How to strengthen your supply chain with a deep PCB vendor bench and lots more in the latest edition of Better Board Buying! Here’s a teaser…
It is January 2026.
Look at the state of the electronics supply chain. Copper is up. Gold is trading at record highs, driving ENIG finishes through the roof. Capacity for high-complexity
HDI boards is being swallowed whole by the AI and EV sectors before the quarter even begins.
In this environment, resting on your laurels isn’t just lazy. It is a critical supply chain risk.
Yet many procurement teams are still operating on a 2024 mindset.
They prioritize “relationship” over resilience. They worry about hurting a supplier’s feelings. They view the Request for Quote (RFQ) as a weapon to bludgeon prices down rather than a tool for governance.
If this sounds familiar, you are likely suffering from a dangerous condition I call “incumbent paralysis.”
You have a single point of failure, but because you have lunch with them once a quarter, it feels like safety.
It is not safety. It is leverage. Their leverage.
Read more on my Linkedin page.