[iamabraham]

This is an excellent basic article but ignores some significant advantages available. For starters, "brokers" don't really exist in the way described. Many franchise and most independent distributors broker parts from each other. Arrow and Future in particular. Secondly, brokered parts can be an excellent source of cost savings; many will buy a 5k reel to sell 1k pieces and are left with extra inventory that can be had for pennies on the dollar. There is risk admittedly , but finding a reputable independent distributor like America 2 or Signature Electronics can be a benefit to purchasers. Aside from cost savings, these companies can offer forecast information to help you avoid some of the problems listed.

As for finding a good contract manufacturer, there are services like EMSforce that can take a project and present multiple bids to you in a way that offers competitive pricing without sacrificing service.