Sourcing PCBs is one of the most important aspects of running an electronic equipment manufacturing company. When you are sourcing your PCBs, you should not avoid making some of the most common mistakes that people make. These mistakes could cost you dearly both in terms of money and also in terms of your reputation.
Whether you like it or not, the quality of the PCBs you use in your electronic devices will decide the reliability of the equipment you are manufacturing. Knowing this, if you are going to make any of the mistakes that people normally make then you would be inviting unnecessary trouble. In order to avoid these mistakes, you should know what they are and here are some of the most common PCB sourcing mistakes that you should avoid.
Selecting a PCB manufacturer even before one carefully reviews and screens the capabilities of the manufacturer is a common mistake. Instead of checking the capabilities of the PCB manufacturer, they blindly try to compare quotes and proceed with a company that offers the cheapest quotes.
Not finding the right skill sets that match your requirements is a mistake. The PCB fabrication company would be a reliable company and they would be committed to customer satisfaction but all these do not automatically make them the best fit for your needs. The PCB manufacturer should be able to handle your requirements. The complexities of PCB manufacturing needs vary from one company to the other. It is therefore important to find companies that are capable of handling your exact requirements both in terms of the complexity of requirements and also in terms of the order volumes.
The next mistake that we notice among the customers is not carefully planning the sourcing cycle. It is very important that you have a carefully planned schedule for the annual sourcing cycle. You must know when you would need the next batch of PCBs and what would be the quantities needed with every batch. Each manufacturer is likely to have their own timeline for production process. Added to that, if you are sourcing from destinations such as China you also need to take into consideration the shipping time. Only when you consider all these factors you will be able to plan your sourcing schedule. If you are going to place last minute orders due to lack of sourcing plans, then you would be facing regular delays in the process.
All the above mistakes could be easily avoided as they are very much within your control. You just need to be cautious with the selection of your PCB manufacturing company. When you pick the right companies for manufacturing your PCBs you would be saved from most of the above mistakes. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to your choices when you are selecting the PCB manufacturing company. Once you have a reliable supplier of PCBs you will be able to focus on the other core business operations. Make every effort possible to stay away from the above mistakes.
