Electronic parts shortages continue to be a major challenge for businesses worldwide. Driven by a combination of factors – including, a global pandemic, capacity constraints, and geopolitical tensions – these shortages have enforced a rapid prioritization of replacements and alternates.
However, the scenario continues to be complicated for highly regulated industries like medical devices, where alternate part choices are often time consuming and costly. With the supply chain disruptions projected to continue for some time, it remains to be seen as how these businesses can overcome the present challenges.
We feel that a revitalized approach to product design, focusing on ‘Design for Availability’ and ‘Design for Agility,’ is the key to addressing and mitigating such supply risks. While design for availability helps ensure that the components used are easily available), design for agility makes sure that the product parts can be independently developed, modified, replaced, or exchanged.
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