Developing a new electronic product or component and preparing it for customers is a significant undertaking. For product managers and companies seeking to develop a product, determining the most effective approach is crucial. You need a path that aligns with your goals, your team's skills, and the pace at which you need to move.
Two common paths in the manufacturing industry are working with an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). Both methods involve outsourcing product manufacturing outside of your own facilities, but they work in very different ways. Picking the right one changes everything – from how your product is designed and who owns that design, to how much it costs and how quickly you can sell it.
This article will explain what OEM and ODM mean, highlight the key differences between these manufacturing models, and discuss how Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Contract Electronics Manufacturers (CEM) fit into the picture. Understanding these distinctions helps you make a more informed choice and find the right partner to build the technology you depend on.
An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) makes products or components exactly according to the detailed plans and specifications you give them. If you have a team that designs your product down to the last screw – the engineering drawings, the materials list, the testing procedures – then you take that complete package to an OEM. Your company did all the research and development, owns the product design outright, and holds all the intellectual property (IP). You control every detail of how the product works and looks, and it gets sold under your brand name.
An OEM's job is to focus on the manufacturing process. They utilize your design, set up their production line, and consistently and efficiently build the product, ensuring it meets your specified quality standards. Working with an OEM is a good fit when your company has strong design skills and wants total control over the final product. You're in charge of the 'what' and the 'how' of the design; the OEM handles the 'making it' part based on your instructions.
An Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) differs because it brings its own designs to the table. An ODM manufacturer has their own teams for research and development and product design. They create their own products or platforms. When you work with an ODM, you're typically choosing from a catalog of existing products they've already designed and developed. You might request some modifications – perhaps a different color, a specific port arrangement, or slightly altered features – but the core product design originates from the ODM. The finished product is then branded with your company's name.
The main benefit of using an ODM is speed and lower initial cost. Since the design work is already complete, you save a significant amount of time and avoid the substantial upfront costs typically associated with new product development, such as hiring engineers to design everything from scratch and setting up complex tooling. ODMs are great if you need to quickly bring new products to market, don't have a large internal design team, or want to test an idea without a massive investment in research and development. While you put your brand on it, the ODM often retains the intellectual property (IP) for the base product design.
While both OEM and ODM involve partnering with another company to manufacture your product, the key differences between OEM and ODM models impact numerous aspects of your business. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for making informed manufacturing decisions.
This is perhaps the most important difference. With an OEM, you are the designer. Your company invests the time, money, and expertise to develop the product design. You own all the blueprints, the technical documents, and the intellectual property. The OEM is simply the factory building your creation. This gives you maximum control but requires significant internal resources for design and engineering.
When you work with an ODM, the design is provided by them. They've invested in research and development to create the product. You are essentially licensing or buying their design and putting your brand on it. The ODM manufacturer typically owns the IP for the core product design. While you can request changes, major design modifications may be complex or impossible. This model saves you design costs and time, but means you don't own the fundamental product design itself.
The financial picture differs as well. Choosing the OEM manufacturing path means your company pays for all the research and development upfront. You also cover the Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs, which are significant expenses for items such as custom tooling, molds, and specialized equipment required for your specific product design. These initial costs can be quite high. Once the setup is complete, the cost per unit for manufacturing can be very competitive, especially if you plan to produce large volumes over time, as the tooling cost is spread out.
Working with an ODM generally requires a lower initial investment. Since the ODM has already designed the product and invested in the basic tooling, you don't have to pay for that research and development or non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs again. You pay for the products they make for you. The per-unit cost might sometimes be slightly higher than that of a mass-produced OEM item after tooling is paid off, but the barrier to entry is significantly lower because you avoid the substantial upfront design and tooling costs.
Speed matters in business. Bringing new products to market quickly is a major advantage of the ODM model. Since the ODM already has a product designed, developed, and potentially even pre-tested, you can select it, make any minor required changes, and move into production much faster than if you started from scratch. The product development cycle is significantly shorter.
