Alternate sourcing of custom power supplies. Is it a responsible investment of valuable resources?

Alternate or second sourcing of custom power supplies is not a topic of general conversation in the electronics industry. More often than not, the OEM user is reluctant to discuss what other firms are being asked to bid on their power requirements, but if asked, they will tell you if their intent is to share the volume among two or more suppliers. From the suppliers´ point of view, they generally prefer a “winner take all” selection process rather than splitting an unpredictable pie. This paper focuses on alternate source issues to be considered with custom power supplies after a product has been released to production by an OEM from the suppliers´ point of view