Medical Devices vs. Consumer Electronics: Why Are Their Life Cycles so Different?

By Logan Wamsley

Trends in today’s manufacturing industry have long indicated that product life cycles are lengthening against the electronic components required to assemble them, but nowhere is this conflict more pronounced than in the healthcare industry. The average life cycle for consumer electronics, such as smartphones or tablets, is conservatively about 18 months. While supporting a consumer…

OCMs: OEMs Want Flexible Delivery Schedules

By Logan Wamsley

In a manufacturing supply chain, there are precious few constants. The price of a critical electronic component will fluctuate in accordance with customer demand, for example, as well as the demand for the OEM product among consumers. Yet, somehow, in a marketplace where change is the only true constant, manufacturers must find a way to…

Risk and Reward in Your Aerospace Supply Chain

By Logan Wamsley

Driven by increased travel demand and decreased fuel costs, the aerospace industry is perfectly poised for a new era of growth and expansion. In a recent study, the aerospace sector grew by 2.4 percent in 2016 alone, with a total revenue nearing $674 billion. With such opportunity, however, aerospace leaders such as Boeing and Airbus…

The Consequences of a Product Redesign

By Logan Wamsley

There is an infinite number of reasons why a manufacturer in any industry would choose to redesign, or remanufacture, a product. For some OEMs, such as Apple and their annual iPhone announcements, redesigns are expected, even championed, as reflections on how rapidly technology is evolving. It could also be an OEM’s attempt to rectify design…