What We Talk About When We Talk About Last Time Buys

By Logan Wamsley

A last time buy, as does every supply chain decision, always comes down to money – money tied up, money spent, money saved, and money made. Going further, any decision that comes down to money must also be taken within context of time. If I spend this amount now, how long until I see return…

Live on EPS News: How OEMs Can Compress Their Cash-Conversion Cycle

By Logan Wamsley

“If one of your supply chain partners suffers a debilitating disruption, how quickly can it recover? A healthy company should have the working capital on hand to take immediate financial action. Determining the overall health of a company is far more complex than simply looking at revenues and profits. Equally important, especially for investors, is…

The Dangerous EOL Assumption Regarding Electronic Components

By Logan Wamsley

The EOL designation granted to an electronic component approaching obsolescence used to have a certain meaning to OEMs. It indicated that the component was ending its natural buyer cycle, that customer demand had slipped beyond the point of being profitable, and that it was time for the supplier to move on. It was a designation…

What Makes Partstat BOM Monitoring Unique

By Logan Wamsley

Component price inflation, escalating consumer demand, and suppliers’ inability to expand production has quickly turned BOM monitoring from a luxury into a critical element of a successful supply chain. In a recent press release, Gartner predicted that “component shortages, rising bill of materials (BOM) and the resulting prospect of having to raise average selling prices…

Don’t Be a Salmon, Embrace Last Time Buys

By Logan Wamsley

Salmon are fascinating creatures in that that they are created with an inherent instinct to defy the natural order. In a world where common sense and logic nudge all forms of life toward the path of least resistance, salmon insist on swimming upstream against the current, willfully ignorant of the fact that that just turning…

The Benefits of Partstat’s Rapid RFQ System

By Logan Wamsley

The role of an OEM buyer specialist is centered around sending RFQs for acquiring critical inventory. While we have long evolved beyond the need for landlines, pens, and paper to complete the process, many of the same principles still remain intact. The sales representative is tasked with not just the act of the discovery, but…