Greater than the sum of its parts [outsourced manufacturing]

In the world of electronics manufacturing, numerous complex supply chains encompassing product specifiers and designers, manufacturers, material suppliers, transporters, packagers, and distributors are evident. Each link in the supply chain has its own cost base with a desire to keep costs down while increasing profit. To help companies calculate the best manufacturing strategy tailored to their needs, Flextronics has developed a global supply chain analysis tool called Simplex. This tool provides a complete cost analysis of the total supply chains, including the best source for raw material, turnaround time, logistics cost, cost of capital, and inventory.