The Importance of Trust in Outsourcing PCB Design Work

Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes the economy and businesses work? How complicated and truncated manufacturing supply chains manage to operate? How disparate suppliers and contributors work collaborative on projects crossing both language and geographical boundaries? How projects can involve huge numbers of contractors, sub-contractors and support services? This is no different for outsourcing PCB design work.

TRUST

Without trust in business relationships and especially when considering the nature of the manufacturing industry is huge.

So how is Trust fostered? and why is it so critical when looking at outsourcing your PCB design work?

But what is trust?

Psychology today lists the following descriptions which yield some key themes;

1. Trust is a belief in the probability that a person will behave in certain ways.
2. Trust is an abstract mental attitude toward a proposition that someone is dependable.
3. Trust is a feeling of confidence and security that a person cares.

• Belief
• Dependable
• Confidence
• Security

All things you would look for when looking to outsource your project to someone else – so why is it so hard?

Trusting is Hard. Knowing who to Trust is Harder

The thing about building trust is that you have to make yourself vulnerable first; you have to give your chosen supplier a chance to prove they are worthy of trusting.

This can sound a little overwhelming, especially when your project is important and needs to be delivered on-time and correctly. But if you have taken the time to study and assess your partner before signing on the dotted line then there should be some level of reassurance. Some of the questions to ask would be:

• Do they have a proven track record?
• Have they got the right credentials and training to deliver your project?
• Have you met them or their staff?
• What are the terms of your contract?

What kind of relationship do you want?

This may sound fairly obvious but it can be possible to lose sight of your long-term ambitions when you are wrapped up in everyday operations. Making sure from the outset that you and your outsourcing partner are on the same page is critical to how your project will be managed and delivered.

It is important that both you and the design partner understand what’s needed, set clear targets and define how you will measure the progress of the project.

Trust is earned when Actions match Words

With trust, unlike other aspects of life, the proof of it only occurs once completed and evaluated. The lesson to be learned here is to evaluate the work that has been accomplished and whether it met the criteria laid out to start with. Only in hindsight can we see that business relationships have worked positively and effectively and should be built and developed upon.

Trust underpins a positive and long-term partnership within manufacturing and nothing can be done without it. 

And although trust grows organically over time, it involves a leap of faith to start with.

Talk to us about outsourcing your next PCB design project