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Cloud Quickstart - Lesson 3: Using Supply Chain app to check sourcing health
Cloud Quickstart - Lesson 3: Using Supply Chain app to check sourcing health

Using PartQuest Portal Supply Chain to check sourcing health

Paul Welch avatar
Written by Paul Welch
Updated over 9 months ago

Lesson 3: Using Supply Chain to Check Sourcing Health

Overview

The new Supply Chain application, powered by SupplyFrame, empowers engineers with real-time component sourcing data to make more informed part decisions when cost-of-change is lowest. Fully integrated with PADS Professional Designer, component sourcing checks can be done without leaving the design tools.

A subscription to the Supply Chain application includes:

  • Access to component sourcing data from over 70 distributors

  • Pricing, availability, compliance, and lifecycle data included

  • Flags that alert for component risk

  • Links to component supplier datasheets and instant purchase options

  • Seamless PADS Professional integration via embedded client

Enable Supply Chain app in Designer

  1. Open the LED Flasher project in Designer.

  2. Open the Supply Chain settings under Setup>Settings>Supply Chain.

  3. Make sure you are logged in to the Supply Chain service by clicking the log in button. Make sure the Enable Feature box is checked.

  4. Watch the video below for a quick overview.

View Preferred Suppliers

The preferred supplier list allows you to define the suppliers you'd like to see in your component search results. Several common suppliers are selected by default however you are able to choose from over 70 preferred suppliers.

  1. Open the Supply Chain settings.

  2. In the Preferred Suppliers list, select the bottom empty row to display a list of available suppliers.

  3. Select your preferred suppliers and then click the OK button.

View Search Results

After you select your preferred suppliers and close the settings dialog, a new Supply Chain tab will appear in the Search Panel. The Supply Chain tab a mashup view of the components in your schematic with online sourcing information from Supplyframe. Sourcing information includes distributor inventory, price, lifecycle status, and datasheet links.

  1. View the search results in the Supply Chain tab.

  2. Click the refresh icon in the top right toolbar to update the search results.

  3. The left column contains visual red/yellow/green indicators so you can quickly scan the list to identify sourcing issues.

    1. Red: Either no match was found or the part has sourcing issues with inventory or lifecycle status. e.g. the part is obsolete or distributor has no inventory.

    2. Yellow: Multiple matches found. Double-clicking the part will open a window showing all possible part matches. Select a result that best meets your requirements.

    3. Green: Part has a good match and there are no sourcing issues.

  4. To match your parts with the desired suppliers:

    1. Double-click yellow items that contain multiple matches.

    2. A pop up appears showing all part search results.

    3. Double-click the best match based on supply chain information. For example; distributor results that include the desired pricing, availability, compliance, and lifecycle status.

    4. Use the datasheet and Click to Buy links to navigate to the part offering on the distributor's website.

To see more videos on how to use Supply Chain click here.

Up Next: Lesson 4 - Using Connect for Design Collaboration

Open Lesson 4

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