A company that resells products or parts of a product of another company under its own branding
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CFI TeamAn Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM is a company that manufactures and sells products or parts of a product that their buyer, another company, sells to its own customers while putting the products under its own branding. OEMs commonly operate in the auto and computer industries.
An OEM is often the direct client of a retail company that sells directly to consumers. For instance, a Lenovo laptop computer’s parts aren’t all manufactured by Lenovo. Some parts, such as its processor or memory module, may be the products of an OEM.
Essentially, Value-Added Resellers or VARs sell products from an OEM but incorporate certain added features before doing so. The two share a mutually beneficial relationship, as VARs help OEMs sell their products and OEMs entrust their products to VARs, allowing them to sell them with more features that will enhance the operation of the products.
While an Original Equipment Manufacturer produces original equipment, an aftermarket manufacturer, on the other hand, makes products that are made to look like and work interchangeably with those of the OEM.
In simpler terms, the parts are not original products because they’ve been manufactured by companies, locally-based or foreign-based, without approval from the OEMs to produce such products. Though usually cheaper, the products are not guaranteed to function as well as the OEM product.
To better illustrate how OEMs work, let’s consider an example. Say Company A is into manufacturing memory cards. They will not produce only one type of the product but several versions of it, which are then, in turn, sold to various computer manufacturers/retailers. Those companies are value-added resellers who market directly to the public.
OEMs typically sell product licenses to use their parts to the value-added resellers they market to.
Hardware can be easily bought off the internet, whether from a retail product manufacturer or through an OEM. However, OEM hardware is usually shipped incomplete of parts such as cables and adapters that are necessary for the installation and operation of the hardware.
OEM software, like the hardware, usually doesn’t come with a lot of stuff, except for the basic software and its license key.
Here are some benefits one gets from buying OEMs:
And why not? After all, an OEM product is the same product manufactured by the original manufacturer. Though there are cheaper versions, the price of the OEM product reflects its quality.
Such products are usually not only of good quality but are also durable. For example, when buying a spare tire, an OEM tire is typically better than getting an aftermarket tire because one can be sure of the materials used in making it.
OEM parts often have a longer lifespan than aftermarket parts.
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OEM complete form stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. Traditionally, an OEM definition is any company that makes parts or a system used in other companies’ products or items. For example, Honda manufacturers usually collect different details like tyres and seat covers and integrate these OEMs into the manufactured vehicles they sell.OEM is used for those manufacturers whose products get incorporated into other companies’ products. This second company is mentioned as a Value-added Reseller or VAR. They are so named because by integrating components or services, they increase the original item's worth.Understanding the relationship between Original Equipment Manufacturer and Value Added ResellerVAR goes hand in hand with OEM, as OEMs often design their products according to the needs and specifications of the VARs. OEMs make components to sell to VARs and become an integral part of their finished products. OEMs usually play no primary role in the establishment of finished products. However, nowadays, OEMs also make complete equipment to sell to VARs.A typical example of this relationship can be companies like Sony and Lenovo partnering up with different OEM companies to assemble parts for their TVs, laptops or other gadgets. Even more simply, we can take examples of Gucci and Armani getting their button from some other OEM button maker with their logos engraved on them.Mostly, no companies take majorly significant products from OEMs that can define the integrity of the final product. When sold in the market, the full product goes under the big name of the corporate brand.Initially, OEM was made to make only business-to-business sales. VARs, after incorporating the products, bring the products to the customers or any other end users. As of last year, OEMs are now selling parts directly to the market. This potentially makes them a VAR.For instance, anybody who wants to build their own desktop can buy its processors or graphic cards from OEMs like Intel, Nvidia or directly from distributors who stock these products. If you want to build or fix your car parts, you can instantly buy different parts from OEMs or any wholesaler in the market.One of the most notable examples of a relationship between OEM and VAR is auto part makers and auto manufacturers. A diverse number of OEMs make equipment like exhaust systems and brake systems to be installed in the vehicles. These OEM-made parts are sold to the auto manufacturer who puts together the whole car. This now goes to auto dealers to get sold in the market for individual customers.The latest definition of OEM related to computer industries is now widely popular. In this pattern, OEMs cite the companies that buy the products and rebrand them into entirely new products under their name.Let’s look at this example to understand it better. Microsoft provides its Windows software to HP, which uses it in their personal computers and laptops. It goes further to sell the complete PC directly to the customers. If we look at the traditional definition, Microsoft is supposed to be the OEM, whereas HP is the VAR. But the desktop’s guide papers will most probably reveal HP as the OEM and Microsoft as the VAR.Aftermarket is precisely the opposite of OEMs. OEMs refer to those products that are specially designed for the original product. Aftermarket refers to different parts made by other companies that any customer can buy too, say, replace the product in the original.For example, someone needs to replace their car stereo created especially for their Toyota Avalon by XYZ Stereos. They can buy another copy of the same item by XYZ Stereos (the OEM) as used in the precise manufacturing of the car. They could, however, also buy an alternative made by another company altogether. This is called purchasing an aftermarket part. In simple language, if the replaced part comes from XYZ company, it will be mentioned as OEM. If it comes from anywhere but OEM, it will be an aftermarket product.Commonly, customers prefer aftermarket products as they are cheaper to buy and readily available. Frequently, the aftermarket commodities are so good at manufacturing a particular item that people start seeking it out more than the original. Aftermarket goods have become more popular than the OEM.The success of Hurst Performance of Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, is owed to its brilliance in making the gear shifters. This gear-shifter manufacturer became so widely popular that buyers would request their product be used as a replacement. Sometimes the gear shifts were replaced before the original would wear out. Hurst also made OEM products for many muscle cars.By contracting with OEMs, huge brands can deduct the manufacturing costs. They do not need to worry about facilities and any in-house production hassle. All they need to do is incorporate the products under their name and sell the items. This cost-saving can now directly be passed to the end consumer buying the entire system. Moreover, the technology grows faster since OEMs adopt new advancements in hardware and software both.OEMs are always at scary risks and susceptible to unexpected supply chain failures and interruptions. These include:Some of its characteristics include:Disclaimer: This content is authored by an external agency. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.