ECIA Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) Publishes Date Code Restrictions Guidance Document

Replaces 2002 NEDA Document, offers updated recommendations to the authorized channel.

ATLANTA – ECIA’s GIPC has published a ‘Knowledge Document’ to clarify and recommend practices to improve efficiencies in the electronic component sales channel. The document is entitled, ‘Managing Date Code Restrictions on Orders for Electronic Components’ and is now available on the ECIA website. The knowledge document was prepared as the result of a cooperative effort between electronic component manufacturers and their authorized distributors.

The document states that ECIA members, who are electronic component manufacturers and distributors, recommend that electronic component customers avoid the specification of general date code restrictions when ordering electronic components from electronic component manufacturers and their authorized distributors.

“Historically, some electronic component customers have expressed concerns that after a certain period, electronic components are no longer ‘fresh’ and appropriate for use in electronic products,” explained ECIA’s Vice President of Industry Practices Don Elario. “Forty years ago, there may have been some truth to this perception. However, the last four decades of process improvements by electronic component manufacturers have all but eliminated concerns related to component age,” he concludes.

General date code restrictions unnecessarily delay the order entry process and delay the order fulfillment process, resulting in delayed service to the customer. General date code restrictions result in further aging inventory in the supply chain by disrupting normal FIFO (First-In First-Out) consumption. Unnecessary date code restrictions also add non-value-added costs to every step of the supply chain – for component manufacturers, distributors and for end customers.

Learn more about this policy change recommendation or contact Don Elario at delario@ecianow.org.