The electronics that we all know and love today wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for electronic manufacturing. The earbuds we listen to music on and the smartphones we communicate with and watch videos on are all operating devices due to the advancements made in the industry, and it’s pretty safe to say that the advancements show no signs of slowing down.
With those advancements on an upward trajectory, it’s also pretty safe to say that it will come with more obstacles and challenges to overcome as well. One might think that the challenges being faced are from the products alone, but the challenges faced in this industry range in everything from meeting customer demands and quality control to fake components and environmental responsibilities.
Here are some of the biggest challenges hitting the electronics manufacturing industry the hardest. Once you can improve in some of these areas, you’ll be better suited to improve your manufacturing business.
Biggest Challenges in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry
Fake Electronic Parts
For most people, when they hear the word “counterfeit,” they automatically think of money, but in the electronics manufacturing industry, counterfeit parts are one of the biggest challenges to be faced.
These fake parts heavily impact the overall quality of electronic products, which then impacts sales and costs businesses lots of money.
To prevent this from happening, lots of manufacturing companies will take time out to take counterfeit component courses to be able to better distinguish between fake and legitimate parts.
Keeping Up With High Demand
The shopping behaviors of consumers have changed drastically. In the past, because resources were so limited, people did a much better job of taking care of their electronics and making a point to hang on to them until they absolutely needed a new replacement.
Today, people have become enthusiasts of following electronic trends, meaning when something new comes out, they drop the product they had previously (even if it still works perfectly fine) and instead opt for the newer version of a product.
To keep up with their demands, you have to be ready to implement new processes to meet those high demands. This will require constant communication between manufacturing and sales. Not doing so will lead to miscommunications, not launching products on time, and not being able to accurately keep track of inventory.
Reliable Suppliers
According to Assembly Magazine, the assembly of miniature parts is one of the hardest areas impacted by electronics manufacturing, and finding a dependable supplier of the necessary equipment is becoming an even harder challenge to businesses.
Everything from TV remotes to smartwatches, the equipment needed to create these miniature wonders play such a significant role, yet finding sellers of the right equipment is where some of the challenges lie.
You might be able to find a supplier of heat staking machines but what about a supplier for micro dispensers? You really have to do your homework in the research process because you don’t want to fall victim to equipment with counterfeit components either.
Implementing Environmentally Friendly Processes
As mentioned earlier, the behaviors of consumers have drastically changed from what it was to what it is now. With those behavioral changes, it’s pretty safe to say that the expectations of consumers have also seen a drastic shift as well… and in an upward direction!
The expectations of consumers are at an all-time high now. People not only want their earbuds to be wireless and smartwatches to do everything their phone does, but they also want the manufacturers to implement greener production processes as well.
In their minds, if they’re going to wear or use products from a particular company, they expect that the manufacturer was environmentally responsible during the production processes. New standards and regulations are being put into place every year for sustainability, and although it’s great for the environment, it’s forcing manufacturers to look at complete product lifecycles in certain decisions.
The biggest consideration that’s giving manufacturers a hard time in this area is e-waste. In electronics manufacturing, you’re going to have to come up with a plan as to how you plan on disposing of the products you no longer need. You also have to consider how those products will affect the environment when they’re no longer of any use.
Conclusion
These challenges are definitely ones that won’t be solved overnight or even in the next 10 years, but they are challenges that build strong companies once they determine how to best see their way through those obstacles.
The key is seeing the solution and working towards reaching that solution. But just as technology advances, so will the technological solutions to these challenges. If you’re not facing these particular challenges at the moment, then that’s great, but while working in this industry, the way you take on these challenges is going to be the factor in improving your manufacturing business.
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