Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1447212
58 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2022 a government is to removing the barriers for rapid deployment of new facilities. Ghalili: I can tell you that in China, if they want to get things done, they will bypass all the red tape. If you can set up a factory and you need approval, they'll give it to you immediately. Matties: Knowing that, it seems like time to market would be quicker there than in other places—unless those barriers are removed in other locations as well. Ghalili: Definitely. China is building a lot of semiconductor and fab shops. Keep in mind that the issue with China is not so much scaling, it's the technology that they're struggling to catch up on. For high-end semicon- ductors, China is still behind, and everybody knows that. For other components they can pour money and scale up rapidly. Matties: What is the greatest challenge for the coming year? Ghalili: It is the unpredictability. You have no idea what to expect next. A year to two years ago, we didn't think we would see a shortage of semiconductors like this. We had components readily available and suddenly it's hit us. e unpredictability is the challenge. You just can't put your finger on where the next problem will pop up. Matties: You must rethink your tolerance for risk in these markets and be willing to take a little more risk. Ghalili: Exactly. at's what we were talking about with materials and inventory levels. You just have to take a chance and hope for the best. Matties: Where do you see the market going for 2022? Ghalili: From what I see, the market is grow- ing very rapidly. I don't think there is any issue with the market, it's just the supply. e ques- tion is, can the supply chain keep up with the market demands? Johnson: ese market conditions would make it a good time to start a business except the supply and the infrastructure won't sup- port you. Ghalili: Exactly. It's a great time to start a business, but you must be sure you have the tech- nical support, and your supply chain team must be creative in support- ing the demand. If you can fulfill these needs it can be very profitable if you come online now. Matties: But you're in the same boat as a startup or even a few steps behind because you may not have all the relationships that you need for the supply chain right now. at's the chal- lenge, and the technical knowledge and skills gap is hard to fill. What are you going to do for 2022? Ghalili: We will continue to support our cur- rent efforts. We need to be creative on our supply chain, our management, and inven- tory control. Right now, our staff members are aware that even losing one component on their SMT line is not acceptable. We must get more Lean in our production and in our supply chain, and it's not only because of cost, but also not being able to get the components. We must find creative ways constantly to get these products out.