Implementing Design for Supply Chain Principles in PCB Design

It used to be that designers were siloed from wider supply chain functions. But in recent years, and amid many disruptions, the two have inevitably found links—among the businesses that are successful in navigating supply shortages, mitigating large-scale reworks, and meeting core client and product requirements. 

That is why Altium 365 and its various integrations are so critical in the PCB sector today—as both component suppliers and buyers have become more aware of the impacts of one another.

And so, there is an inevitable requirement for PCB designers to plan for sudden changes in their supply chains, or prioritize aggregation of procurement data to pinpoint components with longevity in terms of their lifespan, cost, and functionality. Design for Supply Chain (DfSC) is a strategy that can help engineers bring together insights from a variety of stakeholders and generate product value through proactivity.

Design for Supply Chain (DfSC) Impacts All

On a broader scale, the premise of DfSC—an element of Design for Excellence (DfX)—is simple: Gain as much supply chain insight as possible in order to create long-lasting designs that integrate sourcing, costs, and lifecycle data much sooner in the design process.

PCB designers are often at the mercy of component suppliers and the impacts of global events on parts availability. Although parts can be readily selected based on distributor inventories, those parts can quickly sell out to a big buyer at a moment's notice, and a design or procurement team may have no idea until it's time to order parts. Some of the core principles of DfSC focus on anticipation and contingency planning to address these risks in procuring electronic components.

Principles of DfSC

The principles of DfSC can be rather broad. And while it’s important to understand the effect they have on the end product, I’ll go into some of the unique factors and benefits for engineers and their engagements with procurement teams.

• Early Integration: The majority procurement systems today are designed to support proactive planning. It has been well-documented among many of the leading electronics organizations that early integration of supply chain insight can significantly benefit all stakeholders. This is the main guiding principle of DfSC, forming the foundations of due diligence and data-driven decision-making.
• Supplier Selection and Due Diligence: Choosing the right supplier has always been driven by the potential to build relationships. As markets can shift drastically in the face of change—and global disruption—supplier selection and due diligence in PCB design organizations center their procurement around a multi-sourcing strategy.
• Component Standardization: When custom parts are needed, companies prefer parts that have some level of standardization and modularity from well- known vendors. Attempting to standardize custom parts is very common with custom magnetic components, for example, as there are vendors with ready-to-assemble component systems who can provide parts at volume. 

Why PCB Design Must Consider Supply Chain Activities

The electronics supply chain has always experienced its share of volatility, but recent events this decade seem to have increased the level of supply chain volatility, which has brought procurement closer to the front end of the design process.

Consider the most recent global shift that impacts supply chains worldwide—the rising tariffs between the US and China. This impacts all facets of the global supply chain. Of course, this is not limited to China—the US has also implemented higher import duties on other fast-growing electronics markets, particularly those producing semiconductors. 

Those that fail to visualize the impact of such events are left behind in a period of uncertainty as they scramble to source cheaper, readily available parts in order to meet client requirements amid seemingly futile attempts at cost reduction. 

That is not all. Relationships are likely to shift in the coming years as, although some negotiations have taken place, countries will depend on new alliances or localizing their development and production of parts. Moving forward, companies require greater insight in order to look beyond the immediate cost benefits of switching up their suppliers or sourcing from distributors. 

DfSC Principles Applied to PCB Design

PCB designers are beginning to realize how supply chain events influence design decisions. Engineers that embrace DfSC not only build boards that meet electrical and mechanical requirements but also anticipate the tests of time, such as sourcing requirement changes, the need to navigate production delays, and future improvements to their product lifecycle. 

The aforementioned principles apply to PCB design in the following ways: 

Early Integration of Supply Chain Data

Accessing up-to-date supplier data in the design phase helps engineers choose components based on availability, lead times, and cost-avoidance in later design reviews. 

Smart Supplier and Part Selection

Designers collaborate with procurement to select parts that are not only suited to the product, but also found among multiple, reliable vendors. 

Logistics-Informed Design

Design decisions like board size, panellization, and material choices affect shipping and production costs. Earlier consideration of logistics can support both manufacturing (simplifying packing) and buyers (reducing product delays). 

Component Standardization and Viable Contingencies

The use of standardized parts and approved vendor lists (AVLs) ensures consistent sourcing and can aid substitution when preferred components are unavailable. 

Risk Mitigation Informs Designs

Flagging lifecycle issues, price volatility, or regulatory risks early helps designers and procurement plan ahead—avoiding last-minute part changes or compliance issues. 

PCB Supply Chain Data and BOM Management

DfSC and Supply Chain Data Integration

DfSC ensures that organizations build a resilient procurement model by focusing on quality, reliability, and availability without compromising consistency. For engineers, that means choosing components based not only on the immediate client requirements, but also supplier performance, geographic risks, and lifecycle status.

This is where Altium 365 enables greater visibility by integrating up-to-date supply chain data and sourcing insights directly into the design environment. This gives engineers instant access to parts availability, pricing, compliance data, and alternative options. 

DfSC and BOM Management

When considering DfSC, a core tenet of PCB design is ongoing management of bill of materials (BOM)—not just in design completion, but throughout the product lifecycle. Active management of your BOM helps limit the impacts of shifts in supplier status. 

BOM management is one of the key capabilities of the Altium 365 suite, alongside requirements management, manufacturing collaboration and supply chain management solutions, integrating with a number of supporting data streams, which simplifies the parts sourcing process for engineers and procurement managers. 

Altium 365 connects design and supply chain data into a single collaborative platform, empowering teams to make smarter decisions in the earlier stages of design. Whether you’re aiming to reduce costs, mitigate reworks, or improve sourcing resilience, DfSC is no longer optional. Altium 365 has all the necessary tools to implement DfSC from schematic to shipment, adding value to the services that PCB design teams provide. 

Interested in taking control of your supply chain management? Discover how Altium 365 simplifies BOM management, mitigates risks, controls costs, and integrates up-to-date supply chain data.