Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1265351
JULY 2020 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 9 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. "The rapid advancement of technology, combined with increased uncertainty, is making the most important career logic of the past counterproductive going forward. The world, to put it bluntly, has changed, but our philosophy around skills develop- ment has not. Today's dynamic complexity demands an ability to thrive in ambiguous and poorly defined situations, a context that generates anxiety for most, because it has always felt safer to generalize." Hold this thinking up against the current dialogue in manufacturing, putting a spot- light on supply chain resiliency, and it makes sense. The supply chain, like the people, over- specializes to its own detriment in the end. Is it possible that technology moves fast enough nowadays that it takes a wide-angle thought process to grasp the real implications? Mansharamani makes a case for that: "There's an oft-quoted saying that 'to a man with a hammer, everything looks like nails.' But what if that man had a hammer, a screwdriver, and a wrench?… Our world is changing so rapidly that those with more tools in their possession will better navigate the uncertainty. To make it in today's world, it's important to be agile and flexible." Join us as we consider the process of rethinking manufacturing. We reached out to a wide range of thought leaders on the topic, and they certainly had something to say. Inside the issue, you'll find feature inter- views with IPC's Shawn Dubravac and Matt Kelly, Robert Murphy from Rockwell Automa- tion, Dave Ryder and Eric Cormier from Pro- totron, and Chris Peters from the U.S. Part- nership for Assured Electronics. You will also find insights from Robert Murphy, Ross Bern- tson, and Dan Beaulieu. In addition, we bring you columns from regu- lar contributors Jennie Hwang, Ray Prasad, Eric Camden, Bob Wettermann, and Alfred Macha. As I wrap up this column, SMTA has announced that SMTA International, the fall conference and expo traditionally held in Rose- mont, Illinois, will be going virtual for 2020. According to the press release, a key factor in this decision was the fact that many participat- ing companies will continue to impose travel bans on employees for their safety. Indeed, we are rethinking everything in manufacturing. Stay safe and be nimble and creative. SMT007 Reference 1. Vikram Mansharamani, "Harvard lecturer: 'No specific skill will get you ahead in the future'—but this 'way of thinking' will," CNBC, June 15, 2020.