Recently we have heard of an increasing amount of quality issues on a European level, caused by unapproved and uninformed change of manufacturer. 

“To preserve the integrity of the product and reduce unnecessary quality cases, we at Confidee always inform our partners of any change of manufacturer. Recently we have heard of an increasing amount of quality issues on a European level, caused by unapproved and uninformed change of manufacturer. Disturbing for the industry”, says COO Raymond Goh.  

A change of manufacturer is in most cases a consequence of manufacturer bankruptcy, inferior quality, or a strategy to increase margins and reduce once manufacturer base.  

Intellectual property of whom?
“The product owner has the intellectual property right of its product and any change shall be pre-approved by the product owner. It’s important that the product owner or EMS informs the supply chain, that any unapproved change of manufacturer renders the supplier 100% responsible for all its financial consequences”, says Goh. 

Anyone can, in theory, identify an unapproved change of manufacturer by simply comparing the logos on the Printed Circuits.
Such a change of manufacturer is carried out in two ways, one; by changing the manufacturer on a running article without informing, two; by changing manufacturer on a revision change without informing the customer.

“At Confidee we also have a PCN (Process Change Notification) Procedure in place. Meaning that all changes must be notified to customer before conducted, a security for both sides. We prioritize partnerships and transparency, building trust with both our customers and suppliers. Our commitment to openness is evident in every aspect of our operations, ensuring transparency throughout the entire printed circuit supply chain”, says Goh.  

High risks at stake
What are the risks of unapproved and uninformed change of manufacturer?
3 vital points on the topic,  from Operations Manager Craig Haywood:

• Boards may be qualified to certain material types, surface finishes etc – any change to these must be notified to customer or else qualification is out of control 
• Quality – boards may be inferior due to change of supplier 
• Fraud – it’s breaking the contract. 

Feel free to reach out to us for further information.