中國制造業(yè)的低成本優(yōu)勢似乎正迅速消逝中。然而，在電子產(chǎn)業(yè)中，有些領(lǐng)域從未真的認(rèn)為能從中國取得低成本的好處。電子產(chǎn)品供應(yīng)鏈的主要廠商們就是其中之一。 從勞動力的角度來看，中國的工資明顯低于許多其它國家。任何重度依靠體力勞動的制造商在此都明顯占有優(yōu)勢。然而，如同EMS顧問Charlie Barnhart和其它分析師的報(bào)告，勞動力其實(shí)僅占電子制造業(yè)中一小部份的費(fèi)用?？偮涞爻杀?landed cost)才是衡量供應(yīng)鏈成本的更有效方法。 然而，電子產(chǎn)品制造商十分強(qiáng)調(diào)中國和西方之間的明顯價(jià)格落差。供應(yīng)鏈中的企業(yè)追隨其客戶在海外建立據(jù)點(diǎn)。如組件制造商在中國建立工廠，以維持低價(jià)格。在遠(yuǎn)東地區(qū)的采購市場也已經(jīng)習(xí)于為每個(gè)組件單元付出較少的成本。但這對于渠道而言其實(shí)是一個(gè)很大的問題。 特別是經(jīng)銷商，主要透過大量銷售組件的基礎(chǔ)而獲利。在許多情況下，經(jīng)銷商的利潤取決于其銷售組件的每單位價(jià)格。例如同樣在25%的組件利潤下，銷售一款5美元的組件當(dāng)然比1美元組件所得到的利潤更高。但全球制造商通常在較低價(jià)格的地區(qū)尋找并采購組件，因而削弱了其合作伙伴的利潤。 然而，由于近來中國的工資增加以及人民幣升值，在中國的OEM和EMS公司正面對成本攀升的問題?！爸袊磕旯べY成長9%～35%，再加上物流成本上漲，傳統(tǒng)上低成本國家的供應(yīng)鏈成本也變得更高”，市調(diào)公司Gartner指出。 按照西方的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來看，中國的供應(yīng)鏈效率仍有進(jìn)一步提升的空間。在美國，OEM從十年前開始強(qiáng)化其供應(yīng)商基礎(chǔ)，為相同的組件尋找多家供應(yīng)來源，以保持組件價(jià)格的競爭力，但OEM還得為多家供應(yīng)來源投資于供應(yīng)商管理。每一家供應(yīng)商都需分別經(jīng)由電子數(shù)據(jù)交換(EDI)傳送的簡單的供需資料，因而與多家供應(yīng)商交易其實(shí)也意味著多次成本。 在中國，供應(yīng)商、經(jīng)銷商與客戶之間的關(guān)系是高度分散的。但提供廣泛的組件產(chǎn)品組合的安富利(Avnet)和艾睿電子(Arrow)在此區(qū)則是例外。在中國的中小型經(jīng)銷商合作伙伴經(jīng)銷一系列品牌，就如同在美國與歐洲的制造商代表模式一樣。因此，OEM必須與多家伙伴廠商共同合作，才能滿足材料清單(BOM)的需求。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EBN Online，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁：中國人做事看面子不看合約，西方人很頭疼

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• 中國經(jīng)濟(jì)和電子產(chǎn)業(yè)當(dāng)前面臨的10大挑戰(zhàn)7kFesmc

{pagination} 這些經(jīng)驗(yàn)讓西方公司學(xué)會管理較少的供應(yīng)商就能減少開銷并提高效率。然而，要在中國建立營運(yùn)業(yè)務(wù)也常讓西方國家感到猶豫不決，特別是因?yàn)樵谥袊臉I(yè)務(wù)關(guān)系主要建立在傳統(tǒng)關(guān)系，而非合約等基本原則。 一位名叫Luca的部落客在其China Sourcing Blog部落格上寫道：“與中國供應(yīng)商的合約管理通常較少依賴于合約的履行，更重要的是經(jīng)營彼此的關(guān)系，所以，國際采購團(tuán)隊(duì)傳統(tǒng)上所用的許多標(biāo)準(zhǔn)合約條款通常不適用或無法用于中國，甚至可能為供應(yīng)商造成不必要的負(fù)擔(dān)，最后導(dǎo)致合約的總成本增加。” 對于在中國的許多西方公司而言，至今在中國所省下的成本仍能彌補(bǔ)在工資和運(yùn)輸方面的費(fèi)用。然而，這種優(yōu)勢正迅速消失中。近來，許多在中國建立營運(yùn)據(jù)點(diǎn)的西方企業(yè)已經(jīng)開始注意到成本的 問題了。UPS與IDG的《供應(yīng)鏈變化》(Change in the (Supply) Chain)年度報(bào)告中指出，“就區(qū)域來看，亞洲高科技公司的首要任務(wù)是降低供應(yīng)鏈總成本。由于短至中期無法顯著推動供需成長，許多公司更致力于積極進(jìn)行 成本與資本控制，以盡量維持基本開銷?！? 然而，令人振奮的是，在過去兩年來，亞洲高科技公司已經(jīng)盡可能地關(guān)注客戶與消費(fèi)者的需求，致力于提高服務(wù)水準(zhǔn)了。顯然地，這些企業(yè)似乎體認(rèn)到除了持續(xù)關(guān)注成本優(yōu)勢以外，還必須提升服務(wù)競爭力度。而這也為電子經(jīng)銷商帶來了一個(gè)巨大的機(jī)會。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EBN Online，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Susan Hong 參考英文原文：Is China's Low-Wage Edge Waning?，by Barbara Jorgensen, EBN Community Editor

