Jon Barrett
Editor of Electronics Sourcing UK, North America and Europe
During his publishing career, Jon has continued to develop his mechanical, electronic and software skills ranging from recent qualifications in precision welding to the development of hosted business software.
Press go for growth
I always look forward to the December issue of Electronics Sourcing. It’s an opportunity to ask a wide range of manufacturers and distributors for their experience over the past 12-months and their expectations for the coming year. Every year, for the last decade, these Forecast features have typically delivered a diversity of views. Some contributors are bullish, others are bearish. Some see growth in one industry, others in a different sector. Not this year. This…
Think, make or serve
It’s been an interesting 55-years. Like many children of the ‘60s, I was born into a manufacturing economy. As the years ticked by this was subsequently swept away by the knowledge economy, which was looked upon as higher value, cleaner and more environmentally sound. Just as I got to grips with that concept, it too was pushed aside by the service economy, which itself spawned its little brother: the gig economy. Then along comes Covid-19…
Paper and print everywhere
Medical, social and economic impacts aside, Covid-19 has revealed some interesting aspects to life. One or two of them have the potential to be uncomfortable truths. Thanks to forced homeworking and video conferencing I have had the pleasure of peeking inside more living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, studies and box rooms than I would have previously seen in my whole life. Politicians, celebrities, newsreaders, medics, experts, the general public and more, I’ve seen it all. I’m…
John Denslinger
Editorial contributor to Electronics Sourcing
John Denslinger is a former executive VP Murata, president SyChip Wireless, and president/CEO ECIA, the industry’s trade association. His career has spannned up to 40 raw years in electronics.
Industry 4.0: manufacturing’s supernova
John Denslinger argues Industry 4.0 is a manufacturing supernova on Earth, both for industry and the people enabling its transformation. The fourth industrial revolution was underway long before the pandemic touched every corner of the world. Covid might have limited adoption by those companies at implementation phase, but not among those with ongoing buildouts. Interestingly, had this revolution started earlier, robust digitalisation might have negated much of the Covid impact on manufacturing and their supply…
Domino effect on manufacturing
John Denslinger explores a decade of falling dominoes, each impacting the supply chain and driving manufacturers to explore significant changes to their global strategies. A domino effect is produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events. This is easily understandable if you visualise a falling row of dominoes. Its clear global manufacturing did not escape the domino effect. For more than two decades, manufacturers and their supply partners enjoyed relative stability in…
Seeds of change
Made in the USA was once the preferred branding for manufactured products. It signaled high quality, American ingenuity and skilled jobs for citizens. Following the post war re-build of Japanese and German economies, the advent of strategic trading blocs such as NAFTA and EU, and the rapid industrialisation of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China, the world became equally adept at producing durable goods. One might say it was a natural consequence of advancing societies….
James Carbone
Editorial contributor to Electronics Sourcing
A veteran journalist, James was a writer and editor for Electronics and Purchasing magazines for 21 years. He covered electronics distribution, semiconductors, passives and connectors for the magazines.
Independent distributors: Expect tight supply especially earlier in 2021
Electronics buyers will face longer lead times and some shortages in the first quarter, but it is unclear how long unfavorable buying conditions will last. Non-franchised distributors say there will be limited supply for some passives and semiconductors in the first quarter of 2021 but tight supply for some parts could last through much of the year. Demand has increased as several key customer segments, which had slowed manufacturing of their products during the pandemic,…
Pandemic limits distributors’ semiconductor sales
Chip sales declined in the first half, but demand bounced back in the third and fourth quarters and distributors expect to post modest semiconductor sales growth for the year. When the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world, most distributors thought that their semiconductor sales would fall this year because the pandemic shut down production of electronics equipment and components. However, the severity of impact on distributors’ semiconductor business was somewhat muted as demand for chips…
Buyers may face rising prices and longer lead times in 2021
Buyers are concerned there could be more shutdowns of electronics production in 2021 as uncertainty created last year by the pandemic carries over into 2021. Possible shutdowns of component production because of coronavirus, rising prices for copper and other metals and potential shortages of multilayer ceramic capacitors, power MOSFETs and other components are some of the supply chain challenges that electronics buyers say they will face in 2021. Covid-19 will remain a front-and-center purchasing for…
Amy Leary
Marketing Manager of eBOM.com
Amy Leary has been working within the electronics industry for over three years. Along with Marketing, Amy also produces unique editorials connected to the industry which have been published in widely recognised publications globally.
The Impact Chinese New Year 2021 Will Have on The Electronics Industry
Chinese New Year usually falls somewhere between the end of January and the middle of February. Next year in 2021, it is set to commence on 12th February and will be the year of the Ox. Chinese New Year is a time for celebration and is known to cause the largest human migration in the world, resulting in many employees taking time off work to be with family and friends. The holiday period often causes…
Let’s Get the Industry Moving Again
This year has seen one of the worst financial crises since 1929, the Wall Street Crash. The economy has seen a rough start to 2020, with thanks to COVID-19 causing mass disruption for manufacturers globally and over 437,000 deaths within seven months. Same as all major industries, the electronics sector has been substantially affected by the virus in all divisions including events, manufacturing, supply chain and staffing. With COVID-19 grinding spending and production to halt,…
Did You Stockpile Because Of BREXIT?
For those who may not be aware, the United Kingdom held a referendum vote on its relationship to the EU back in 2016. With virtual guarantees that the United Kingdom would remain in the EU – it came as a shock that by a slim margin, more of the public had voted ‘leave’ by a majority of 52% to 48%. The impact of the surprise vote caused lots of uncertainty with UK citizens and has…