Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1437606
86 PCB007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2021 what to do with it. Now, in most companies we are collecting big data, but we don't have enough of our engineering staff that knows how to do proper data analytics to know what to do with all that data. Matties: Well, the core problem is first identify- ing the critical data out of that. e other side of combating higher prices is to have better yields. Mitchell: Yes. It's also looking at where you can— and this is obvious—use alternate sources. Right now, people have gotten very comfort- able … I shouldn't say right now. A year or two ago, people were very comfortable with their sources; now, people need to get comfortable with looking at many alternative sources if they want to combat some of these challenges. Matties: But alternate sources, in some cases, are few and far between. Mitchell: I think you're right. But I have seen cre- ativity allowing people to reconsider sources they'd discounted before. Some companies have been helping their suppliers to "level-up" to get to the quality level that they need. is is where you have people looking beyond their own needs. You're saying, "If I really care for Supplier X and can help them be successful, their business will get better, and, in turn, I've got a supplier that's going to value me and I'm going to have more access to the things I need." Matties: I was reviewing the technical pro- gram for APEX EXPO, specifically looking at who is presenting, the type of businesses, and the company names. ere's a very nice cross- section between industry suppliers, fabrica- tors, and manufacturers. And you have a lot of OEMs—Intel, Bose, and John Deere, to name a few—all making presentations. To your point, this is an excellent opportunity for the indus- try to collaborate. Here, they can find infor- mation to bring efficiencies into their factories and find out what the challenges are that they need to be preparing for, as if they don't have enough. Mitchell: You can learn from your neighbor. For- tunately, I have the opportunity to chat with, as you guys do, industry leaders all around the world. When we started hosting weekly calls for our executive forum at the beginning of the pandemic, with many people calling in, some had already lived through some of COVID in