Sourceability launched Datalynq in late 2021 as part of its mission to digitalize the electronic components supply chain.
The platform exists to ensure OEMs, CMs, and EMS companies have the market intelligence needed to navigate the global landscape. Its robust transactional data sets can't be found anywhere else, and insights help firms make better purchasing decisions. Datalynq's five solutions generate a comprehensive information on Design Risk, Market Availability, Multi-Source Availability, Pricing, and Inventory Trends.
So, what does that mean in practical terms? It makes market intelligence research as easy as hailing a ride or ordering takeout.
- To begin the process, a customer needs to enter a manufacturer part number (MPN) into the search bar at the top of the Datalynq landing page.
- After that, select the MPN that matches their request, and they will be taken to the results page.
- Next, click the "View Details" button on the left side of the appropriate MPN.
- That leads to the Market Analysis page, which displays all five of our solutions in a single interface.
Design Risk
And it uses a five-tier system to distinguish between easy to acquire and hard to find electronic components.
To start, Datalynq's Design Risk Score gives customers a 50,000-foot perspective on the risks associated with the design of a product. The service creates the score automatically by collecting and analyzing information using real-time supply data, lead times, and life cycle status. And it uses a five-tier system to distinguish between easy to acquire and hard to find electronic components.
That means buyers, engineers, and other staffers can see if a part is active, inactive, obsolete, or not accessible. Customers can also see if an item can be delivered quickly or not. Because the service uses unique datasets, it lets customers know if an item is a solid long-term bet or a serious supply problem just waiting to happen.
Market Availability
The Market Availability Score tells customers how accessible a part is on a five-star scale.
If an electronic component has a five-star rating, it's a good buy. The product has short lead times from multiple vendors. But if it has a one-star rating, the item is available, but it might have unfavorable and volatile lead times.
In that case, OEMs, CMs, and EMS providers are better off looking for an alternate that could also be more affordable. A microelectronic device that falls somewhere in the middle, it might have okay lead times and but few vendors. The platform's Market Availability Score also includes historical transactional data showing how accessible a part has been over time.
Due to raw material shortages, logistics complications, geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, or accelerated obsolescence, some products can have wildly varying availability over a few months or years. Datalynq doesn't bog users down in detail; it presents the most important information upfront.
Multi-Source Availability
The Multi-Source Availability Score is the other side of the Market Availability coin.
Its five-point scale shows customers how accessible alternate components are for the part they are researching. The higher the rating, the more vendors carry the alternates on the global marketplace.
In addition, the solution displays to pie charts highlighting separate FFF (form-fit-function) and FES (function equivalents) alternate ratings. Each chart indicates whether an item is:
- Transferred (Component production is being relocated)
- Discontinued (No longer in production)
- Active (Actively in production)
- Contact Mfr (Contact manufacturer to determine its accessibility)
- Active-Unconfirmed (Active at the manufacturing level, but its availability is unconfirmed)
- NRFND (Not Recommended for New Designs)
The Multi-Source Availability solution also includes links to all the FFF, FES, and Similar alternates available on the global market.
Accordingly, customers can make better design choices before purchasing a single microelectronic device.
Pricing
The Pricing Score displays how individual parts costs are trending.
It automatically generates the highest and lowest prices for a component sold for and the quantity purchased. The service's pricing insights are not just dynamic; they are comprehensive. It utilizes transactional data sourced across the globe to provide precise and highly relevant information.
Inventory Trends
Finally, the Inventory Trends Score features monthly inventory data from over 3,000 factory direct suppliers, authorized distributors, and qualified third parties worldwide.
The solution breaks down inventory information in two ways, by the vendor and in-stock quantity. The former features a pie chart that indicates how many parts are held by which type of vendor. The latter shows a column chart tracking the availability of a component over the last month. Datalynq's five solutions individually give OEMs, CMs, and EMS companies the insight to make more informed buying decisions.
But together, it provides our customers market intelligence necessary to make faster, smarter, and better choices in a landscape filled with unprecedented challenges.
