The electronics sector is worth over £16 billion every year to the UK economy alone.

Key areas in this industry include consumer electronics, semiconductors, and electronic design, medical device electronics, automotive electronics, and defence-related electronics. And in an industry where bills of materials can be lengthy, effectively managing every stage of the supply chain and proving traceability is something that is a high priority.

In high-performance safety-critical applications, such as avionics or defence electronics, quality standards are rigorous, and compromising these could destroy the reputation of a business.

So, whether you are an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), a sub-contract manufacturer, or a distributor BSI has a range of standards that can help maintain quality and give you trust and confidence up and down your supply chain.

Supply chain quality with electronic component testing

In the electronics assembly sector quality, accuracy, and reliability are crucial to avoid costly reworks or products that fail shortly after purchase.

This may be ensuring the integrity of BOMs (Bills of Materials) or preventing counterfeit components or conflict materials from entering the supply chain.

To uphold quality, the IPC-A-610, “Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies” standard was published by the IPC and today it is a globally recognized quality standard in the electronics industry. To help the organizations they work in uphold their commitment to quality and it is often used to compliment quality assurance schemes such as BS EN ISO 9001.

By achieving this standard, you can give your customers added confidence in your products.

To read more on the topic of quality management in the electric and electronic sector, click here.

How to achieve supply chain resilience in a post-COVID-19 landscape

The global outbreak of COVID-19 was bound to put stress on the supply chains of electronic organizations, but the electronics supply chain was already in the throes of disruption before the outbreak.

The tariff war between the United States and China forced the relocation of some high-profile electronics manufacturers from China to South East Asia, including GoPro, Kyocera, and Nintendo moving manufacturing to Vietnam, as well as Casio, Daikin, and Ricoh shifting operations to Thailand.

The last year could have been a year of recovery for the electronics industry. Instead, it was filled with new challenges that threaten to significantly stem the flow of critical electronics and impact the introduction of new products for many months to come. Now, most electronic supply chain teams are working to mitigate and recover from these challenges, preparing for a post-pandemic new normal.

The ability to quantify and mitigate supply chain risks throughout the procurement, manufacturing, transportation and sales lifecycle is paramount in the electronic sector. Organizations need to identify the critical risks to minimize disruption and help protect global operational, financial, and reputational exposures.

The business continuity standard BS EN ISO 22301 specifies the requirements for a management system to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and ensure your business recovers from disruptive incidents.

The benefits to your business include:

• Identify and manage current and future threats to your business

• Take a proactive approach to minimize the impact of incidents

• Keep critical functions up and running during times of crises

• Minimize downtime during incidents and improve recovery time

• Demonstrate resilience to customers, suppliers, and tender requests

It complements the implementation of the quality management standard BS EN ISO 9001, which helps your business’s supply chain become more resilient and build a sustainable business.

Ensure your supply chain is resilient to future disruptions by adding standards BS EN ISO 9001 and BS EN ISO 22301 to your collection today.

Discover BSI Knowledge

Standards can help them gain this supply chain resilience. They are designed to help you establish good practice, embrace new technologies and be fit for the future. With a BSI Knowledge subscription, supply chain stability is at your fingertips with instant access to over 10,000 best practice documents related to the electronics industry. Request to learn more.