Proper fab specs can prevent a deluge of engineering questions.

I have been selling bare printed circuit boards for over 30 years to a variety of customers who order a wide selection of PCBs. The most common complaint I hear from board buyers is about the number of engineering questions (EQs) asked whenever a new order is placed, or when a part number is moved from one supplier to another.

"Why can't you build the boards without all these questions?" they ask. "We sent you the working files!"

To many buyers, the inevitable EQs that come along with moving a PCB order to a more cost-effective supplier seem daunting. Sure, the new pricing may be great, but many PCB buyers will delay switching to a new supplier because they don't want to deal with engineering questions from the new fabricator.

Read more: There is No Such Thing as a Bad EQ

Make sure export-controlled information is going where it's supposed to go.

In my December column, "One Errant Click and IP Protection is Gone," I wrote of the importance of corporate IP protection. But the safe handling of ITAR or MIL data is even more vital to your company's well-being.

PCB buyers must know what information they're sending and where it's going.

"An export applies to more than just physical product placed in a box being shipped overseas," says Tom Reynolds, an export compliance consultant. "Most companies don't realize the act of electronically sending information out of the country is considered an export."

Read more: What's Your Process for Protecting ITAR or Sensitive Data?