Electrical testing can be a very precise science that comes down to carefully designed solutions, thorough testing, and meticulous coding. Mistakes or miscommunications during the testing process can lead to not only logistical problems and timeline shifts, but also safety concerns for everyone coming into contact with the equipment pieces. Often a client will utilize multiple suppliers to provide different specialized electrical testing solutions – one may provide pieces that are used in a larger piece of equipment, another supplier may design the electrical testing equipment, etc.

However, when dealing with multiple suppliers who are providing goods and services to other suppliers, miscommunication is common. Faulty parts are blamed on one supplier, late deliveries blamed on another, and so on. For this reason, communication and agreement between sub suppliers is critical for both clients and the industries which utilize these suppliers.

One of the common problems that arise between sub suppliers is that one supplier will send a module to another that is not properly coded, which is identified when the receiver runs electrical tests. Not only does this cause tension between the suppliers themselves but making the necessary adjustments can be both costly and time-consuming. Just-in-time (JIT) inventory is disrupted, production slows, and consumer deadlines must be shifted. These all result in lower quality products overall.

The solution is to increase the modes and methods of communication and ensure that sub suppliers are on the same page about testing requirements and how to test each other’s systems. This requires high-level testing that goes behind simple tasks such as running continuity tests or resistance tests. It is the supplier’s responsibility, not the OEM’s (original equipment manufacturer), to ensure that systems can function and be tested by all other sub suppliers.

While this solution may appear more extensive or time-consuming, verifying that suppliers are on the same page about how electrical testing will function between them and on each other’s systems can be absolutely critical for positive customer outcomes. Having access to an experienced and customizable electrical testing supplier such as Test Products, Inc. is a clear asset to a successful project with open communication.