Design007 Magazine

PCBD-Oct2016

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20 The PCB Design Magazine • October 2016 of the business for which he is responsible to perform at the increasing levels of expectation. The motivation of the manager to be the leader is good not only for the business, but also for the team. Never in the last 20 years has there been so much excitement in the way that data is used. Where systems, whether design, layout, manu- facturing process engineering, planning, supply chain, quality, etc. were once "islands of auto- mation," they are now being brought together as part of a completely integrated flow. This brings a step change in the performance of such things as new product introduction, manufac- turing flexibility, and overall business costs. The opportunities are so significant that the tide of movement of volume manufacturing to lower-cost remote areas of the world also is now changing, as the real cost of the whole business process is exposed. The majority of cost to the end customer is actually waste because money is spent on needless shipping, storage, logistics, and covering bloated stocks suffering from de- preciation. Local manufacturing in places like the United States and Europe, though with higher labor costs, can prove a better business model overall. This opportunity for change in the manu- facturing world encourages reactive business processes that have already taken shape for on- tial incentive, especially at the start of their careers, for them to stay. Contrast this with organizational stagnation, which can demotivate team members after a while, forcing them to leave a company even though they were otherwise comfortable. Technology is a key con- tributor to opportunity in the electronics industry, starting from the earliest point of de- sign and extending out into the whole of manufacturing. The pioneers of the original CAD and CAM technologies in the industry have been reach- ing retirement age for a few years now, leaving a legacy of engineers and managers who have seen only a much more gradual change in the scope of their work. Computers made a huge difference initially in design and manufacturing, but they have progressed rather slowly lately, one update at a time, if we're lucky. With the prospect of a massive change in the industry, as the so-called "smart factories" and Industry 4.0 take root, this change is com- ing to a team who isn't necessarily accustomed to change. If expectations from within the team are met with a management attitude such as 'this is not for us,' individuals will grow disil- lusioned. The manager of today is expected to be knowledgeable about the future of the in- dustry and have a plan to lead the way for the team. These changes are exciting, but they are happening now much faster than can be con- fidently understood. This is where the manag- er needs to call on external support including consultants and solution providers, who must genuinely understand the new opportunities so they can provide help in the right way of execu- tion and can assure confidence in an ultimate return on investment. In these times of change, the manager of the team has to be more than a manager. He or she needs to be the leader of these initiatives, to bring the team forward, to select the right kinds of solutions, ideas and changes, leading the area WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MANAGER AND A TRUE LEADER? Michael Ford

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