For regular medical checkups we go to a General Practitioner, for a specific health issue or surgery, we see a specialist. One is a “Jack or Jill of all trades”, the other, the master of a small area of expertise. I think you can find similar situations in many industries; retail, law and automobile repair easily come to mind.
Can we draw a parallel in the PCB industry? When a design uses standard technology, 2-16 layers, class 2 and standard tolerances, many have a list of PCB suppliers they competitively bid and make their decisions based on price, lead-time and ease of doing business.
On the other hand, when you have a flex or rigid flex design, 5+ layers of stacked, copper filled micro vias, or a design with highly specialized RF materials, you search out a facility regarded as an industry expert to meet that very specialized need.
In today’s world of downsizing, time crunches and reduced AVL’s, many are drawn to the larger industry players with multiple facilities, each with a “specialty” that allows a solution to nearly any requirement. This strategy works well with “larger” PCB users. Unfortunately, for a mid-size or small company it is very easy to “get lost in the shuffle” with the large PCB manufacturers. Service is not at all personalized to your needs, there is not a lot of flexibility and you can easily get the sense that your business is just not that important.
Omni PCB provides a solution. Our customers enjoy one point of contact for both “general” needs AND more specialized requirements. We specialize in printed circuit boards and represent companies that have complimentary capabilities. We represent suppliers that offer cost competitive standard technology and suppliers that are specialists in their chosen technology area. We can recommend the best fit solution for each requirement based on each customer’s unique needs. Not only does each facility we represent offer great service and flexibility, Omni PCB adds our own level of customer service to ensure our customers have the best experience possible.
Maybe in the PCB world, you do not need to “visit” two different types of suppliers. Maybe one contact can fit ALL of your needs.
I welcome your thoughts!