Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1265351
10 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2020 our industry respond? How should we man- age and rethink manufacturing? And what are the main issues at hand in near-term and long- term horizons? COVID-19 has cost lives and caused sorrow and distress. Our hearts go out to all who are in grief. However, the pandemic has propelled our deeper thoughts and made us venture into the wide landscape of the mind. We will have a new normal in business and manufacturing, just as in our daily lives. One old saying states, "Never let a crisis go to waste." What have we learned from the coronavirus crisis to benefit our future endeavors? Three tangible areas in business and manu- facturing are directly impacted by these con- current forces: business strategy in manufac- turing, supply chain strategy and management, and manufacturing operation practice, includ- ing the workforce. RETHINKING MANUFACTURING: Bracing for and Embracing a Post-Pandemic Decade From a 30,000-foot view, global macroeco- nomics is facing gusty headwinds, bracing for impact from social-distancing lockdowns and economic shutdowns across the globe as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Compounding to the pandemic, the world's two largest economies—the U.S. and China— are butting heads on trade and geopolitical affairs. Additionally, at the time of this writing, the lawless riots in the midst of the protests for social justice, spreading from coast to coast in the U.S., are destroying properties and busi- nesses in metropolitan areas, aggravating the already-disrupted businesses and adding to the financial losses as the result of the pandemic. The triple whammy of concurrent events puts the country in an unprecedented challenge economically, socially, and politically. Against this potent backdrop, how should SMT Prospects & Perspectives Feature Column by Dr. Jennie S. Hwang, CEO, H-TECHNOLOGIES GROUP