Alternates

Objective: To learn how alternates are used in Duro.

Difficulty: Easy

In this article:

1. Overview
2. Using alternates
3. Sourcing criteria
4. How to create or edit an alternate

Designating alternate sourcing options will simplify production considerably if unforeseen supply issues arise. Choosing and selecting alternates into your components’ or products' Sourcing tab is easy to do. Read on to learn how to create them, realize their value, and discover realistic examples.

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Overview

Alternates are supplemental sourcing options for individual components or products. These are often the same item produced by multiple manufacturers or the same manufacturer with different volume and packaging options, and are functionally equivalent; therefore, they can be interchanged to fulfill the same form, fit, and functional requirements. Alternates are added and exist solely in the Sourcing tab. 

Using alternates

Alternate sources are most commonly used as substitutes if the original source is out of stock, backordered, discontinued, or price prohibitive. Additionally, alternate sources can be used for different purchasing volumes or packaging options, depending on the procurement requirements. 

Providing alternate sources allows for more flexibility and expediency when the Primary Source is no longer an option or new procurement criteria is introduced. See our article on the Details Tile for more details about setting and using the Primary Source feature. 

Take for example the Mountain Bike Tube featured below, which has a primary manufacturer, Foundation, and an alternate manufacturer, Forte, listed in the Sourcing table. It is possible to list as many alternate sources as needed in the Sourcing table.

Sourcing criteria

The Sourcing table includes the following criteria:

• Manufacturer information:
  • MPN
  • Manufacturer
  • Manufacturer Description
  • Data Sheet link
• Distributor information:
  • Distributor
  • DPN
  • Distributor Description
  • Package
  • Package quantity
• Sourcing Specs:
  • Minimum quantity
  • Unit price
  • Lead time

How to create or edit an alternate

Please follow the instructions below to create an alternate source:

1. Login to your Duro account.
2. Navigate to the component or product page of the item you'd like to alter.
3. Click on the Sourcing tab and scroll down to view the Sourcing table.
4. Click on the pencil icon, located both in the bottom left hand corner of the Sourcing table and in the upper right toolbar. 
5. To edit an existing alternate source, expand Manufacturer and Distributor line items by clicking on the green arrow. To create a new alternate source, click on the "+" icon.
6. Enter or edit alternate manufacturer and distributor information including the following: MPN, manufacturer, DPN, distributor, and minimum quantity. Optional fields include the following: price, lead time, description, data sheet, package, and package quantity. 
7. When you are done making changes, click on SAVE or SAVE AS REVISION at the top of the page.

For more information on how to interpret and update your sourcing data, please visit our articles on Updating Sources and Updating Sourcing of Existing Components.