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Path to Success for Electronics Manufacturing Market Paved by Outsourcing Design

Product News Tuesday, September 18, 2012: EngNet - Engineering Network

LONDON – 18 September 2012 – Electronics manufacturing service (EMS) providers have evolved from offering point-to-point service to providing complete design support services. EMS providers have started developing focused strategies to broaden design revenues, as their core strategy elevates growth in design services.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.electronics.frost.com), Opportunity Analysis for Outsourcing in the Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) Design Market, finds that the global EMS design market earned revenues of $11.93 billion in 2011 and is expected to grow to $29.62 billion in 2018 with a CAGR of 8.9%.

Most EMS providers now have the expertise to shoulder an increasing responsibility of fully completing and leveraging designs solutions for multiple products and customers. Thus, as the overall electronics industry and design continue to evolve rapidly, EMS providers are expected to play a greater role in enabling standardization across all industries, which helps elevate the quality of the product design itself.

“Technology innovation, rapid product lifecycles and fluctuating consumer demand are rampant and abundant within the electronics industry, which causes a need for OEMs to showcase their thought leadership and idea generation capabilities,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Lavanya Rammohan. “EMS providers have the knowledge needed to enhance their customers’ design and innovation capabilities, and possess a clear understanding of the associated cost, supply chain, testing and manufacturing flexibility required to ensure a successful product launch for OEMs.”

Nonetheless, some OEMs continue to portray a high level of reluctance in outsourcing their designing. For OEMs, the ability to design and innovate is what sets them apart as true differentiators and defines their core services. Consequently, EMS providers have not achieved significant market penetration, particularly in niche industries like medical, aerospace and defense.

“OEMs prefer to partner with trusted EMS providers for design and engineering support. Effective branding and permanent support in innovation will be imperative for their survival and growth throughout the forecast period,” continues Rammohan. “In addition, EMS providers face the challenge of maintaining market shares amid stringent competition from original design manufacturers (ODMs) and, to a certain extent, pure play design companies.”

In order to thrive, EMS providers need to effectively brand themselves as strategic design partners as opposed to tactical partners who can save money from a manufacturing standpoint. In-house design engineering and proven test capabilities will be pivotal in order for EMS providers to partner with OEMs in future product roadmap support. Only as trust is built with OEMs will EMS providers find themselves shouldering additional responsibility, in terms of having complete design ownership and imparting full product lifecycle support.

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an email with your contact details to Anna Zanchi, Corporate Communications, at anna.zanchi@frost.com.

Opportunity Analysis for Outsourcing in the Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) Design Market is part of the Electronics Manufacturing Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Global Surface Mount Technology Inspection Equipment Markets, EMS Provider Regional Migration Opportunities, Analyzing Manufacturing and Technology Trends in the Electronics Equipment Market, Global Surface Mount Technology Placement Equipment Markets and CEO 360 Degree on EMS and ODM Industry. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

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