[swamp40]

Your OODA loop is way too long. We buy ALL the parts immediately, within 10 minutes of finding something. If they don't work, it's a loss.

On new designs, I find a part in stock, we order ALL we need for the next year, and THEN I make a footprint and put it in the design. For EVERY SINGLE PART. Starting with the IC's. It actually works quite nicely once you get used to it. Obviously, there are some losses there too - just the cost of doing business in these crazy times.

[InitialLastName]

Next-level business plan: become a chip reseller for all the parts you didn't use. The prices are only going up.

[bluesquared]

Wish my slow corporate behemoth would support this, but they are the opposite of agile.

It's also gotten to the point where there doesn't exist enough stock in distribution to buy a year's worth. And I'm not talking high volume, maybe 1k/year to 50k/year. Distributors are constantly decommitting from orders, broker stock is drying up, etc

[swamp40]

It is surprising how easily companies will fund this change in buying habits when the entire company's existence depends on it. The CEO needs to have a come-to-Jesus moment though.

We've spent several hundred thousand at "Win Source" broker in China, and haven't had a problem yet (knock on wood). We X-ray and test to verify though.

Mostly, Chinese brokers are a den of thieves/a pool of sharks. If they can counterfeit it, they do. Use a credit card to help with clawing your money back in case of fraud. And never ever buy IC's from Amazon or Ebay. Those are ALL fake.

[scott_z]

The shortage of electronic components will continue for a long time, and a professional partner who only sells genuine products is particularly important.

[toss1]

>>If they don't work, it's a loss.

Don't you find that they can be resold? Surely there's someone desperately looking for the parts you find unusable, but would fit their needs...

New Craigslist category for semiconductors?

[djmips]

Isn't this just contributing to the problem? I mean it's like toilet paper in the pandemic. But of course, if you're in business what choice to you have?

[amelius]

That doesn't work for new designs when the parts are simply not available.