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{pagination} Is China's Low-Wage Edge Waning? Barbara Jorgensen China's cost advantages in manufacturing and exports seem to be rapidly waning, according to numerous reports. There's a segment of the electronics market, however, that never really believed China was a bargain to begin with. Key players in the electronics supply chain are among them. From a strict labor standpoint, China's wages are clearly lower than many other nations'. Any manufacturer heavily dependent on physical labor has a clear advantage. However, as EMS consultant Charlie Barnhart and other analysts report, labor is a small portion of the expenses in electronics manufacturing. Total landed cost is a better measure for supply-chain savings. Nevertheless, electronics manufacturers perceive a significant price difference between China and the West. Supply chain companies have followed their customers offshore. Component makers have established factories in China and have kept prices low. The procurement market in the Far East has become accustomed to paying less per component unit. This continues to be a big problem for the channel. Distributors, in particular, make their money on volume component sales. In many cases, a distributor's profit is tied to the per-unit price of the parts they sell. A 25 percent margin on a $5 component is higher than the same margin on a $1 part. (As US companies heard during the recent presidential campaign, "Do the math.") Global manufacturers typically source components in low-price regions, eroding their partners' margins. As China's wages and currency appreciate, however, OEMs and EMS companies in China are now faced with rising costs. "Annual wage increases between 9% and 35% in China, combined with rising logistics expenses, are leading to higher core supply chain costs in a traditionally low-cost country," research firm Gartner notes in its annual ranking of the "Supply Chain Top 25." By Western standards, there is room for efficiency in the China supply chain. In the US, OEMs began decades ago to consolidate their supplier base. Engaging multiple suppliers for the same components keeps prices competitive, but supplier management also requires investment by the OEM. Simple transmissions of supply and demand data via EDI are unique to each supplier, so multiple engagements mean multiple costs. In China, supplier, distributor, and customer relationships are highly fragmented. Broadline distributors, such as Avnet and Arrow, that carry multiple lines of components are the exception in the region. Small and midsized distributor partners in China carry a select group of brands, similar to the manufacturers' rep model in the US and EU. As a result, OEMs have to engage with numerous partners to fulfill a bill of materials (BOM.) Experience has taught Western companies that managing fewer suppliers cuts down on expense and increases efficiency. However, Western companies are hesitant to impose their practices in China. Business relationships there are based more on tradition than on the bottom line. In a series of articles published on the Website The China Sourcing Blog one author identified only as "Luca" writes: Contract management with Chinese suppliers generally relies less on contract enforcement and more on relationship management, so many of the standard contractual clauses traditionally used by international procurement teams are either not applicable or not enforceable in China, and thus create unnecessary burdens on suppliers and ultimately increase the total costs of the contract. For many Western companies, the cost savings in China have so far offset wage and transportation expenses. However, that advantage is quickly eroding. Companies in the Far East -- both companies headquartered in the West and those indigenous to China -- are concerned about costs. In their annual "Change in the (Supply) Chain" survey, UPS and IDG report: Our survey results show that at a regional level, the top priority for Asian high-tech companies has been to reduce total supply chain costs. Given the inability, at least in the short term to medium term, to materially affect demand and sales growth, many companies have focused on successfully preserving their bottom lines with aggressive cost containment and capital preservation efforts. However, it is encouraging that, in the context of the past two years, Asian high-tech companies have done what they can to keep an eye on the customer/consumer with efforts to improve service levels. It seems clear that these businesses recognize that while competing on cost is not going away anytime soon, they also must be service competitive. This realization is a big opportunity for electronics distributors. In upcoming blogs, I will look at how the channel has scaled its product and service offerings to align with customer requirements in the Far East.