Field Notes #3: The Modern Supply Chain Team - Engineers in Supply Chain

In an effort to continue on the theme of the importance of building a modern supply chain team, on that is tooled to be true partners in helping unlock revenue potential, drive true innovation and other areas traditionally outside of supply chain I wanted to write about my experience of how engineers make excellent supply chain professionals.

Having a technical background in engineering or product development creates opportunities in supply chain that aren't obvious until having worked in both areas. During my time at ASML working on optics for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, I spent a significant amount of time exploring optical coatings. One in particular stood out for its unique properties - excellent wear resistance in sliding applications, low friction, and the ability to fill micro defects in optical surfaces reducing the overall microroughness.

At the time, it was just another coating I was exploring for different optical applications but years later, while working on the Bevel Trimmer, those specifications turned into something valuable. We were dealing with typical challenges experienced with high powered hair trimmers - blades heating up during operation causing discomfort, keeping blades them clean, handling dirt and grease buildup. That's when the connection clicked.

This is what I’m going call "cross-industry idea pollination" - taking deep technical knowledge from one industry and applying it in unexpected ways. That coating ended up being perfect for our blade assemblies, resulting in lower operating temperatures due to its reducing friction between moving surfaces, which in effect also increased battery life and also resulting in more hygienic blades by reducing the amount of micro-defects and surface imperfections where residue and dead skin cells could build up.

This idea at a surface level was thought up by the “supply chain person” but it unlocked an amazing marketing story, helped us position and price the trimmer as a premium hardware device and most importantly professional barbers, home users and even Nas (see below) appreciated the thoughtfulness in design. Boring supply chain people as product designers 😉 

The real value of technical backgrounds in supply chain goes beyond just spotting these connections. During my time at ASML, as a development engineer I learned how to assess at product specifications and how manufacturing processes were built to ensure meeting of the specifications. This knowledge, which might seem purely technical at first, became invaluable years later when I working with contract manufacturers at startups. I was able to be a technical bridge between internal engineers and designers and manufacturers.

When your product’s first pass yield (% of units made perfectly at first-go) at a manufacturer is 70%, a supply chain engineer with a manufacturing and engineering background naturally defaults to leaning on tools they have worked with to troubleshoot the process. Understanding both the engineering requirements and manufacturing realities makes all the difference. As a manufacturing and process engineer having utilized PFMEAs (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and conducting thorough throughput analysis, I was able to identify critical areas where process redesigns and strategic automation could improve efficiency. The result? Pushing yields above 90% while maintaining quality standards. An increase in yield also means improvement in cost because the manufacturers is now spending less time and effort to make a 100 perfect units.

This is the advantage of having technical expertise in supply chain roles. You can:

• Work with product development teams to ensure designs are optimized for manufacturing without compromising functionality

• Identify potential issues during CAD reviews before they become expensive problems in production

• Implement quality control processes that make sense from both technical and practical standpoints

• Work with manufacturers to improve processes and efficiencies

The modern supply chain team at startups needs this technical depth because you're often building something new, something that hasn't been made before, or at least not in the way you're trying to make it. You need people who can evaluate problems from multiple angles and first principles across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain.

For the modern supply chain teams, It's not just managing inventory turns or negotiating payment terms with suppliers. It's about understanding the technical nuances that can make or break a product's successful transition from design to mass production - especially at startups where you do not have the luxury of hiring teams across multiple technical functions.

As hardware startups continue to push boundaries and develop increasingly complex products, having technical expertise in supply chain isn't just an advantage - it's becoming essential. The best supply chain teams combine deep technical knowledge with practical manufacturing experience to solve problems in ways that might not be obvious to founders but can drive immense value for startups.

If you want to discuss more about leveraging technical backgrounds in supply chain or share your own experiences with cross-industry solutions, reach out to me at @mirmanwar or by replying to this email (if you’re reading this in your inbox).

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