With the OEM model, getting to market takes longer. You have to go through the entire product development process yourself – from idea generation and research and development, to detailed design, creating prototypes, extensive testing, and then waiting for custom tooling to be made before manufacturing can begin. This gives you complete control, but it adds time to your schedule. If you need to launch something quickly, an ODM can often help you do so more efficiently.
Every project has risks. In the OEM model, because your company controls the design, you also take on most of the product development risk. If there's a flaw in the design, or if the product doesn't work as intended or meet market expectations, that responsibility and the cost to fix it fall on your shoulders. However, having direct control over the design also means you can incorporate specific quality requirements and ensure the product meets the highest standards, as well as the required industry standards and specifications, from the very beginning. You are responsible for ensuring that the finished product receives the necessary certifications.
With an ODM, some of the design risk lies with the ODM manufacturer, as they created the base design. If there's a fundamental issue with their design, it affects anyone using it. But because ODMs specialize in specific product types, they often have well-established production processes and quality control systems in place for their designs. They might also already have certifications for the base product, which can simplify your own certification process for the final branded product. You still need to verify their track record and ensure that their quality processes meet your requirements. Additionally, you are responsible for conducting final product quality checks and ensuring compliance with market-specific regulations.
Different industries impose unique and stringent requirements on cabling and connectivity solutions. TTI Cable possesses deep expertise in engineering and manufacturing custom cables that meet these specific challenges, whether working from a client's detailed OEM specifications or collaborating on an optimized ODM-style solution. Our experience ensures compliance, reliability, and performance in critical environments:
The medical field demands absolute reliability and safety. Custom cables must often withstand repeated sterilization processes, including autoclaving, EtO, and gamma irradiation, while utilizing biocompatible materials compliant with standards such as ISO 10993. This ensures high signal integrity for diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring equipment. We design and manufacture assemblies with specific shielding against interference, low-noise characteristics for sensitive signals, and connectors rated for high mating cycles, adhering to rigorous quality controls essential for medical applications.
Cables in vehicles are subjected to extreme conditions, including constant vibration, wide temperature fluctuations (-40°C to 125°C or higher), and exposure to oils, fuels, and harsh chemicals. TTI Cable develops custom automotive cables that meet standards like SAE J1128, incorporating specialized jacketing for abrasion resistance, high-strand conductors for flexibility, and robust shielding for data lines used in infotainment, driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and sensor networks, ensuring long-term performance under demanding conditions.
Factory floors and robotic systems require cables that can withstand continuous motion, flexing, and potential exposure to industrial oils and solvents. We engineer high-flex-life cables designed to withstand millions of bending cycles without failure, incorporating robust PUR or TPE jackets for use in harsh environments. We also provide specialized shielding (foil, braid, or both) to ensure signal integrity for control systems, sensors, and machine vision in the presence of high electromagnetic noise. Custom connectorization and strain relief are also critical for reliability in these dynamic applications.
The need for speed and bandwidth drives innovation in this sector. TTI Cable provides custom high-frequency coaxial assemblies, multi-conductor data cables, and fiber optic solutions optimized for maximum data throughput and minimal signal loss (low attenuation). Solutions often require specific fire safety ratings, such as plenum or riser ratings, adherence to standards from TIA/EIA, and sometimes specialized constructions for low PIM (Passive Intermodulation) performance in wireless infrastructure applications.
Aside from OEM and ODM, you'll often encounter the terms EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) and CEM (Contract Electronics Manufacturer). These terms are frequently used interchangeably and refer to companies that provide a broad range of manufacturing services for electronic components and products on behalf of other companies, typically Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Think of EMS/CEM providers as specialized factories offering manufacturing expertise as a service. Their offerings can span the entire production process, including:
EMS providers often work for OEMs, building products based on the designs provided by the OEM client. They can also sometimes work with Original Design Manufacturers, providing the physical manufacturing capacity for the ODM's designs. Essentially, EMS/CEM companies are manufacturing specialists focused on the execution of production, whereas the OEM/ODM distinction primarily revolves around the origin and ownership of the product design.
