Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1060280
58 PCB007 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 mem- bers aren't aware of all the services and pro- grams that IPC offers. We expose them to dif- ferent 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 internal- ly to help them. They appreciate that and ex- tend 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 oth- er 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 mem- bers, 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 mem- bership, which is based on location, and rev- enue-driven membership (Enterprise member- ship), which you can picture as a corporate membership based on global revenue. While conventional membership is site specific, reve- nue membership will incorporate all global lo- cations 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 mem- bers, you have a uniform approach to stan- dards 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 mo-