Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1379105
JUNE 2021 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 53 way of working. Our clients are more accepting, understanding that they don't really have a lot of options, and that we've created everything virtu- ally now. For example, we've always participated in trade shows to create new relationships, and that's some- thing that has been postponed indefi- nitely. I think we're going to see a few this year. Not sure just how many, but we are still doing it virtually. is could be the future of how we do business. I see the industry embracing the digitalization of the manufacturing process, the Internet of ings philosophies, and allowing machines to communicate by providing real data back to customers. We will see the evolu- tion in an industry that, I believe, will provide an incredible amount of data to the customers to help them control their processes and qual- ity; I really look forward to embracing that. I digressed, but everybody has to understand that this is the state of the industry, and these types of interactions are their only option. Johnson: ere's that aspect of, "We do this because we have to," but is there, in your expe- rience, an additional value-add that your cus- tomers receive from working in this manner? Harts: Certainly. e resources that we have available to our customers are certainly a value-add that we know our direct compet- itors can't provide. We have a wealth of peo- ple—not just technicians or quality inspectors, but engineering, logistics coordinators, cus- tomer service, purchasing, and sourcing. We provide instant quality audits to our customers at the factory. We can have IPC-trained certi- fied technicians at the factory to monitor pro- cesses and inspect quality. With purchasing and customer service in China, we have the resources, if negotiation is necessary, to receive cost-downs for custom- ers to communicate directly with the manu- facturers. As an OEM or a contract manufac- turer that does not own a factory—or even ones that do—there is value in having a third- party source there to evaluate and understand the customer's needs, resolve those, and put a plan in place that achieves success. Johnson: Yes, one can't say too much about having an advocate. Harts: at's the truth. ere's only so much you can do virtually; eventually someone must be there to touch it, feel it, validate it, and make sure it's accurate. Johnson: I'm intrigued by your references to data. You've got the eyes and brainpower in the facility watching over your customers' pro- cesses and product. But you're also mention- ing data. You can do quality reports instantly; there's a lot of information you can gather. at, in and of itself, presents a challenge. You can get buried in data and not be able to draw any conclusions at all. How does ICAPE Group help an OEM customer pull signal out of all this data noise inbound from another part of the globe? Harts: Because of our industry experience, we can evaluate the data and filter out what's truly ICAPE Group's off-shore team located in Hong Kong.