The economic and political advantages of producing complex electronics in North America is growing, and more and more jobs are being repatriated as a result. To cite a recent example, Apple has announded that it will move jobs back from Asia investing $100 million in US production facilities for Mac computers, adding to the assembly work it already does in the US.

IPC, the Association connecting Electronics Industries, recently released its 2012 Annual Report to its membership. A short-and-sweet document that can be perused in a few minutes, it covers topics from industry trends to standards development to market research to government relations to environment, health and safety actrivities, and also international activities.

The recent "Superstorm Sandy," a brutal 2011 tornado season and ongoing drought and wildfires in parts of the US and Canada pale in comparison to the floods, cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis experienced recently in Asia, Mexico and South America. Manufacturers with long supply chains, such as many in the automotive and computer industries, can face significant disruptions to their operations due to these catastrophic events. 

For at least the past 10 years everyone involved in manufacturing has been hearing about outsourcing trends and their impact on domestic manufacturing businesses. Low labor rates, favorable business taxes, lightweight regulatory climates and other advantages made offshore outsourcing seemingly inevitable.

China has the reputation of offering low prices on all forms of manufactured goods, including wire harnesses, electro-mechanical components and sophisticated electronic devices for a wide range of industries. Businesses under pressure to compete on price look to outsource to China almost automatically – especially if competitors are already doing so. And setting up an outsourcing partnership with a Chinese manufacturer can be accomplished almost entirely online these days, right?

Partnering with suppliers that deliver quality products on-time and on-budget is great – but is it "good enough"? 

In today's global marketplace, you need every competitive advantage you can get. That's why it's worthwhile to look at opportunities to leverage the value-added services the world's foremost outsourcing partners.

According to leading business strategy experts, manufacturers “should weigh the many intrinsic advantages of locating manufacturing close to consumers, such as the ability to more quickly get products into the hands of customers, replace depleted inventory of popular items, and make design changes in response to market trends or customer demands.”