Hardware Podcasts

Mitigating Risk Through Smart Procurement w/ Aaron Brimer

The Manufacturing Executive · 22 Dec 2020 · 25m · Episode 28

What this episode covers

Aaron Brimer, founder of the Manufacturing Procurement Guy podcast, joins host Joe Sullivan to discuss mitigating supply chain risk through strategic procurement practices. Brimer emphasizes the critical importance of second sourcing, inventory buffers, and negotiating payment terms over just unit price. He also highlights the necessity of involving procurement early in the buying process to avoid technical lock-in and maintain leverage with vendors.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Gorilla 76
Products
Manufacturing Procurement Guy

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 16m

    Ep. 7 - Buying Stock

    Stephen Hawes and Lucian Che Park of Opulo discuss the complexities of buying stock for hardware production, drawing on their experience scaling the Lumen P 3D printer. They cover vendor negotiation, determining optimal order quantities to balance cash flow with unit cost, and the critical role of purchase orders in defining payment terms and delivery responsibilities. The episode highlights strategies for managing supply chain risk, including dual sourcing and using planned purchase orders for long-term security.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    5 chapters

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 09m

    Ep. 19 - Cost Downs (Reducing Costs in Your Supply Chain)

    Lucian Shapar and Stephen Hawes from Opulo discuss the process of reducing supply chain costs without compromising product quality, using their Lumen BMB 3D printer as a primary example. They cover strategies such as second-sourcing components like Nema 17 motors and EEPROMs, negotiating with existing vendors, and manufacturing custom parts like nozzle holders in-house to bypass high markups. The hosts also share lessons from failed cost-downs, such as using abrasive filament, and emphasize the importance of rigorous validation and maintaining healthy vendor relationships.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    9 chapters

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 03m

    Ep. 2 - Sourcing: A Broad Overview

    Stephen Hawes and Lucian Chafar of Opulo discuss sourcing strategies for their LumenPnP pick-and-place machines, covering vendor selection on Alibaba, the importance of WeChat for communication, and negotiation tactics. They detail the process of validating components through samples, using GD&T for critical parts like staging plates, and managing cash flow by balancing air freight speed against sea freight cost savings. The hosts also explain Incoterms (FOB, DDU, DDP) to manage import duties and shipping responsibilities, emphasizing the need for dual-sourcing to mitigate supply chain risks.

    Sourcing & supply chainPrototyping & iteration
    7 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 11m

    Cofactr CEO & Co-founder Matthew Haber on EMS@C-Level 2023

    Matthew Haber, CEO and co-founder of Cofactr, explains how his company automates procurement and kitting for electronics manufacturers to solve supply chain inefficiencies. He details how the platform ingests bills of materials, sources parts from over 700 distributors, and provides managed kitting services to reduce manual labor. Haber discusses the platform's pricing model, which integrates existing negotiated rates while offering access to broader broker networks for hard-to-find components. He also highlights the importance of traceability, anti-counterfeit inspection, and how OEMs are adapting to supply chain volatility through design flexibility.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    6 chapters

  • People of Packaging · 32m

    139 - Delivering the Negotiating Experience with Erich Rifenburgh

    Erich Rifenburgh, principal of The Negotiation Experience, discusses his background transitioning from civil engineering and sales at Emerson Electric to founding his own negotiation training firm in 2016. He explains his methodology, which emphasizes preparation and information gathering over in-the-moment tactics, citing his work with major clients like Avery Dennison. Rifenburgh highlights the critical mismatch between sales and procurement perspectives, noting that sales teams often give away value early while procurement teams fail to gather sufficient intelligence on suppliers. The conversation addresses the current inflationary environment in packaging, where supply constraints have shifted leverage to sellers, requiring procurement to adapt their strategies from price-focused to relationship and allocation-focused negotiations.

    Leadership, teams & culturePricing, margins & unit economics
    7 chapters

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