What it is
OEM (original equipment manufacturer) commonly describes a manufacturer that produces goods to your specification and branding—often from your designs and BOM—rather than selling you their own off-the-shelf product design.
The term is used loosely in different industries, so always confirm what the other party means: some people say “OEM” to mean “we manufacture your product”, others use it in automotive or component-specific ways.
OEM vs ODM (simple distinction)
A practical distinction: OEM work usually starts from your design intent; ODM work often starts from the supplier’s existing design. The boundary blurs when suppliers help you engineer a design—then contracts and IP clauses matter even more.
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