Q&A: Mark Burr-Lonnon, Mouser Electronics

We spoke with Mark Burr-Lonnon, Senior Vice President of Global Service & EMEA and APAC Business at Mouser Electronics, about the impact of the pandemic on the demand for electronics, the digital revolution and other recent trends.

There was quite a rush to purchase electronic components in the early months of the pandemic, leading to global shortages. Have we reached the stage yet where supply is able to keep up with demand?

At the beginning of the pandemic, Mouser made the decision to continue to invest heavily in inventory, particularly in new products and technologies, and this has proven to be the right decision. Even still, we are seeing extended lead times and allocation on many products. As we’ve learned from discussions with our manufacturer partners, fabricators and other component suppliers are running at full capacity right now but demand is far outstripping supply and will do so well into 2022 (and in some select cases, even beyond that).

The implementation and expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) is fuelling the global need across all industries for semiconductors and electronic components. The chip shortage is even leading governments to pass legislation to subsidise and boost the fabrication industry. But such multibillion-dollar investments cannot happen overnight.

Has the recent demand for electronics been focused on any particular product categories, or more across the board?

The industry is seeing shortages across multiple product categories, although semiconductors are especially in demand. Our teams have done a great job trying to stay ahead of product availability issues. Customers are looking for inventory and they are relying on authorised distributors. Buying from an authorised distributor is the only way to eliminate the risk of counterfeit or grey market products. Mouser’s breadth of inventory allows us to offer alternative choices. Some sources are very limited in their component offerings, but that’s not the case with Mouser.

Also, Mouser is insulated somewhat with our wide inventory position of over 1100 manufacturer brands and 1 million product SKUs. We are stocking the widest product selection in the industry and can suggest product alternatives if needed. We also have the professionals and procedures in place to ensure continuity and traceability of supply.

Do you think the pandemic has spurred increased investment in trends like automation and the IoT? How can today’s products cater to these new trends?

The digital revolution is accelerating, and the expansion of IoT will continue to fuel the global need across all industries for semiconductors and electronic components. Technologies like 5G, Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, robotics, industrial automation, transportation, power management will be propelling our industry for the next decade and beyond.

Mouser specialises in the newest products and we stock the widest breadth of inventory in the world. We are seeing new sensor technologies from our manufacturers, as well as the latest in power management and, of course, advancements in microprocessors. Automotive, factory and home automation also will continue to be emerging markets as more technologies are introduced to make buildings, homes and vehicles smarter and safer. We will also see an increased need for components for wireless-, mobile- and telecommunications-related devices.

Mouser recently passed the milestone of more than 1 million ECAD models downloaded from your website. What value do these models provide to your engineering customers?

We’re very excited to pass the 1 million download milestone! Mouser’s partnership with SamacSys (now part of Supplyframe) is going very well and is providing tremendous value to our customers. Accurate schematic symbols and footprints are a critical part of the electrical design process, and design engineers often spend hours or even days creating them from scratch. By making these available to engineers as they research and purchase products on mouser.com, we provide a single stop for product information and hope to reduce their overall time to market.

Do you have any predictions for the rest of 2021, in terms of trending technologies or purchasing habits?

Mouser is well-positioned to handle the growth ahead. Along with our focus on strong inventory and new product introductions, we continue to expand our industry-leading website, mouser.com, with search enhancements, buying tools and technical resources for buyers and engineers. Ordering is faster and easier than ever.

Our Global Distribution Centre handles a massive inventory of semiconductors and electronic components across all product categories, including embedded, connectors, optoelectronics, passives and more. In recent years, Mouser has strengthened both embedded and sensors line-ups to enhance our IoT product offerings for our growing customer base of design engineers, component buyers, procurement agents, educators and students.

Mark Burr-Lonnon, Senior Vice President of Global Service & EMEA and APAC Business, helps guide Mouser Electronics’ global service strategy as well as day-to-day international efforts. In 2008, Burr-Lonnon transitioned over to Mouser from its parent company, TTI, Inc. Under his and CEO and President Glenn Smith’s shared global vision and direction, Mouser has quickly grown from a small US electronics distributor into a global player focused on serving the unique needs of design engineers and buyers worldwide.