Electronics Industry and the Steps in its Production Process

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Electronics Industry
1 Introduction
The Electronics industry comprises companies that manufacture electronic equipment and components. These organizations provide a wide range of products depending on the electronic technology used in operation. The electronics industry is among the rapidly growing industries in society today due to various innovations in the sector. The electronics industry aims to meet the needs of producers through the provision of electronic parts or products for sale (Fiori 768). The electronics industry produces various products such as smartphones, televisions, computers, and circuit boards. The major industries in this sector are telecommunications, electronic components, and consumer electronics (Chandler). The industry has experienced rapid growth in the recent past, characterized by technological innovations, increased demand for communication services, economic growth, and the development of internet and wireless communications (Grantham 183). Also, developments have been taking place in the industry to ensure that the wireless network is fully adopted, mostly on mobile devices.
2 History/The Origin of the Industry
The industry dates back to 1800s when the first discovery on electricity transmission by using gas from one metal electrode to another was made by scientist its. The first electronic innovation was a commercial vacuum tube developed in 1904 by John Ambrose Fleming (Chandler). British scientists used the device to detect radio signals. Innovation was the standard in the industry until 1950, when the first transistor and semiconductor were developed. Integrated circuits developed during this period. During this time, the US was the leading developer of electronic products. However, in the 1980s, other countries like Japan started competing with the US to produce electronic devices. The modern electronic market is global as companies buy and sells parts and products to other countries.
3 Production Circuits
The Production Process in the Electronics industry follows the following steps.
R&D and Product Designs
The electronics supply chain starts from Research and Development (R&D). The products are conceptualized from two significant sources: the international standards comprising GSM, CDMA systems, and 4G LTE and interaction with clients from all over the world. The R&D firms are specialized such that each firm focuses on a specific product family (Grantham 183).
Sourcing and Procurement
The electronic industry conducts sourcing and procurement by developing qualification and bidding procedures to determine potential suppliers before approving a supplier. After identifying the number of raw materials and components required, suppliers are invited to supply their bids. Successful bidders are then subjected to a Purchase Framework Agreement where the product types, quantities and prices, quality specifications, and delivery timeliness are specified (Grantham 183). In many cases, the transportation of raw materials is done by a third-party logistics provider.
Assembly and Manufacturing
Production in the electronics industry mostly happens in-house and is organized according to the product line. Sone of the activities during assembly and manufacturing includes manufacturing, product testing, warehouse management, and other supporting activities like maintenance and cleaning (Grantham 183). After the manufacturing process is completed, the quality control department then tests the products to ensure they are quality products
Product Distribution, Marketing, and Sales
Packing of most products from the electronic industry is mainly done in-house, after which transportation services are outsourced to its companies or third-party logistic providers (Grantham 183). Most of the firms in this industry have separate channels for telecommunication equipment and handset terminals because of the differences between the products regarding customer target and complexity.
After-sale Services
Considering the complex nature of electronic equipment, after-sale services are essential in this industry. Such services provide room for certification, maintenance, repair, and operating system consulting services (Grantham 183).
4 Major Players in this Industry (Current Biggest Companies)
Apple is ranked as the largest electronic manufacturing Company in the world by revenue. In 2019, the company generated $260.17 billion. The company was established in 1976. The company develops and sells electronic electronics and computer software. Some of the company's products include iPhone, which is among the best smartphones. Other than iPhones, the company also designs, develops and manufactures, and sells various consumer electronic products such as tablet iPad, Mac computer, AppleTV, Airpods, and Apple watch (Chandler). The company's innovative nature has made it be ranked number one of the top ten electronic companies worldwide in 2020, mainly because of its influential status in THE electronic industry.
The second most prominent company in the electronic industry is Samsung electronics. The company had revenue of $221.6 billion in 2019. The company’s headquarter is in South Korea, and it was established in 1969. It is best known for the production of consumer electronics ...