Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1463464
12 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2022 or operational efficiency, or they're passing it along to their customers. One of the difficulties is that many do not want to show their cards. Either they are remaining quiet about what they're doing, or they haven't started. ey might not know where to start or what to do. Small companies think it's only for large companies, which is just not true. Most advancements we've seen dur- ing the pandemic are from small- to medium- size enterprises in Europe. at breaks the rule, right? At the end of the day, we want to promote advancement across the globe to improve overall global supply chain and manufacturing advancements and to communicate that there is a big gap, which continues to widen, as long as North America does not implement Factory of the Future at the same rates as Europe and Asia. Barry Matties: When we phrase it as "factory of the future," does that suggest we're still wait- ing for technology to become available, or is it already available? Kelly: It's already available, and this brings up a good point about whether we need to change the Factory of the Future wording. Matties: I think so, personally. It causes delays, allowing companies to say, "I don't have to think about this right now. Maybe a year, two years down the road." Meanwhile, as you're pointing out, there are companies today that are already investing in and implementing that future. Dan Feinberg: By saying Factory of the Future, they think they don't have to worry about it now, but they do. Look at some of the planned factories, like Intel's new semiconductor facil- ity, and some of the Taiwanese companies that are putting semiconductor fabs into North America. Are they using Factory of the Future? Kelly: Yes, they are; they have to. e semicon- ductor industry has been automated and using closed-loop data feedback processes for over 20 years already, including in North Amer- ica. ey have to in order to achieve necessary yields and quality to be profitable. Matties: How do we help the electronics indus- try to understand that we're not waiting for the future? We're not going to catch up if we're waiting around for the future to come to us. Kelly: We must look at what we're build- ing now. In fact, using the term "revolution" doesn't serve us well. We know very well it's more of an evolution. As an industry, we need to ensure we provide the building blocks today, not at some future date. For example, a company must first identify key business prob- lems they wish to solve, then apply appropri- ate Industry 4.0 manufacturing techniques. Data analytics or other digital transformation concepts will improve manufacturing metrics like quality, yield, efficiency, and productivity. Start now, start small, deliver successful out- comes, and build upon that success with new initiatives and projects. Matt Kelly