Hardware Podcasts

How to Evaluate Suppliers and Manufacturers with Mike Morena and Shawn Litingtun

Predictable Designs Podcast · 10 Apr 2020 · 1h 01m · Episode 15

What this episode covers

Host John Teel speaks with Mike Morena, founder of AdhereTech, and electronics consultant Shawn Litingtun about evaluating suppliers and manufacturers for hardware startups. They discuss specific criteria for assessing electronics manufacturers, such as the number of SMT lines and automated optical inspection capabilities, and plastics manufacturers, focusing on in-house tooling and DFM reviews. The guests emphasize the importance of factory visits, ISO certification, and robust traceability systems to mitigate risk and ensure quality.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
AdhereTech, Texas Instruments, Compaq, Blackberry, DigiKey
Chips
STM32
Tools
WeChat
Also
ISO 9001

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Builder Circle · 1h 14m

    S1 E4: Cracking the Code of Hardware Manufacturing with Scott Miller

    Scott Miller, a hardware expert who worked on the early Roomba program and Dragon Innovation, explains how startups should navigate manufacturing decisions, emphasizing that the first 100 units should be built in-house to capture domain knowledge before outsourcing. He advises startups to target tier-two or tier-three contract manufacturers, use dual-sourcing for leverage at $50 million in business, and treat factories as partners by sharing founder bios and VC backing to mitigate their risk. Miller also details the importance of robust Manufacturing Service Agreements (MSAs), lifecycle testing, and quality assurance to avoid catastrophic field failures like the Roomba's early optical encoder dust issue.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringQuality & yield
    8 chapters

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 30m

    Scaling Manufacturing

    Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company discuss scaling manufacturing with colleagues CJ Mendes, Kirstin Neira, Erik Anderson, Aaron Hartwig, and Doug Wibben. They detail the transition from low-rate NPI to volume production using contract manufacturer Benchmark Electronics, highlighting specific engineering solutions like the Medusa and Reverso test boards to address fragile high-speed cables and press-fit DDR sockets. The team emphasizes their strategic procurement approach, building deep relationships with suppliers like Semtech and Texas Instruments to secure supply during the AI-driven chip shortage, while navigating compliance and tariff challenges for global expansion.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringDebugging & failure analysis
    8 chapters

  • OnTrack · 39m

    Innovations in AI: Transforming the Electronics Industry

    Phil Marcoux, Advisor to the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA), discusses the transformative role of AI in the electronics industry, emphasizing that successful AI integration relies on high-quality, human-generated data and closed-loop feedback between manufacturing and design. He warns against the current 'AI bubble' where startups receive funding without defined products, drawing parallels to the dot-com era and the early adoption of Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Marcoux highlights specific applications such as component availability checks via tools like Wenovo and Circuit Mind, and the critical need for standardized communication protocols like IPC CFX to bridge the gap between design and production.

    AI & machine learningDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    7 chapters

  • The Builder Circle · 1h 17m

    S2 E9: Global Supply Chain Strategy with Ying Liu

    Ying Liu, CEO of BlueLake Packaging and former Apple supply chain leader, explains how to navigate outsourcing versus insourcing by evaluating company stage, product complexity, and team skills. She details the critical metrics for selecting global suppliers, including project management capability, willingness to handle engineering change requests, and quality culture, while warning against IP risks with turnkey vendors. Liu shares her experience scaling Apple’s China operations from zero to high volume, emphasizing that quality must be designed in from day one and that startups must budget for hardware iteration errors and leave runway for changes.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringScaling production
    8 chapters

  • Product Startup · 17m

    155: Identifying a Sourcing Partner for Overseas Manufacturing

    Forde Aley, Co-Founder of Shining Way Sourcing, explains how startups can identify and work with overseas manufacturing partners, emphasizing the importance of factory management, quality control, and retail-ready scalability. He details the necessity of verifying factory operations through physical visits and reviewing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) rather than relying on online brochures. Aley also highlights the logistical complexities of retail distribution, including packaging, UPCs, and palletization, and advises maintaining backup factories to mitigate supply chain risks during rapid scaling.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringQuality & yield
    10 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Predictable Designs Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.