Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1475010
AUGUST 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 9 ran from our highest-level family strategies (investments, features in our home, even careers) to the most tactical (whose turn was it to change his diaper?). One of the techniques we used to aid her recovery from labor was acupuncture. ough a bit mysterious as to how/why it works, even some "acupuncture agnostics" use it as a treat- ment method for pain management. It certainly helped the mother of my children through her postpartum. Still, how is it that a point-solu- tion soothes the body elsewhere? How is it that a new bit of pressure here can ease a pain point over there? Based on a desire to get some relief from pain, many folks seem satisfied to just trust the mystery. is was the thought behind our cover image: Putting the squeeze in one area of the supply chain should, in theory, bring relief in another. Finding relief for business pain points can be a mix of strategic and tactical responses. For this issue, we examined a variety of steps being taken in the industry, from the halls of govern- ment to the manufacturing floor; all meant to ease EMS pain points. As our team discussed the best way to illus- trate the theme of this issue, the acupuncture image hit every point we wanted to make. To ease a wider, more general pain point else- where, a series of focused, short-term "micro- pains" can be employed to bring relief. On the manufacturing floor, for example, one of the key pain points is component avail- ability. As you will learn from the interviews and articles in this issue, there are methods for adjusting. Each method brings a small bit of pain in the form of process changes, learn- ing new soware tools, or validating new sup- pliers. Each step is a leap of faith, a decision to trust that the outcome will be better than the current situation. To aid in the conversation, IPC Chief Econo- mist Shawn DuBravac shares vital information on the state of the economy and your business in relation to it, while USPAE executive direc- tor Christopher Peters offers help to "thrive" in electronics manufacturing. And as I men- tioned earlier, the discussions on Capitol Hill are crucial to our microelectronics industry. us, this issue includes an interview with Tra- vis Kelly, president of PCBAA, and U.S. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, who is co-sponsoring HR 7677, the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards (SAPCB) Act of 2022. If you're in this industry and not already following this proposed legislation, now is the perfect time to get caught up. On a strategic/tactical level, we have a dis- tributor's perspective from the counterfeit- ing team at Digi-Key, insight on new sourcing soware tools from CalcuQuote, and a no- holds-barred argument for the urgency of cybersecurity from Divyash Patel, owner of MX2 Technology. I want to make special mention of the col- umn by Dr. Jennie Hwang, who reports on her trip to the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder's meeting. What she learned makes for a useful mind-setting exercise for industry pain man- agement. Ultimately, our industry pain, just like the labor pains that brought forth my first child, is more than simple physical pain. We're working through huge changes to our environment and our place within it, which can be emotionally painful as well. Sometimes, as our cover image reminds us, our willingness to embrace change is a critical part of the supply "pain" manage- ment idea. We're always open to your suggestions for topics. Many of these topics have come from conversations with our readers. We encourage you to reach out with your ideas, news, and questions. SMT007 Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electronics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here.