If you work in a big manufacturing unit or an industrial unit or even in a small company, you will know how important it is to have a reliable supply chain. There are many different ways to buy electronic parts and components. First would be to buy directly from the manufacturer as they are the one responsible for designing, processing and developing any new technology. It’s always reliable to buy directly from the manufacturer but it’s not easy as and unless your firm is a gigantic business tycoon, it’s hard to do business directly with the manufacturer. Another would be buying from authorised distributors. This is one of the most common ways to supply. It’s much easier to buy from an authorised distributor , spending expectations are low, there is full product traceability and provides technical and after sales support. Then there are the catalogue suppliers and the brokers. Catalogue suppliers have a large amount of stock lines. They are a good option if you need to buy in a short period of time or you don’t have a minimum order quantity but the prices are often inflated. Brokers as the name suggests are just individual and independent suppliers. They are a good option if you are looking for some hard to find parts and they have access to the many different markets around the world.
But now all the work is digitising and moving online. There is nothing that you can’t buy online. But electronics is a thing that you need to be very careful about if buying online. Most of the online sources come from the above sources and specially the authorised distributors. There are a few things to keep in mind before buying electronic parts and components online :
- It’s always better to do the reasearch first. You should always have the proper knowledge about the components you are buying online the most reliable supplier, quantity of items, their dimensions, how to use them, etc.
- With so many different options available, it might be overwhelming but you shouldn’t rush while choosing it. Find the the most reliable and genuine dealer. Because if you don’t pay enough attention to it, you might get ripped off or sent damaged goods.
- Always check the warranty of even the smalled electronic parts before you buy so that you can replace it if you feel the need to change it or if it doesn’t work effectively within the time period.
- Since you are not present to buy the product physically, there are many risks. There are too many fake products roaming around in the market. So take your time to find the most original products and do not buy fake products because it comes at a cheaper price.
- Obviously one of the most important thing to take into consideration is the cost of the products. So before making a firm decision it’s always better to compare prices from different places. Again, don’t go for very cheap product because they might even be fake.
Buying electronic parts and components online could be the best option if you are on a tight schedule and if you want things to get delivered to you. But again you need to take in consideration all the above mentioned steps so as to avoid any kind of risk.
