Electronic components are an essential part of any project. Whether you are a hobbyist or designing clients’ project or tasked with sourcing components, in either case, if component fails to meet your requirement the end product too. There are many options available online, but first success of your project depends on your selection of components backed by reliability, support, warranty, availability and a trusted distributor who’s always ready to serve all your project needs. In the electronics industry, age equals obsolescence, equals counterfeiting. Apart from the basic selection needs industrial obsolescence and counterfeit components are important pointers to keep in mind, before buying.
The below article explains why Digi-Key is “More Than A Distributor” and why you should trust them Digi-Key for your project success.
Apart from basic requirements, what extra services or tools the company provides to its customers?
Digi-Key has been on a digital path for 23 years, and the digital acceleration is only quickening. We’re improving our web experience with customized search and personalized content.
Our DK IoT Studio is expanding with new products and analytics offerings. Our Scheme-It tool is focused on stellar customer experience with a custom symbol generator and ability to export to KiCad.
The BOM Manager gives Digi-Key customers a seamless way to create, manage and maintain their bill of materials. We offer a number of other conversion calculators, development tools, resources and a carefully maintained eewiki on our website, too.
Our Maker.io platform is a fantastic online resource for makers, from concept to creation and beyond.
We’re fully committed to visual product search and our digital voice assistant, and we’re taking our B2B/API connectivity to the next level. All this rolls up into an initiative we’re calling Digi-Key Plus, which essentially takes everything we do and everything our customers want to the next level.
Digi-Key also provides automated quotation, enabled by API, and credit term support capability for the B2B customer space. Beyond that, we offer a number of supply chain programs to help manufacturers deal with ever-fluctuating customer demands and orders.
From handling scheduled orders to material requirements planning (MRP) share programs, there are a variety of supply chain programs available through Digi-Key to aid manufacturers in handling fluctuating demand and having price-locked stock available on-demand.
Lastly, we offer technical support from our website 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so anytime an engineer has a question, there are many ways to get the answer.
Addressing the issue of obsolescence and counterfeit components?
Digi-Key is one of the first distributors worldwide that is certified to the Counterfeit Avoidance Accreditation Program (CAAP), proving that our counterfeit controls have been verified by an external auditing company to validate that they are compliant to Aerospace Standard AS6496. By adopting an organization-wide Anti-Counterfeit Policy, Digi-Key aims to preclude introduction of any counterfeit product into the supply chain through strict avoidance, mitigation, and disposition processes.
The AS6496 certification, and CAAP certification and recognition, validate Digi-Key’s diligent efforts and values to prevent any counterfeit products from entering our supply chain at any level. The CAAP audit process and accreditation program further prove our dedication to ensuring our customers receive the highest quality products and exemplary customer service.
To support Digi-Key’s Anti-Counterfeit Policy, we use processes to guarantee purchases are only made directly from the manufacturer or manufacturer-approved sources, thereby ensuring the product is new, authentic, and fully warrantable under the direct supplier, and that accurate, up-to-date technical information is readily available.
Digi-Key also has controls for disposition, inventory control, receiving, and customer returns verification developed to adhere to the AS6496 counterfeit avoidance and mitigation certification.
In the event that a suspect or confirmed counterfeit product is identified in the supply chain, Digi-Key has processes in place to quarantine the product, and report the findings to the supplier, relevant customers, and appropriate authorities.
For more information about Digi-Key’s commitment to authentic products, please visit https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/about-digikey under the “Digi-Key Links & Resources” tab, about halfway down under “Additional Info” to view both the AS6496 certificate, as well as a letter from Dave Doherty, Digi-Key president and COO, regarding the certification.
