Service
Inventory Management
Display inventory management services: safety stock programs, EOL management, demand forecasting. Protect your production from supply disruptions.
Inventory Management
US Micro Products manages display inventory to support production continuity. Our inventory management programs — safety stock, end-of-life management, demand forecasting, and consignment — help reduce exposure to supply disruptions, long lead times, and component discontinuations in the display industry.
The Display Supply Chain Problem
Display panels are not commodity components you can reorder overnight. The realities of display sourcing create specific supply chain risks:
Long lead times. Standard display panel lead times run 8-16 weeks. Custom displays can require 12-20 weeks. A production stoppage caused by a display shortage can mean 2-4 months before new stock arrives.
Allocation and shortages. Display panel production is concentrated among a small number of fabrication facilities. When demand spikes or production capacity is constrained, panels go on allocation. Smaller customers are typically the first to be affected.
End-of-life (EOL) events. Panel manufacturers discontinue display models with limited notice — sometimes as little as 6 months. If your product depends on a specific panel, an EOL notice can trigger an urgent redesign unless buffer stock exists.
Minimum order quantities (MOQ). Panel manufacturers enforce MOQs that may exceed your near-term demand. Without inventory management, you either over-purchase (tying up capital) or under-purchase (risking shortages).
Our Inventory Programs
Safety Stock
We maintain dedicated buffer inventory of your display components at our facilities.
Safety Stock
We maintain dedicated buffer inventory of your display components at our facilities.
We maintain dedicated buffer inventory of your display components at our facilities. Safety stock levels are set based on your consumption rate, lead time, and risk tolerance:
- Standard program — 4-8 weeks of buffer stock maintained at our Austin or Shenzhen warehouse
- Extended program — 12-16 weeks of buffer stock for critical or single-source components
- Custom program — Stock levels set to your specific requirements and replenished on agreed schedules
Safety stock is allocated exclusively to your account — not shared with other customers. You draw against it as needed; we replenish from the factory on a rolling basis.
End-of-Life (EOL) Management
Display panel EOL events are common. Our EOL management process supports product continuity:
End-of-Life (EOL) Management
Display panel EOL events are common. Our EOL management process supports product continuity:
Display panel EOL events are common. Our EOL management process supports product continuity:
- EOL monitoring — We track product lifecycle status for every display we supply, providing advance notice of upcoming EOL events
- Last-time-buy coordination — When EOL is announced, we calculate your lifetime remaining demand and coordinate last-time-buy quantities with the panel manufacturer
- Bridge stock — We hold last-time-buy inventory at our facilities, shipping against your orders over the remaining product lifecycle
- Replacement qualification — Our engineering team identifies and qualifies form-fit-function replacement panels before your existing stock is exhausted. See our EOL parts replacement program
Demand Forecasting Support
We work with your procurement team to develop accurate demand forecasts that optimize inventory levels:
Demand Forecasting Support
We work with your procurement team to develop accurate demand forecasts that optimize inventory levels:
We work with your procurement team to develop accurate demand forecasts that optimize inventory levels:
- Rolling forecasts — Quarterly reviews of your projected demand, adjusted for seasonality, product ramps, and market conditions
- Lead time alignment — Forecast horizons matched to actual panel lead times to ensure orders are placed with adequate runway
- Allocation protection — During industry-wide shortages, documented forecasts strengthen our position with panel manufacturers for allocation priority
Consignment Inventory
For high-volume programs, we offer consignment inventory at your facility or your contract manufacturer's location:
Consignment Inventory
For high-volume programs, we offer consignment inventory at your facility or your contract manufacturer's location:
For high-volume programs, we offer consignment inventory at your facility or your contract manufacturer's location:
- Display stock physically located at your production site
- Title transfers on consumption (you pay when you use it)
- Automatic replenishment based on consumption triggers
- Eliminates shipping lead time for production line delivery
How It Works
- Baseline — We analyze your current and projected display consumption, lead times, and risk factors
- Program design — We recommend safety stock levels, replenishment triggers, and EOL strategies tailored to your products
- Implementation — We build initial stock and establish monitoring and replenishment processes
- Ongoing management — Quarterly reviews adjust stock levels based on actual consumption and forecast changes
- EOL response — When EOL events occur, we execute pre-planned response strategies without disrupting your production
Benefits
- Production continuity — Buffer stock absorbs supply disruptions without affecting your production schedule
- Reduced capital exposure — We carry the inventory; you draw against it as needed
- EOL protection — Proactive management prevents the scramble and premium pricing of reactive EOL response
- Simplified procurement — One vendor managing stock levels, forecasts, and replenishment frees your procurement team for higher-value activities
- Global flexibility — Inventory held at facilities in the US and Asia, shipped to your locations worldwide via our logistics services
Contact us or request a quote to discuss an inventory management program for your products.
Need Inventory Management?
Contact our team to discuss your requirements and get a custom quote.