Choosing the right manufacturing model—OEM, ODM, or a hybrid of the two—is a significant decision. It's not as simple as picking one over the other; the best choice really depends on what makes the most sense for your company, your product, and your project goals. There's no single right answer, but thinking through a few key questions can help point you in the right direction.
To determine the best fit, consider these critical aspects of your project:
How important is owning the design? Do you have a unique design that is a core part of your company's value, and you need to own all the intellectual property? If so, the OEM model is probably the best option, as it allows you to control the design entirely and the manufacturer builds it. If using an existing, proven design is acceptable for getting to market quickly, an ODM could be a better fit, even if they retain the IP for the base design.
What are your design and engineering skills like? Does your team possess the necessary technical expertise and capacity to design the product from scratch, create detailed manufacturing specifications, and manage the prototyping process? If you have strong internal design capabilities, using an OEM allows you to leverage those skills. If your team is smaller or focused elsewhere, partnering with an ODM manufacturer that already has product designs can save you a significant amount of time and resources.
How fast do you need the product ready? Is getting the product to market as quickly as possible the absolute top priority? If so, an ODM often provides a faster path because their designs are ready or mostly ready. Starting from scratch with an OEM design process takes more time.
How much can you invest upfront? Are you prepared for significant upfront costs for research and development, engineering, and custom tooling? The OEM model usually requires a larger initial investment. The ODM model generally has lower upfront costs because you're using their existing design and tooling.
How much customization is required for the product? Does your product require specialized features, materials, or performance characteristics that aren't standard? The OEM model offers the most flexibility for deep customization, as it allows you to control every aspect of the design. ODMs offer customization options, but they are usually limited to modifying their existing designs rather than creating something entirely new.
How many products do you plan to make? While both models can handle large volumes, the cost breakdown can favor the OEM at very high volumes over time, as the initial tooling cost is spread out. ODMs can be very cost-effective for lower to medium volumes or when speed is more important than optimizing the per-unit cost over the long term.
Who will manage the parts needed? Do you have experience and systems for managing a global supply chain to source all the individual components that go into your product? In an OEM model, the client typically plays a more significant role. ODMs and EMS/CEM companies often handle the supply chain management as part of their manufacturing service, leveraging their connections and purchasing power.
What's your comfort level with project risk? Are you prepared to take on the risk if the product design has issues? With an OEM, that design risk is primarily yours. While ODMs have risks related to their base design, partnering with them may shift some of that burden; however, you still face market risk if the product doesn't sell.
What's the long-term plan for your product's design? Is protecting your unique design IP critical for your competitive advantage? The OEM model gives you complete ownership. When using an ODM, it is essential to have clear agreements regarding ownership of assets, particularly when requesting customizations.
Deciding whether to use an OEM, an ODM model, or a hybrid is a significant strategic choice for your product manufacturing. Each model offers distinct benefits in terms of design control, cost, speed, and risk. For large organizations such as schools, government agencies, and large enterprises, this decision directly impacts the success of implementing essential network solutions, including dependable wired and wireless connectivity, secure remote access systems, robust physical security setups, and high-performance structured cabling infrastructure.
TTI Cable is your experienced partner, specializing in delivering the custom cable and connectivity solutions these critical systems require. We provide manufacturing services and engineering expertise tailored to your specific needs. Whether you have a precise design ready for production or require collaborative design and manufacturing support for complex cable assemblies, we can help.
Selecting the right cable and connectivity components, specifically designed for your application, ensures optimal performance and long-term reliability for your critical systems. Connect with TTI Cable today to discuss your project needs and get a custom quote for the specialized cable and connectivity solutions your organization requires.