-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Contact Columnist Form
The Essential Pioneer's Survival Guide: How to Survive the Teen Years
The year 2013 has been yet another year in which the whole world has been challenged by economic uncertainty. This really isn’t news any more. For more than 10 years, many people have had to cope with financial challenges, one after another. The interesting aspect of the situation is how a steady state of austerity has evolved, with continued investment in electronics and technology by the people who “insert the coin”--you and me. Having survived the initial boom and bust in the early 2000s, people now make decisions and prioritisations in favour of technology, and in particular, electronics, bringing with it opportunity to the industry. Creating and delivering technology-based products is a challenge, as demand is there, but price remains extremely sensitive. We are in the midst of a “teenage” market: a market with little money, but heaps of expectation. Should electronics manufacturers be cautious and just try to survive until money flows more freely, or should they reach out for tools that bring positive differentiation? Yes, 2013 was certainly a teen year, and there are a few more to come.
Historically, in difficult economic conditions, economists point people in the direction of safe stocks, such as utilities. The thought process is that no matter what, there will always be a demand for the basic elements of society. But even these investments are not safe anymore, however, as environmental issues and maintenance concerns expose risks and uncertainty. In the teen years, then, what can we rely on? Is it electronics?
I would not be surprised if we look back on 2013 as the year when the perfect storm of a new generation of technology began. Finally, electronics technology is ready to solve our challenges and create opportunities. We already can see the signs all around us. Electronics is a key part of sustainable energy, from industrial-scale operations down to domestic solar installations. Instead of incandescent bulbs, we now have started to consume LED-based bulbs made on an SMT production line. New entertainment systems focus on energy savings, including the reduction of the cumulative waste of the stand-by mode. Read the full column here.
Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the December 2013 issue of SMT Magazine.
More Columns from The Essential Pioneer's Survival Guide
If It's My Data, I Can Do What I Want, Right?The Essential Pioneer's Survival Guide: One Size Fits All?
Smart for Smart’s Sake, Part 3: Unification & Traceability
Smart for Smart's Sake, Part 2: Material Management
The 'New Face' of Automotive Traceability
Industry 4.0: Who Benefits?
To Be Lean is to Be Human
Stop the SMT Conspiracy, Part 2: Abduction