Someone’s talking but is anyone listening?

More than 500 managers and executives in the global electronics hardware and design sector, many from electronics contract manufacturing and technology original design manufacturing (ODM) companies, were polled in a VentureOutsource.com online industry survey.

The survey presented dozens of questions on numerous topics such as lean manufacturing and various business perspectives and scenarios and asked industry survey respondents for commentary and ranking.

One survey portion was directed at electronics original equipment manufacturing (OEM) survey respondents that are currently outsourcing contract manufacturing and product design and asked these respondents to rank specific objectives related to business strategic priorities in their company.

The objectives presented were:

• Improve after-market/post sales operations
• Manage inventory more effectively
• Improve effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts and activities
• Reduce order-to-delivery time
• Improve demand forecasting
• Reduce manufacturing costs
• Reduce time to introduce new products

Ranking of the responses was not too surprising with the top three business strategic objectives ranked in the order of importance being:

1. Reduce order-to-delivery time
2. Manage inventory more effectively
3. Reduce manufacturing costs

Meanwhile, the same business strategic priorities were presented to electronics industry contract manufacturers and original design manufacturers taking the survey.

They responded differently, however. The top three business strategic objectives these respondents ranked in the order of importance were:

1. Manage inventory more effectively
2. Improve effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts and activities
3. Improve demand forecasting

The survey also identified some of the criteria electronics OEM managers and executives currently outsourcing manufacturing or design to rate the importance of specific criteria presented when selecting a contract manufacturing or product design company for a business engagement.

The top five, with the criteria most important listed first, were:

1. Accountability - does what it says, when it says
2. Quality certifications and facility approvals
3. Relative business experience
4. Financial stability
5. Product design capabilities

Click here for more on the above and many more findings in the 24-page report available online at VentureOutsource.com.

VentureOutsource.com