Today, sourcing electronic components from the open market has become critical if companies want to ensure the competitiveness and continuity of their production lines and the resilience of their supply chains, according to Alessandro Nardo, founder and sales director of independent distributor Electronic Partner.
“However, there are significant risks associated with the seemingly excellent prices and perfect delivery times promised by websites and web platforms,” warns Nardo. “In general, these issues relate to the quality of the goods and the lack of recourse in the case of non-conforming, defective or counterfeit products, as well as the security – or protection – of the payment, which guarantees the safety of the money until confirmation of receipt and proof of authenticity the goods themselves.”
Counterfeiting is a growing problem that takes many forms. Although comprehensive global statistics are not available, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported in 2023 that counterfeiting costs U.S. semiconductor companies more than $7.5 billion annually.
Counterfeit products can come from:
Counterfeit electronic components can cause incalculable damage. Some of these risks include:
Before buying on the open market, companies should find out as much as possible about the legitimacy of the supplier they are buying from, how long it has been in business, whether it has a verifiable track record, what its replacement or return policies are, and whether it is reliable and trustworthy.
According to Nardo, the safest choice is to work with a professional independent distributor that has a reputation and proven track record in the marketplace and is willing to provide actual customer references that can be contacted to verify their claims.
He adds, "It is even better to work with an independent distributor like this who also offers escrow services to protect your money until the goods are received and who employs an independent testing company/laboratory to perform all necessary inspections and tests on the products to ensure their authenticity and quality.
The use of third-party testing laboratories ensures that the results of testing procedures are completely independent of any potential bias or vested interest, and that the company will identify and report any anomalies or deviations from the product manufacturer’s technical specifications.
These companies are highly specialized in various types of counterfeit testing, including:
“Independent testing laboratories that are completely external to the supply channel have no interest in proving specific test results,” explains Nardo, “Their expertise allows them to recommend which tests to run on a specific part based on the history of nonconformities found in other batches. This significantly reduces testing time and increases the success rate of identifying potential counterfeit or nonconforming parts.
With more than 20 years of experience in electronic component distribution, Electronic Partner has built an established and reliable network of fully inspected, verified and tested suppliers, even for hard-to-find or obsolete components.
“To ensure our customers’ peace of mind, we always offer independent testing of all ordered components prior to shipment to verify their authenticity and functionality. Notwithstanding this, our customers then have a warranty period, agreed at the quotation stage, within which we will respond to any anomalies that may have escaped the testing laboratory used. We also continuously monitor reliable industry sources for up-to-date news on counterfeits,” concludes Nardo.
Article originally published in Italian in the print edition of Elettronica AV.
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