IC Solutions, a self-proclaimed value-added procurement specialist-a business the company said evolved out of the independent distribution model-is still in most respects a top-tier independent distributor. The company can provide value-added services, collaborative systems integrated with ERP/MRP systems, excess-materials management, and market intelligence and forecasting capabilities that include pricing and trend analysis reports on critical components. It also offers procurement services such as global parts availability, online quotations, and inventory management and logistics services.

One unique twist is the new P2 Procurement Partner co-sourcing program, whereby the IC Solutions P2 partnership team becomes an extension of an OEM's procurement department.

A key requirement to becoming a partner is $8 million to $50 million in annual spending on components as well as a commitment to an extended partnership. Targeted primarily at tier-two and tier-three manufacturers, the program supplies purchasing departments with real-time market intelligence, critical component information and bill-of-materials management to help them make better buying decisions and maintain balanced inventories, without handing over complete control of their purchasing organizations. With each customer partnership, IC Solutions creates a tailored program to ensure that customer requirements and resources are properly supplemented.

The distributor supplies real-time market intelligence on opportunity purchases, information on specific components and products that can help with downstream requirements planning, and purchasing recommendations that can save a customer money. As procurement and supply chain management capabilities become a more strategic tool at many manufacturing companies, I'd like to see how engineers can also leverage these tools to do a more effective job of component selection early in the design phase and bring product to market faster.

In an upcoming feature, I plan to look at how some of these procurement services can help engineers early in the product development phase. What do you think? Shoot me an e-mail at gmroos@aol.com.