Selecting an electronics manufacturing partner is an important step in your entrepreneurial journey. Our readers had suggestions for budding entrepreneurs as they seek out the perfect fit in an EMP. Keep reading to see what advice they have for you.
Eden Cheng

Eden Cheng

Eden Cheng, Co-Founder of PeopleFinderFree.

Friendly, Passionate, and Honest

You must find an EMP that is first and foremost friendly and outgoing because when it comes down to it, you need to work with people you like. This is especially true when you will be having regular correspondence with them and need to be able to develop a good working relationship with them.

Plus, it just makes the partnership more agreeable and fun, because at the end of the day, nobody wants to work with a miserable person. You also need to partner with someone that cannot only react and adapt instantaneously to any of your inquiries but can also thrive under pressure and deliver, no matter the market conditions.

They also need to be creative by nature and able to think well outside the box. This is important because having a manufacturing partner that can look at problems through a different lens can not only help you solve problems but can also help create new opportunities. In the competitive world that we are in, it pays to be able to keep finding innovative and unique process solutions that will help you stand out and disrupt your industry.

They also have to be passionate and honest about their work. This is vital because some tend to work simply to collect checks. However, what you need is someone that is genuinely passionate and is willing to put a lot more care into your products because they take pride in what they do. It is often those that do well to show humility and a sincere desire to help that end up making the best partners.

Factors to Consider

The following are the qualities that you will want to be looking for in an electronics manufacturing partner when choosing one for your new product.

• Stability
The most important requirement is stability. If they can’t do the things they’re relying on to actually get work done and have a positive outcome, then it doesn’t matter how well their manufacturing processes are or what incentives they offer.

• Reliability and Fabrication Capabilities
Some companies specialize only in electronics and others just do a little bit, but some have been able to grow exclusively on this work. Knowing what your EMP offers is important because people who outsource a lot of electronics usually find it difficult to respond quickly to their customers.

Other Factors to Consider: The design expertise, CAD/CAM experience, materials sourcing, and process control engineering capability need careful consideration as they directly affect the quality of components manufactured.

Jamie Hickey

Jamie Hickey

Jamie Hickey, Founder of CoffeeSemantics.
Austin Dowse

Austin Dowse

Dr. Austin Dowse, CEO of Aimvein.

Specializes in Electronic Manufacturing

When looking for a partner in electronics manufacturing, I always try to find someone that is a specialist in electronics and/or manufacturing, perhaps an engineer that has worked in the business sector under manufacturing for years.

This is because they can help me handle the technical aspect of electronics manufacturing. Similarly, I always look for someone that has years of experience in dealing with labor and practical field of work, so that we don’t just manufacture electronics together but so that we know exactly how, when, and where the products are excelling or lacking.

I also look for someone that has a strong commitment towards their work, with nothing but passion for what they do, because then I know I can rely on my partner to handle all the technicalities that may arise, even if I’m not present to do so.

Know The Company’s Reputation

Before meeting up with a potential buyer, you should research what type of expertise they have and how you will be able to use it. You should also ask the manufacturer if they have built any similar products before. It will give you an idea of how much they can produce and how well it worked in the market. You can also learn about the company’s reputation and how long they have been working.

Yana Trihub

Yana Trihub

Yana Trihub, Chief Executive Officer at KeyUA.
Barry Levine

Barry Levine

Barry Levine, Founder, and CEO of Sperry West.

Experience, Reliability, and Trust

We prefer in-person meetings with the principal or representative of the manufacturer being considered. We also want to know that they have been making a product or products similar to what we need.

For about twenty years, we have been exclusively working through one company for any Chinese products that we are interested in. We have a wonderful, trusting relationship with the owner, who we have met several times. They provide due diligence for any new supplier and make certain that they are reliable and have the quality that we insist upon. We also have long-term relationships with companies in S. Korea and Taiwan.

This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.