SMT007 Magazine

SMT007-Dec2018

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52 SMT007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2018 he mentioned that there was a position open, so I applied and was offered the position. Matties: Nice. Congratulations. Friedman: Thank you. Matties: In your role, what kinds of issues do members have that you can help them with? Friedman: The interesting thing is a lot of members aren't aware of all the services and programs that IPC offers. We expose them to different areas. For instance, they'll have ques- tions about certification, so we support them from our certification quality initiative (CQI) program. They'll have questions on standards, so we support them with technical liaisons and experts who sit on committees and explain and interpret the standards from a practical stand- point. Matties: How do you measure your success, and is there a metric of retention? Friedman: Yes, renewal, retention, and new member acquisition are all metrics we track. Matties: Let's talk about renewals. Since this position has been established, have you expe- rienced an increase in renewals? Friedman: By supporting our members, we build relationships with them, gain their trust, and they realize that there's someone inter- nally to help them. They appreciate that and extend their membership. Matties: Now, you mentioned oftentimes it's just an education process to help them understand all of the value that the association brings. Why do you think they don't know this up front? Friedman: Members are singularly focused when they join IPC. The main thrust has been either standards or certification. We have other programs as well, such as market research, validation services, global advocacy efforts, and transportation solutions. We also have various membership initiatives that they're not aware of. Matties: You were talking about existing members, but certainly in your role, you're also looking at increasing membership. Friedman: We have about 4,800 member loca- tions globally and growing that span the globe from China to Brazil and all points in between. Matties: When you say locations, are you talk- ing about factories or people? Friedman: Facilities. We have two options when it comes to membership: conventional member- ship, which is based on location, and revenue- driven membership (Enterprise membership), which you can picture as a corporate member- ship based on global revenue. While conven- tional membership is site specific, revenue membership will incorporate all global loca- tions of the member company. The advantages are that, from an adminis- trative standpoint, you're dealing with a single invoice. Also, the duration of the membership is uniform throughout all locations. You don't have to worry about one site expiring in Febru- ary and another expiring in August. Addition- ally, now that all global locations are members, you have a uniform approach to standards and procedures that are governed by IPC standards. Matties: Everything's synchronized, and every- body has full access. Friedman: That's correct. Matties: That definitely makes it a lot easier for your member. With IPC APEX EXPO 2019 just around the corner, what efforts do you have for membership during the show? Friedman: IPC APEX EXPO is the biggest moti- vator for nonmembers to join IPC. Attend-

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