Services
Supply Chain Management
The right partner for your product and business
Even the best-designed product depends on a manufacturing partner that can deliver reliably to market. Zebulon Solutions provides strategic and tactical supply chain support from early design decisions to manufacturing and delivery.
We help ensure cost-efficient sourcing for raw materials and components with vetted suppliers throughout the design process. We support component selection from the earliest design phases through the final manufacturing process for delivery to the end customer.
Our experienced team works with custom suppliers large and small around the world to match your specific needs. Whether onshore or offshore, turnkey or consignment, we deliver data-driven manufacturing solutions tailored to your product and business.
We don’t take a commission or receive payment from any of the suppliers we recommend. It allows us to work independently and in your best interest.
Our Process
The formula for success
Innovation. Experience. Integrity.
From selecting the right manufacturing partner to managing the production ramp, we ensure a smooth path to stable production.
Strategy
We start by understanding your business goals and product requirements, then evelop a supply chain strategy that scales with your business.
Optimization
We navigate the trade-offs between cost, delivery, and quality to identify the manufacturers that best support your business and product goals.
Qualification
We use a standardized process to identify and evaluate suppliers to ensure those we recommend are fully vetted to meet your business needs.
Services
Some of the tactical services we include as part of a project or as a stand alone service:
Supply Chain Management
Supply chains require maintenance or they weaken and eventually break. From prototyping through scaled production, we help you identify your sourcing risks and implement strategies before problems arise.
- Prototype and full production sourcing
- Second sourcing
- Component obsolescence management
- Quarterly business reviews
- Problem vendor corrective action management
- KPI management
Manufacturer Search
Your contract manufacturer is your largest and most important supplier. We know there is no one-size-fits-all solutions, but you need a tailored solution for your needs.
- Requirements definition
- Network and industry connections
- Trade list searches
- Supplier identification
Reshoring & Onshoring
Reshoring is a simple concept: bring manufacturing back home. In practice, however, it’s messy. Not only are there real cost drivers for offshoring, but decades of such has shifted the underlying supply chain, too. There are valid reasons to reshore—decreased inventories, improved cash flow, market agility, tariff & risk abatement, and/or IP security. Since it is complicated, it may need a multistep or partial approach.
- Manufacturing search
- Supplier audit & vetting
- Quotation management
- Inventory solutions
Supplier Audits & Vetting
Any supplier can build a great website, but on-site visits reveal the truth. Our team of experienced staff assess risk and evaluate fitness for your business and product.
- On-site audits
- Vetting for interest, fit and competence
- Qualified short-list
Quotation Management
Managing your product costs is critical to your success. Our robust RFQ process solicits competitive bids from multiple qualified suppliers to ensure you get the best value for your product.
- Robust Request for Quote (RFQ) process
- Focused bid candidates
- Assemble documentation package
- Evaluate RFQ responses
Inventory Solutions
A single component missing from the build can shut production down. Whether you want to consign your inventory or set up turn-key processes, we help ensure you have every part you need for every build.
- Turnkey and consignment models
- Part shortage resolution
- Risk managment
Bill of Materials
Having an accurate list of every component in your product is the first step in managing your inventory. We not only ensure a complete and accurate list, but analyze it for cost reduction opportunities.
- Assessment of completeness & accuracy
- Scrub for end of life
- Cost reduction analysis
- Cost-efficient component selection
- Obsolescence planning
Equally impressive was their management of the supply chain and vendor relationships. That capability proved essential—without it, the timeline to redesign, source, and bring a new board to market would likely have doubled.
Zebulon Solutions delivered exactly what we needed: a thoughtful, thorough, and truly turnkey solution.
FAQ
How do you choose a contract manufacturer for electronics?
Start with a list of the product’s manufacturing and functional requirements and an overview of the business opportunity in the near term and scaling needs. Identify several candidates and evaluate them on technical capability, quality system, capacity, and communication — not just price and lead time. It is important to interview the suppliers and, if possible, visit the manufacturing facilities to evaluate what you’ve been told with how they implement it.
