Charlie Barnhart & Associates LLC to Host Roundtable Discussions at IPC APEX Expo

Topics of discussion include:

1. The Implications of Regionalization: This trend, defined as building a product in the same region in which it will be sold, continues to gain traction. Our panelists discuss how regionalization impacts customers’ global supply solutions, how best to mitigate the risks and challenges, and which geographies are the winners and losers as global manufacturing shifts.

2. The Challenge of EMS Differentiation: CBA research continues to confirm that the OEM community believes that all EMS/ODM companies basically are the same. For the past 20 years, customer satisfaction surveys conclude that the top three considerations for OEMs in choosing an EMS provider are 1. Cost reduction, 2. Cost reduction, 3 Cost reduction. And the further away that the OEMs get from actually manufacturing boards, the less they appreciate the escalating level of engineering skills needed. But those who understand the complexity of manufacturing can see that all EMS/ODM companies are NOT the same. Yet it is not clear from the marketing materials and Web sites of this highly competitive, low margin business. How can an EMS successfully differentiate itself, without giving away secrets to competitors? Panelists weigh in.

3. Global Risk and Its Impact on Electronics Manufacturing: Charlie’s series, The Nine Risk Factors for Global Manufacturing has generated considerable discussion, and this roundtable will continue the conversation.

4. Beyond Outsourcing: What Might Lie Ahead?: The industry has evolved, with business models and acronyms rising and fading as fast as GOP presidential nominees. Will the practice of outsourcing itself become a thing of the past? Or will successful companies form new types of relationships to create even greater value for their global customers? Charlie Barnhart leads a discussion based on his latest in-depth Outsourcing Navigator Council Special Report, scheduled for publication in early 2012.


Eric Miscoll, Charlie Barnhart and Jennifer Read will moderate the discussions based on research conducted by CBA, including The Nine Risk Factors for Global Manufacturing series and recent in-depth Outsourcing Navigator Council Special Reports. Companies currently scheduled to participate include ATS Corp, Inovar, MC Assembly, Promex Industries, Sparton Corporation, Variosystems Inc., Erase Poverty, and McMahon Serepca LLP.