Supplier is not manufacturer
A manufacturer makes a component and gives it a manufacturer part number. A supplier — a distributor, usually — sells it to you and has their own order code. One manufacturer part may be available from four suppliers; one supplier sells parts from hundreds of manufacturers.
The reason this matters is that an approved manufacturer list constrains what the part is, and an approved vendor list constrains who you may buy it from. A shortage at one distributor is a sourcing problem you can solve in an afternoon. A discontinuation by the manufacturer is a design problem.
180044 · MCU, 48-pin
Approved manufacturers and where to buy
| Manufacturer | MPN | Approved | Suppliers | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer A | MA-48X-100 | Yes | 3 | Preferred |
| Manufacturer B | MB-4810-T | Yes | 2 | Alternate |
| Manufacturer C | MC-X48-A | Yes | 1 | End of life |
| Manufacturer D | MD-48N | No | 4 | Not approved |
Component risk
The risk view flags parts whose supply position is weak — a single approved manufacturer, an end-of-life notice, a part used in many products with one source. It flags rather than scores, because a score implies a model of your supply chain that the module does not have.
| Flag | Means | Usually worth |
|---|---|---|
| Single source | One approved manufacturer. | Qualifying a second, especially for high where-used parts. |
| End of life | A manufacturer notice. | A last-time buy or a design change, decided now rather than later. |
| No approved manufacturer | The part is used and nobody approved a source. | Fixing immediately. It means purchasing is improvising. |
| High where-used, single source | Both of the above at once. | The top of the list. |
The module holds supplier notices you enter. It does not subscribe to manufacturer feeds or monitor for end-of-life announcements on your behalf. Somebody still has to read the industry notifications.
What this does not do
Suppliers do not carry prices, and there is no RFQ process.
PLM does not buy anything. Neither does Accounting.
Notices are entered by you.
No RoHS, REACH or conflict-minerals declarations.
No performance or delivery metrics.
Questions
Can one supplier be a manufacturer?
Yes — record them as both where that is true.
Does this connect to Accounting vendors?
No. A PLM supplier and an Accounting vendor are separate records today.
Can we mark a preferred source?
Yes, on the approved list.