The Key Factors of Selecting Electronics Manufacturing Service Suppliers – an Example of Company U in Taiwan

Abstract

Abstract In a highly competitive environment with a developed network, the customers of electronics manufacturing service (EMS) manufacturers always seek a wide range of choices. EMS manufacturers can attract loyal customers and establish long-term partnerships if they understand and satisfy their customers’ needs to execute a response plan successfully with limited resources. If these conditions are met, EMS manufacturers can create high customer equity. This study investigates how the demand of downstream enterprises can be satisfied on the basis of the opinion of upstream suppliers in the electronics manufacturing industry. Domestic and foreign literature related to the dimensions and elements of supplier evaluation criteria were investigated to extract 22 elements of supplier selection by corporate customers. Five supplier evaluation dimensions were then established through interviews with the internal experts of the case company. An analytic hierarchy process-based (AHP-based) approach is used to design the questionnaire for the external corporate customers of the case company. The questionnaire is then used to investigate the supplier evaluation criteria of the customers of EMS manufacturers. Conclusions and suggestions are provided on the basis of the results to provide the case company with references that can be used to develop and maintain customer relationship and create high customer equity.