Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1265351
72 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2020 a lot on the ecosystem—the PCBs, the compo- nents that go in, and all of those different ele- ments that play into it. The COVID-19 crisis—and the fact that large manufacturers of ventilators could not get access nor ramp up their production because of the inability to get access to PCBs—heightened the awareness of the supply chain and the idea that a constraint or a compromise at any node in that supply chain could disrupt the entire chain and impact the system. The awareness of how supply chains typically have been orga- nized for efficiency is growing. We run them very lean and have just-in-time inventory; there's no "fat" in that supply chain. Every- body has now realized that an efficient supply chain isn't necessarily a resilient supply chain in the electronics industry, and others. The DoD is starting to rethink how we look at these supply chains. "What do we need to have as far as visibility into it?" Because typically, they can see down to the OEM or their prime contractor and not beyond that. We need to see into it and figure out how we manage and mitigate risk through the sup- ply chain. People have a much greater aware- ness and knowledge about the supply chain, and we already see a much greater emphasis on this. Section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act requires that the DoD put standards in place to ensure trusted electron- ics supply chains by 2021 and have those in practice by 2023. Johnson: Could you outline what is in Section 224? Peters: At a high level, it calls for visibility. When they say they want the DoD to have trusted electronics supply chains, the first thing you need is visibility. They need to understand who's in the supply chain, and there have always been a number of problems with that. We're going to start seeing a greater empha- sis on having the prime contractor or the OEM report who else is in that supply chain. Beyond that, we'll start to look for ways to determine whether they are trusted. Again, most of my background in manufacturing is on the mechanical side. I know electronics, but I'm no expert. Coming over to the electron- ics side, there's great beauty in the IPC-1791, which was developed with the PCB executive agent—the PCB and interconnect. The value is for the DoD to meet the requirements in Sec- tion 224. IPC-1791 not only helps address some of the common issues you expect, like cyber- security, but it also addresses physical security and information security, such as intellectual property (IP). The big thing for me is supply chain risk management. It ensures that, depending on the level of production that you're doing—Tier 1, 2, or 3—for Tier 3, you have dual sources for your supplies so that you have less risk of disruption if one supplier drops out. There's a great opportunity for the DoD to use IPC- 1791 to make sure that they have a trusted and assured electronics supply chain. Johnson: With the government being focused on DoD projects right now, is there attention being paid to more consumer-oriented prod- ucts or infrastructure products like telecommu- nications, medical, or consumer? Peters: As they relate to the DoD, absolutely. Where those things are used—whether it's medical or commercial off-the-shelf items used either by the DoD or in the facilities of orga- nizations that produce for the DoD—a lot of attention is being paid to those things today. Matties: What about things like ventilators, which would not necessarily fall under DoD's watchful eye yet are critical to the good health of a nation? Peters: Since my focus is on DoD, it's hard for me to answer what other agencies are doing. The DoD is part of a larger government team looking at those challenges because it has its own stash of ventilators and medical supplies for DoD personnel. There is a much broader effort to consider how they address these chal- lenges in the future. I have had several conver- sations with people about looking at different ways to approach this.