Seamless PCB Ordering with Safe-PCB on Luminovo platform
September 22, 2023
Luminovo and Safe-PCB join forces to connect the German and French electronics market through a partnership based on digitalisation. Hear what CEO Vincent Charrat has to say about it.
“The electronics market will continue to switch to this type of solution in the years to come – there’s no hope for companies that will not turn to digital solutions.” — Vincent Charrat, CEO of Safe-PCB.
About Safe-PCB: PCB manufacturer for prototypes and fast batch quantities.
About Luminovo: software provider for the electronics supply chain.
We’ve created a bridge – quite literally – between our two applications, to help our customers in the Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) field do their daily work: Safe-PCB’s web shop is now directly accessible from the Luminovo platform, through an Application Programming Interface (API) connection. This means our customers will benefit from real-time insights on prices and availabilities of electronic parts provided by Safe-PCB, without having to leave the Luminovo tool.
Technologies such as APIs, the cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) make partnerships like this one possible. They are the latest fruits of digitalisation, a process started 20-or-so years ago, which brought to the electronics industry new ways of doing things – think of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), or the first online marketplaces specific for electronic components.
There’s no escaping the digital revolution: we are fully immersed in it by now, and it’s only getting deeper. But it shouldn’t scare you, rather excite you! That’s why we asked our partners Safe-PCB to share with us why they decided to fully embrace the digitalisation of their company. Spoiler: it’s been the key to their success.
Interview with Safe-PCB CEO
What convinced you to join forces with Luminovo?
At Safe-PCB, we firmly believe in the digitalisation of the printed circuit purchasing process and, more generally, of the electronic board purchasing process. We saw a one-of-a-kind opportunity in joining the Luminovo partner network for us to break through the German market, which, as a foreign supplier, would have been near to impossible without the introduction from a renown company like Luminovo.
What’s your view on the digital distribution channel for PCBs via the Luminovo API? How does it differ from normal business?
The power of the Luminovo software was evident from the first demo we had with you. It’s really a fantastic tool to assist people in the quoting and purchasing process, with a special attention to saving time and money! So, I’d say the latter is what distinguishes a modern solution that uses APIs from the more traditional way of doing business (i.e. through in-person meetings, phone, or email).
What challenges do you see in the next few years that digital solutions like Luminovo can solve?
We know from experience the huge potential of a high-performance digital solution that optimises, simplifies and rationalises the process of managing quotes and orders for electronic assemblies. Artificial Intelligence will become an integral part of all our organisational decisions where data need to be analysed and treated, i.e. in management, development, human resources, purchasing, finance… The electronics market will continue to switch to this type of solution in the years to come – there’s no hope for companies that will not turn to this type of digital solution.
In a volatile electronics market, how can such a partnership help EMS customers with real-time pricing?
Well, we at Safe-PCB have built our whole business around online prices and deadlines; we sell 100% of our PCBs through our webshop. In 10 years, we have started more than 4000 customers with our web platform and online quotes, and roughly 70% of the French EMS companies work regularly with us. So, you can imagine how very much convinced by the accuracy of digital solutions we are. Particularly for prototypes and small series, online quotation tools like Luminovo are perfect: they allow quick decision-making and a smart management of the fixed costs related to component purchasing.
Why to “go digital” today
Whether you are an EMS provider trying to speed up your work and win more business, or a PCB supplier, like Safe-PCB, wanting to expand your network, we hope Vincent Charrat’s words inspired you.
If you’re considering following his example and jumping on the digital wagon, let Luminovo become your digital ally. Have a look at our offer for Manufacturing or at our Partner page and when you’re done… get in touch with us!
