Got Chips? Managing Your Electronic Component Supply Chain Risk in the Face of Global Instability
Shownotes
A single overlooked component can stop an entire product from shipping. Justin Sears explains why supply chain risk now has to shape design decisions from day one, not after engineering hands the design off to procurement.
In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and Jake Barr speak with Justin Sears, Head of Product Marketing for SaaS at Altium, about rising component risk, hidden supplier dependencies, and why engineering and procurement teams need better visibility into supply conditions earlier in the product development process.
They also explore how AI can help teams surface risks, strengthen requirements, and evaluate alternatives while human judgment remains essential. The conversation highlights how better data, earlier collaboration, and stronger lifecycle thinking can help manufacturers build more resilient products.
Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:24) Meet Justin Sears, Head of Product Marketing for SaaS at Altium
(04:18) Justin's lifelong running passion and how it clears his head
(05:35) Justin's background and the Altium family of supply chain solutions
(10:23) Three structural risks: tariffs, global conflict, and AI data center demand
(14:59) The Digi case study: why manual sourcing doesn't work anymore"
(17:43) "Shift left": making supply chain a design input, not an afterthought
(22:52) The postage stamp problem: when a cheap part stops a $30K GPU shipment
(27:30) Two tiers down: hidden supply chain failures you can't see
(29:52) AI and human judgment in hardware design: who asks the questions?
(42:31) Counterfeit parts: why fraudsters chase volume, not scarcity
(53:57) Three takeaways: what hardware teams should start doing today
Additional Links & Resources:
- Connect with Justin Sears: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinsears/
- Connect with Jake Barr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-barr-3883501/
- Learn more about Altium: https://www.altium.com/
- Learn more about BlueWorld Supply Chain Consulting: https://www.blueworldscc.com/
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- Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive
- WEBINAR- The Real ROI of AI Analytics in the Supply Chain: Better Answers When Everyone Starts Asking: https://bit.ly/3TpCX6u
- WEBINAR- The Cost of Skipping the Audit: Why Site Scans Should Come Before Every Pallet, Crate, or Wood Packaging RFQ: https://bit.ly/4AJzReA
- WEBINAR- Supply Chain Planning Reimagined: Agentic AI for Decision-Centric Planning: https://bit.ly/3VD1Nka
- WEBINAR- Rethinking the Supply Chain Management Classroom: https://bit.ly/4xJIkM2
- WEBINAR- Detect, decide, deliver: improving disruption response across the supply chain: https://bit.ly/4rXhmiI
This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Jake Barr and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/got-chips-managing-electronic-component-supply-chain-risk-face-global-instability-1646
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