EDNE August 2012 - (Page 36)

supplychain Linking design and resources OUTLOOK How the aftermarket and counterfeiting are linked t first glance, it may seem that back-end services, such as collection, recycling, and disposal, have little to do with front-end concerns, such as counterfeit components, but they have more to do with each other than you might think. Manufacturers with strong partnerships in the aftermarket are more likely to be able to reduce counterfeiting problems with their parts. To understand why, consider that the primary sources of counterfeit components are factorymade parts that are rejected for sale. They are often cheap substitutes or salvaged waste A semiconductor. In some cases, they sell parts destined for scrap to another party that remarks or manipulates a failed part to look new. The second source of counterfeit parts is PCBs that are also destined for the scrap heap. The boards are diverted and the components are picked off of them, often by hand. The third parties then remark, refurbish, and sell these parts as new. The electronics industry spends millions of dollars on detection and inspection equipment, trying to spot these parts as they enter the supply chain. Misrepresenting brands, such as Intel or IBM, by selling old components or systems as new represents professional suicide for a distributor. components that fail to meet quality requirements, leading to potential failures, according to officials at IHS iSuppli. Because these components contain recyclable materials, or hazardous elements, such as cobalt and lead, component makers outsource the collection and disposal of the parts to third parties that specialize in recycling and reclamation. These companies deal with all kinds of industries, not exclusively electronics. Therefore, they may understand the risk associated with a dysfunctional Every sold counterfeit part represents a loss of revenue to distributors or their suppliers. As such, many distributors inspect parts before they enter the warehouse, as they leave the warehouse, and when they return to the warehouse. Suppliers and most OEM customers also conduct incoming and outgoing inspection. The redundancy of these efforts costs the supply channel time and money, yet counterfeit components still get through. Supply-chain participants in 2011 reported 1363 veri- fied counterfeit-part incidents worldwide, a fourfold increase from 324 in 2009, according to IHS iSuppli. These numbers mark the first time the reported number of incidents in one year exceeded 1000, a total that could encompass millions of purchased parts. Distributors are increasingly getting involved in the aftermarket. In addition to providing an extension of their core frontend services, including procurement, logistics, and fulfillment, they are moving toward the back end, as well. They take back used goods, repair them if they can, and dispose of them if they can’t. These back-end services require many of the same things front-end services do: warehouses, logistics, and an expertise in electronics. Distributors, such as Arrow and Avnet, also sell computer equipment and systems, so they deal with everything from microprocessors to plastic and steel enclosures. They also “work” for their suppliers, including Intel, AVX, and IBM. Misrepresenting those brands by selling old components or systems as new represents professional suicide for a distributor. As disposal and recycling become more than just good ideas in the electronics industry, selecting the right aftermarket partner is critical. —by Barbara Jorgensen, EBN Community Editor APPlE TO rEMAIn MEDIATABlET kIng In 2012 Despite the growing number of kindle Fire adopters and the arrival of Microsoft-based media tablets, Apple Inc should hold its majority stake of sales to the market in 2012. According to gartner Inc, worldwide media-tablet sales to end users should reach 118.9 million units in 2012, a 98% increase from 2011 sales of 60 million units. Apple’s iOS continues to be the dominant media-tablet operating system. The research company estimates that the OS will account for 61.4% of worldwide media-tablet sales to end users in 2012. “Despite PC vendors’ and phone manufacturers’ wanting a piece of the pie ... we have seen limited success [besides] Apple with its iPad,” says Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at gartner, which projects that Microsoft tablets will this year make up a meager 4.1% of media-tablet sales and grow to 11.8% of sales by the end of 2016. Windows 8 is Microsoft’s official entry in the media tablet market. Android tablets, meanwhile, should account for 31.9% of media-tablet sales in 2012 at 37.9 million devices and should grow to 137.7 million devices in 2016, according to the company. —by Suzanne Deffree 36 EDN EUROPE | AUGUST 2012 www.edn-europe.com http://www.edn-europe.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of EDNE August 2012

Messe München
Messe München
Cover
Contents
Farnell
Microchip
Digi-key
Masthead
Comment
Pulse
Digi-key
Test & Measurement
Agilent Technologies
Understand the digital-output options for high-speed ADCs
Digi-key
Baker's best
Omicron
Cover Story
Digi-key
Generating spatial audio from portable products
Supply Chain
Design Idea
Product Roundup
Tales From The Cube

EDNE August 2012