| Objectives | Background | Approach |
To develop, validate, and document a methodology for
electronic part distributor assessment.
Distribution is one of the most important steps in supply chain. It is the means by which a product is handled, packaged, warehoused, and transported from the source of origin to other marketing channel members. Distribution may be accomplished by facilitating agencies alone or in concert with some or all of the supply chain members. The services required in distribution include receiving products, inventory control, customer services, storing, order tracking, and shipping. With the increased competency, manufacturers are concentrating on core competency manufacturing and design, and distribution and distributors are becoming a key part of how successful manufacturers get products to their customers and how well customers are served and satisfied.
Distributors serve as an interface between part manufacturers and equipment manufacturers. They stock electronic parts and sell these to customers with or without adding value to the parts. With the rapid development of electronic industry and intensity of competition between component manufacturers, more parts are distributed through distributors. Additionally, distributors are not only provide warehouse and inventory services, high end value-added services, such as design services and contract manufacturing but also taking over obsolescence parts manufacturing business, components testing services and supply chain management business.
With increasing role of distributors in the electronics parts market, it is necessary to develop a methodology to assess electronics distributors in overall part selection and management methodology.