caused by previous strikes…
The semiconductor and electronics supply chain, like many other industries, is experiencing a renewed round of diversification strategies. There are a myriad of reasons and market opportunities driving the strategic shifts, but the bottom line remains a unified goal of increased business (volume and revenue) at improved costs with ever more finely managed risks. Among…