Component scarcity: creative solutions for a global problem

From Zwaag in North Holland, close to Hoorn, Tanja van Truijen runs the technology company Protonic together with her brother Michiel de Bruin. The family business has been in existence for fifty years this year and has seen many crises come and go in the sector. We spoke with Van Truijen about the current component shortage in the EMS sector and about creative Dutch solutions for a global problem.   

“The crisis in the supply chain of components, chips and raw materials has not gone unnoticed by anyone. Unless you haven't followed the news for the past two years,” Van Truijen starts. While some companies took a wait-and-see attitude at the start of the crisis, Van Truijen and her brother invested heavily: “We have set up a completely new park with eleven 'smart' machines and our own component stocks. This allows us to produce faster and more flexibly. That is a must in today's times.”

Flexible and future-proof

Van Truijen: “Even before the crisis, Michiel and I had the desire to always be future-proof. That is why we have consciously chosen to automate the production and control process as much as possible. This has doubled the capacity of our production.”

The new machines work on the basis of manufacturing execution systemssoftware (MES). “With this software we can control and monitor the entire production process online and offline,” Van Truijen explains. “The machines 'think' along with our company, so to speak, which makes us very flexible. If a customer wants to adjust an order, this is no problem at all due to the fast turnover times of the machines. Sometimes, due to the shortage of components, we cannot immediately deliver a large order, but we can deliver a partial order. Then the customer will be helped out and we will deliver the other products at a later date.”

Alternatives, brokers and design

But even smart machines need materials to make products. And those materials are not always there. Tanja: “The lack of raw materials and semiconductors remains a problem in Europe for the time being.” How does Protonic deal with this? Van Truijen: “In the event of delivery delays, we do everything we can to spare the customer and to get the orders ready on time. We do this in three steps. First of all, we look for alternative components that are equivalent to the components not supplied. We are contacting suppliers and factories outside Europe, such as China, the United States and Canada, to see if there are still stocks there.”

“Communication really makes the difference,” Van Truijen continues. “If you are transparent and explain the situation to the supplier or manufacturer, they are often willing to think about solutions.” As an example, Van Truijen mentions a recent discussion with a component supplier. “The supplier indicated that medical applications had priority. He did not realize that we also needed the components for a medical application. Once this misunderstanding was resolved, we received the parts quickly.”

In the rare case that Van Truijen, despite all efforts, cannot find alternatives, she contacts brokers, intermediaries in the market. She also has one last ace up her sleeve. “We employ designers, so we can adjust the design ourselves if necessary. We only do the latter if it benefits the customer and us,” says Van Truijen.

Personal communication

Despite the delivery problems in the EMS sector, Van Truijen looks to the future with an optimistic view. “I always try to look at what is possible. If we cannot deliver on time, we try to explain this personally to the customer in order to find a solution together. My experience is that the customer is quite understanding, as long as you are clear and communicate in time that a delivery has been delayed. You must be realistic about delivery times from the start of the order. This will prevent misunderstandings. For example, if I buy a new car and I know in advance that I will have to wait six months for delivery, I take that into account. But if I suddenly receive an email three days before the planned delivery date that I have to wait another six months, I am not happy about that.”

We have to be creative

Although component shortages are a global problem, not all companies are equally affected by the crisis. Multinationals continue to deliver on time. Van Truijen: “These companies have the financial resources to buy the entire capacity of a factory in one go, sometimes for a year. Other companies can then join the back of the queue. That's frustrating. As a medium-sized family business, we cannot stand still for a year to wait for products. So we have to out of the box think. “

Tanja certainly does not lack creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. “I have a huge one drive to find solutions by being creative and flexible and by continuing to communicate well with suppliers and, most importantly, with our customers.”

More information about Protonic: https://www.protonic.nl/