Having a good design is not enough if the components do not arrive on time, in the correct quantity and from a verified source. Procurement is the operational part of a project that is often underestimated โ until something goes wrong. We manage this process for the client from start to finish, without the client needing to communicate with a dozen distributors across three different continents.
For every project we prepare a clean, structured BOM with precise MPN numbers, quantities with a reasonable buffer for the prototype phase, and verified procurement sources. Orders are placed with distributors we have experience with and who deliver reliably โ TME, Mouser, Farnell, Digi-Key for international orders, local and regional distributors where delivery speed or minimum order quantities favour them.
Prototype procurement and series procurement are two different disciplines. For a prototype the priority is speed โ we need components as quickly as possible, often in small quantities that are not always available with a short lead time. For a series the priority is price, consistency and supply security โ we order with sufficient lead time, negotiate volume pricing, and ensure all parts arrive synchronised so the assembly line is not stopped by a single missing component.
A particular challenge is components with long lead times โ FPGAs, specific microcontrollers, advanced power modules or niche sensors that are not held in distributor stock. For such components we work with the client on a forecast and order in advance, sometimes before the design is fully locked โ because waiting for a component with a 26-week lead time while the design "is not finished yet" almost always means a later production start than planned.
Clients who bring their own project for assembly can hand procurement entirely to us, bring their own components, or combine both โ we order what they cannot source favourably, they bring what they already have in stock. Every option is acceptable and we adapt to whatever makes most sense for the client.
All components passing through our system are recorded by project, batch and date of receipt. There is no mixing of parts between projects, no undocumented substitutions without approval. Traceability is not a bureaucratic requirement โ it is the foundation of serious electronics manufacturing.