Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1355791
134 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2021 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE Ducharme emphasized really knowing your supply base and having strong relationships with customers. e biggest adversity, she said, was addressing industry changes that were occurring at the same time as the pandemic. Jorgensen provided a perspective from two companies, one global and one regional, and how the pandemic affected their business both positively and negatively. Having thousands of suppliers, for example, was beneficial, but when many of those suppliers are in China, which was the first to be impacted by the pan- demic, it created new challenges. In his presentation, Rowntree said it's impor- tant to have organizational agility. is concept allowed Rogers to respond better to conflicting demands while protecting the health and safety of their employees. ey built teams to address specific concerns. Finally, Bourne spoke about the drop in demand during the early months of the pan- demic, and how his company responded to sup- pliers and customers. ey pivoted to new mar- kets, but remained within the defense sector. In a separate question about future trends, Bourne believes there will still be uncertainty in the electronics industry, citing a cyberattack against his company in 2019 as a very real and continuing threat. Jorgensen emphasized greater visibility in the supply chain, not with just your suppliers, but with their suppliers as well. Ducharme agreed that supply chain risk management must con- tinue to be a focus. Finally, others concluded that while the work-at-home model is feasible, there's some- thing lost when teams are unable to meet together in person. "I'm tired of Zoom meetings," Bourne said, "but there is no choice." S&T