Buyers rely on the ECIA for industry standards, statistics and technical know-how. With its forthcoming conference and enhanced website, it is now easier than ever to connect with authorized distributors.
All facets of the electronic components industry come together under the umbrella of the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA). Its mission is to promote and improve the business environment for the authorized sale of electronic components.
In fact, the association was actually formed in 2011 by uniting the National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA) and the Electronic Components Association (ECA). Its members are therefore manufacturers of electronic components and their authorized distributors and manufacturers representatives. Thanks to this diverse membership, the association aims to represent the interests of the entire authorized supply chain.
So how is this achieved? Activities focus in four key areas: standards, guidelines and best practice; industry promotion and advocacy; statistics and surveys; and networking and technical conferences.
Setting standards
The standards and guidelines council provides member companies with the opportunity to affect industry in two ways. ECIA develops a variety of supply-chain guidelines and position papers as well as holding industry technical standards accreditation rights through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Industry advocacy and promotion is another important mission. Counterfeiting of electronic components remains a serious and growing threat to the electronics industry so ECIA works hard to help members avoid gray market and counterfeit product. In addition to a secure inventory search site listing only genuine inventory backed by a manufacturer’s warranty, the association uses a variety of social media to expand its reach. Join the ECIA group on LinkedIn and visit the association’s YouTube channel to view industry leaders discussing a variety of key issues.
Efforts are constantly underway to keep member businesses informed of the latest industry research and the association provides market knowledge and research specific to the sale of electronics components. Passive component market reports boast industry statistics unavailable elsewhere, while other reports cover production and consumption information, distributor productivity and compensation.
Need to network
ECIA events offer in-depth industry vision, provide educational and networking opportunities and foster relationships throughout the channel. In April, the association played host to the World Capacitor, Resistor and Inductor Trade Statistics Meetings in Washington, DC, where market reports were presented from around the globe. Each ECIA conference offers access to industry experts, ample time to discuss issues and critical networking opportunities.
Coming up in October, the 2012 Executive Conference, sponsored by Electronics Sourcing North America, will run under the heading ‘Information + Application = Innovation.’ The event, which will be held 28 to 30 October at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare, promises a blend of industry and economic news, strategic industry resources, roundtable collaboration and ample networking time.
Presentations will cover a host of industry specific topics, kicking off with chief executive officer at Avnet, Rick Hamada. He will discuss how the speed of business today demands the adept navigation of enormous volumes of data to get to relevant and actionable information. Rick will share some of his experiences and lessons learned regarding harnessing information to lead to faster and more meaningful innovation.
Chairman, president and chief executive officer of Littelfuse, Gordon Hunter, will close the first day with his long term vision of the industry’s future. He feels it is important to be vigilant about change and to incorporate that vigilance into the daily execution of short-term goals.
Starting day two will be chairman of the board at Kayak.com, Terry Jones. In this extended session, Terry will talk about the business of innovation: how to generate great ideas, how to ‘fail fast’ and how to kill projects without killing people as well as how to experiment and ‘do more with less.’ Terry will provide real world examples drawn from his experience at Travelocity.com, the boards of seven startups and his consulting work with companies large and small.
Detailed conference information and registration are available online with early registration discounts available until 5 October. Hotel accommodation can be booked by contacting the hotel directly and mentioning the group code NEZ.
As these events and initiatives demonstrate, ECIA members are committed to making a positive impact on the industry, shaping the future to meet the needs of electronic OEMs and CEMs for safe, reliable components products, equipment and supplies.