Hardware planning
How to manage component shortages before a hardware build
Resolve shortages against a controlled BOM. Confirm the source and order conditions, review any alternative with engineering, and record the effect on test, schedule, inventory, and the released build before buying or substituting parts.
Sources reviewed October 5, 2026. Checklists and examples are Hard Tech Directory editorial guidance.
Build your project brief →1. Build a shortage record
Start with the exact manufacturer part number and the affected BOM revision. Separate an advertised availability figure from a supplier's confirmed offer and distinguish the pilot's needs from a forecast. A shortage record should make the next decision visible.
- Record needed quantity, order date, required build date, proposed source, and current commitment.
- Identify purchasing responsibility and whether the supplier or buyer holds excess parts.
- Ask about minimum quantities, pack sizes, cancellation conditions, and shipping assumptions.
- Keep unconfirmed quantities and dates marked as such.
2. Review the sourcing path
For TI parts, Texas Instruments recommends its authorized sources and warns that parts bought elsewhere may be counterfeit or unreliable. Use the component manufacturer's own channel information to assess the proposed source; a seller's claim or a low price is not sufficient evidence.
- Check the manufacturer's current authorized-channel information for the part's source.
- Request the source and lot records your build requires and identify any gaps.
- Escalate a proposed sourcing exception to the named quality and purchasing owners.
- Do not treat extra testing as automatic proof of authenticity or warranty coverage.
3. Treat alternatives as engineering changes
Ask engineering to review a proposed alternative against the circuit, footprint, operating conditions, and required checks. If it changes the build, release that decision in the BOM and related files. Matching a package or headline rating is only the start of the review.
- Identify changed electrical, mechanical, software, and test assumptions.
- Record who approves the alternative and which evidence is required.
- Update programming, fixtures, and acceptance procedures where affected.
- Track which units contain the new part and disposition remaining old stock.
Example: a regulator shortage before a pilot
Illustrative case: a 50-board pilot cannot source the specified regulator in time. Compare a later build, another approved source, and an engineering-reviewed alternative. For each option, record confirmed availability, cost commitment, required validation, and decision date. If an alternative is approved, release the new BOM and test instructions rather than sending only an informal message to the assembler.
Decision checklist
- Exact part and affected revision recorded
- Supply offer and purchase conditions confirmed
- Source reviewed against manufacturer channel information
- Engineering approval and validation for alternatives documented
- Build files, unit records, and excess-stock responsibilities updated
Sources and next steps
Sources support the context described above. Provider documentation describes that provider's service; confirm the scope in your own quote.
- Texas Instruments: authorized sourcing and counterfeit risk
- NIST MEP: supply-chain management
- Sierra Circuits: PCB manufacturing file formats
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