Sourcing has become a moving target. It’s no longer about price or availability—it’s about staying ahead of disruption.
Why BOMs Are Becoming Fragile
1. Geopolitical interference
Export controls on chips, rare earths, and even factory equipment are tightening. The US-China tech conflict has already fractured supply chains. Add tensions in Taiwan, the Red Sea, or Mexico’s tax policies, and a single-source BOM starts to look risky.
2. Supplier consolidation
Fewer component makers means fewer options. Discontinuations can happen without notice, and alternatives aren’t always drop-in compatible.
3. Hidden tier-2 and tier-3 risks
You may know your direct suppliers. But do you know who they depend on? A flood in Malaysia or shutdown in Vietnam can trigger shortages five layers up your chain.
4. ESG and traceability pressure
Customers want more than performance—they want proof. Proof your parts aren’t linked to conflict zones. Proof your factory meets labor standards. Proof your product won’t become waste too soon. That’s a lot of weight on your sourcing decisions.
For a deeper view on macro risks, Deloitte’s 2025 semiconductor outlook shows just how much pressure the supply chain is expected to absorb this year.
What This Means for Your BOM
A “final” BOM is only as good as the conditions it was built under.
When parts go EOL mid-project, you burn time, blow budgets, and risk re-certification. Forced spot buys can wreck your margins. And when shipments stall, your customers don’t care why—they just stop trusting you.
Even Raspberry Pi had to adapt. In 2021, part shortages forced them to reintroduce the 1GB Pi 4 and raise prices on other models. It’s a clear reminder that even well-run BOMs can unravel when global sourcing shifts. Raspberry Pi’s own post explains how component shortages disrupted their product roadmap.
More companies are also asking for full country-of-origin documentation, especially for Europe or U.S. markets. Compliance teams want to know where every chip is made—not just assembled. What used to be a simple sourcing step now requires audit trails.
How to Design a BOM That Holds Up
At Titoma, we treat sourcing as part of the design process. We evaluate components not just by spec, but by supplier stability, lifecycle, and fallback options.
That’s where smart Design for Manufacturing comes in. It’s not just about how you build—it’s about what you can keep building when supply shifts.
We also build in lead time buffers: pre-approved alternates, early-buy programs, and local sourcing options. When shortages hit, we already have a plan B in motion.
If you want a broader sense of where sourcing vulnerabilities are heading, the Semiconductor Industry Association’s recent report offers a clear breakdown of pressure points across the supply chain.
What You Can Do Now
- Recheck your BOM every few months, not once a year
- Bring sourcing into design reviews early
- Avoid single-source parts unless truly essential
- Approve alternates before you need them
- Build supplier relationships deeper than just the sales desk
A stable BOM isn’t luck—it’s built that way from the start.
