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questions and answers with Mouser Electronics We were offered the chance to publish a Q & A with answers provided by Mouser Electronics’ Senior Vice President of Global Service & EMEA and APAC Business, Mark Burr-Lonnon. Q Ongoing parts shortages have resulted in many items being on backorder. We have noticed that Mouser provides regular updates on the ETA for back-ordered parts. How do you keep track of the delivery dates for so many products at once? As a leading distributor of electronic components worldwide, Mouser Electronics provides the fastest and easiest access to the widest selection of the newest semiconductors and electronic components — available to order or in stock and ready to ship. The electronics industry and supply chain have faced significant challenges in recent times due to manufacturing contractions, chip shortages, and transportation disruptions. Supply-chain delays coupled with rising demand have complicated the task of sourcing and buying components, putting many items into backorder. As a global authorised distributor with a strong customer focus, we are committed to fulfilling the needs of our customers and helping to solve purchasing pain points. We collaborate with our manufacturer partners and provide regular updates for customers on expected delivery timetables, along with real-time inventory updates and lead times on our website. A Based on current lead times, it is pretty clear that many parts will be in short supply into 2023. Do you think the situation will ease by the end of 2023, or can we expect serious shortages to continue into 2024? Q With the current uncertainties, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the global semiconductor supply chain two years into the future. Various factors have disrupted manufacturing across many industries, and supply chains across the globe remain in a state of flux, resulting in extended lead times and restricted allocation on some product lines. As distributors, our teams work to project supply and demand, helping customers tide over supply chain instabilities. Customers rely on us because of our wide breadth of inventory and ability to offer alternate products. Along with stocking the widest selection in the industry, we continue to focus on expanding product choices for customers and having inventory on hand. In 2021, we added over 113 new manufacturers to our product line card and have added over 35 year-to-date in 2022. A siliconchip.com.au Q Any recommendations for those putting together a BOM (bill of materials) for a design to minimise the risk that critical items will be out of stock when it comes time to manufacture the product? Mouser is committed to providing a bestin-class customer experience and, as such, we offer a full suite of customer-focused online tools to simplify and optimise component selection and purchasing. Our resources and guides help customers map their data to create a new BOM, and our service professionals can suggest strategies to mitigate delays when lead times can impact projects. Customers are naturally frustrated by the product shortages and are placing orders many months ahead. The recent disruptions have also compelled designers to plan ahead even further for their projects. Distributors are not immune to global factors and there have been extended lead times and restricted allocation on some of the more popular product lines. Our teams are closely monitoring shortages and are working closely with manufacturers to replenish products as quickly as possible. Customers can register for stock notifications through email, so that they can stay abreast of a part’s availability in real time. If a particular part is not available, we suggest looking for a similar or alternative part that might be in stock. In semiconductors, customers might evaluate if memory can be increased, and if it does not overextend the budget, ordering the same part with a larger memory capacity might be a solution to reduce the lead time. Similarly, customers may evaluate if tolerance can be increased for capacitors and order suitable alternatives to avoid delays. We offer several suggestions on best practices, along with efficient, time-saving solutions, along with an Intelligent BOM tool, and order automation resources through our Services & Tools page. A Q How do you decide what new products to stock? Do you take any steps to ensure that new products are in stock in sufficient quantities upon release so they are viable choices for new designs? Mouser is the industry’s leading New Product Introduction (NPI) distributor, offering the widest selection of semiconductors A Australia's electronics magazine and electronic components. More than 1,200 manufacturer partners rely on us to help them successfully introduce their products into the global marketplace. We work closely with manufacturers to stay up to date, which helps us to better support customers’ needs, and helps engineers and designers innovate with new products. Despite the current supply chain challenges, innovation continues to be strong, and this is driving demand. Our teams collaborate closely with the manufacturers to promote their newest products, and we are seeing exciting new sensor technologies, as well as the latest in power management and, of course, advancements in microprocessors, automotive, factory and home automation components. Certainly, IoT, 5G, artificial intelligence, robotics, industrial automation and transportation are major growth drivers in the industry and are driving design. We have received counterfeit parts from other suppliers in the past which have caused many problems. How do you prevent counterfeit parts getting into Mouser’s supply chain? Q In recent years, the rise in counterfeit components entering the supply chain has been a serious problem. With Mouser, customers are assured of 100% certified, genuine products that are fully traceable from each of our manufacturer partners. Mouser takes every precaution to ensure that the products are obtained directly from the original manufacturers or through their authorised channels. We have the most stringent product traceability and anti-counterfeit controls in place, which have earned us coveted certifications such as the AS9100D, securing the supply chain for the aviation, space and defence industries. Mouser is also the first distributor to be accredited with the SAE AS6496 standard for anti-counterfeit measures in authorised electronic component distribution, providing full traceability to the original manufacturers on every product we stock and sell. We also make sure that the products are handled and stored in accordance with industry quality standards. As an Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) authorised distributor, we are committed to providing factory-warranted, first-quality, genuine components. Mouser provides access to our manufacturers’ full range of up-to-date technical and product information, as well as comprehensive technical support. SC A October 2022  85