Early Supplier Involvement (ESI)

Why it matters

ESI reduces costly late-stage design changes by surfacing manufacturability and cost problems during the design phase when they are least expensive to fix, and improves supplier commitment to aggressive cost and quality targets on new programs.

Cite this definition

Finocchiaro, Michael. “Early Supplier Involvement (ESI).” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/early-supplier-involvement-esi