A 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan early Wednesday April 3. Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) temporarily evacuated some of its manufacturing capacity, reports CNN. The earthquake was the strongest in 25 years. Taiwan is home to many companies serving a mature semiconductor manufacturing industry. See graphic above. The earthquake

The above graphic reveals categories for commodities and equipment imports and exports feeding supply chains, many tied to the electronics industry. Note the USD volume for automotive industry. From electronic machinery, nickel, aluminum and chemicals and more, one can see there is far more commerce imported through the port ($59

In Part 1 of this series I listed some of the many detailed materials management metrics deployed by savvy EMS manufacturers for keeping a close eye on materials receiving, warehousing and kitting operations for OEM customers. As you examine this series, those with experience in EMS industry will understand not

Contract electronics solutions partners need to make a profit to survive. Otherwise, they can't continue to serve your business. Some EMS manufacturing quote pricing line items include: * Material Cost * Material Inventory Reserve / Adjustments / Scrap * Material Freight-in Costs * Material Duty Costs * Product Warranty Reserve * Capital / Finance Charges * Material Overhead

Below are some key metrics electronics OEM professionals can ask about, or verify, when touring EMS factories to better understand how EMS manufacturing companies are managing their electronics components and materials inventories. * Number (#) of master production scheduler (MPS) changes within next 4 weeks * # of MPS changes within 5-8 weeks out

I created this online EMS calculator for electronic OEM companies sourcing EMS manufacturing services to help identify, and compare, OEM in-house manufacturing program cost vs. potential savings as you evaluate quote pricing from prospective outsourcing with contract EMS manufacturing providers. This simple contract EMS manufacturing calculator is most useful for