Zebulon manages this evaluation and selection process as part of our supply chain service, so you’re matched with a manufacturer suited to your product and volume, not just the first or lowest one that quotes.
What's the difference between turnkey and consignment manufacturing?
In turnkey manufacturing, the contract manufacturer sources all components and takes full responsibility for all the parts in the build. In consignment manufacturing, you supply some or all of the components yourself. Turnkey is usually simpler to manage; consignment can offer more cost or sourcing control, at the cost of more work on your end.
What is reshoring, and why are companies reshoring manufacturing from China?
Reshoring means moving manufacturing back to domestic or nearby facilities instead of overseas. Companies do this to reduce shipping lead times, lower tariff exposure, improve quality oversight, and reduce the risk of compromised intellectual property protection and supply chain disruption.
What questions should I ask a potential contract manufacturer when initially engaging?
What contract manufacturers say about themselves on their websites will give you the basics. You can usually capture the basics of the businesses they work with, their quality certifications, and their capabilities. But the initial phone call should start assessing if they are aligned with your business and product, both now and where it could grow. Asking about their experience with the uniquely technically difficult parts of your design can provide insight about their ability to manufacture your product. You may want to ask about what kind of products, technologies, or industries they typically manufacture. It is good to understand their capacity utilization (a manufacturer running near full capacity may deprioritize smaller orders), and how they manage component sourcing and obsolescence. These answers tell you far more than a quote alone.
What is a Request for Quote (RFQ) process for manufacturing?
An RFQ is a formal request sent to potential manufacturers with your product specifications, so they can provide comparable pricing and lead-time quotes. A well-prepared RFQ package — complete drawings, BOM, and volume expectations — gets you faster, more accurate quotes. By sending the exact same information to several manufacturers will help you better compare the quotes to look for the best value.
What is BOM (bill of materials) cost reduction?
BOM cost reduction is the process of identifying alternative components, suppliers, or design changes that lower the total material cost of a product without compromising performance or reliability. This is often an ongoing effort even after a product is in production.
How do you manage component obsolescence in electronics?
Managing obsolescence means regularly tracking component lifecycle status, qualifying alternate parts in advance, and developing a last time buy plan if the component is critical path to your product’s functionality. Reactive obsolescence management — scrambling after a part is discontinued — is far more expensive than planning for it.
How many contract manufacturer candidates should I evaluate before choosing one?
A good rule of thumb is starting with at least five candidates and narrowing based on technical fit, quality systems, capacity, and communication. Fewer candidates increase the risk of missing a better-fit partner or overpaying.
What is a supplier audit, and why does it matter?
A supplier audit is an on-site evaluation of a manufacturer’s facility, processes, and quality systems before committing to a production relationship. It allows for confirmation of the information in the quote or sales conversations. It can also reveal quality or capacity issues that were not previously communicated.
How do you evaluate a manufacturer's quality system?
If the manufacturer has an ISO certification, the annual auditors will review their documentation, but reviewing the last audit reports for findings and to see how they have addressed the issues can provide insight into how they use the system. It is also good to review documentation on the production floor and evaluating how accurately the documentation and records are maintained by the operators. Observing how operators adhere to product handling rules and if the management also follows those rules can give insight into how effective their quality processes are.
What's the typical markup or margin a contract manufacturer charges?
Margins vary by industry, complexity, and volume, and are generally higher for low-volume or highly complex assemblies. A reasonable markup on purchased parts is 3%-5% with a profit of 5%-10%. But it is important to understand if there are hidden costs in the quote.
How do I avoid getting deprioritized by my contract manufacturer when I'm a smaller customer?
During initial conversations it is important to be honest about you’re your volumes are expected to be. Overstating your volumes can easily get you deprioritized when the revenue doesn’t materialize. Understanding a manufacturer’s capacity utilization before signing on is important — a manufacturer running near full capacity is more likely to prioritize larger customers over yours. It is also important to select a supplier aligned with your volumes and business opportunity.