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Mention the word “collaboration” to a group of designers, and a few of them might acknowledge working closely with their fab and assembly partners. But how many designers consider their component providers to be true stakeholders in the process and collaborate with them regularly?
Duane Benson, founder of Positive Edge, has a long history of working on the component side of things. I asked Duane to weigh in with his thoughts on collaborating with component suppliers.
Andy Shaughnessy: We hear a lot of talk about the need for designers to collaborate with their fab and assembly partners, but component providers seem to be left out of the mix. Do you think component providers are also “stakeholders” in this process?
Duane Benson: Component suppliers are absolutely stakeholders in the design process. The supply chain isn't in as bad shape as it was a few years ago, but there is still too much variability to take it for granted. It's not uncommon to have easy availability for prototype quantities but limited availability for production quantities, or one package may be in good supply, but the one you want, not so much. Good supply chain partners can keep you from designing with unavailable parts, and they can help you find subs.
Shaughnessy: What does true collaboration look like between design, fab, assembly, and component provider?
Benson: In true collaboration, early BOMs are cleared with the supply chain, and are re-cleared at intervals throughout the design process—and not just for exotic parts. Sometimes passives and other common parts have issues too. Supply chain may also know about new and upcoming parts that could simplify a design. Fab and assembly should be used from the start for ground rules. Complex footprints or packages must be run past both fab and assembly for layout and manufacturing considerations.
Shaughnessy: After the supply chain snafu a few years back, it seems like a no-brainer to keep your component supplier in the loop. Do you think designers are communicating more now with the component folks?
Benson: Not really. Even during the worst of the troubles, engineers would often pick components without thought to availability. A tweak or redesign based on availability was too often a last resort and probably still is. The draw of a hot new MCU or such always seems to override the fact that more than prototype quantities are a year away.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the June 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
