Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1510765
74 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2023 Editor's note: Indium Corporation's Ron Lasky continues this series of columns about Maggie Benson, a fictional character, to demonstrate continuous improvement and education in SMT assembly. A meeting is transpiring at Ivy Univer- sity, analyzing the cost of ownership calcula- tions between Excel's component placement machines and Pinnacle's. In his analysis, Hal "Halitosis" Lindsey, the gruff salesperson from Truth Revealed, Balance Restored Excel, has demonstrated how Excel machines have a lower cost of ownership. Ivy U. student Paul LaCroix agreed with this analysis, and then shared his explanation of how the more expensive Pinnacle machines have a better profitability potential. Upon hearing this, Hal began fuming. Just when he thought he had the sale, this young kid was messing things up. Yet, it wasn't a surprise to him. "Professor Patty" had ruined his sales opportunities before, always with some "Ivory Tower" nonsense. Now, she was teaching kids like Paul this type of nonsensical analysis. But, he thought, it would be best to be quiet and lis- ten to this kid before he said anything. "Paul, can you explain to us your 'profitabil- ity potential' analysis?" Patty asked. "Yes, Professor Patty," Paul responded. "Aer discussions with Sue March, Andy Connors, Dr. Maggie, and you, it has become clear to me that 'cost of ownership' is an inef- fective metric. Benson Electronics is in busi- ness to make money. Right now, business is booming, and they need more produc- tion capability. So, with quite a bit of coach- ing, I developed a spreadsheet that calcu- lated the profitability potential of each of the component placement machines. While it is true that the Excel machines cost less to own, the Pinnacle machines produce more profit as they produce more PCBs in a given time. Maggie Benson's Journey by Dr. Ronald C. Lasky, INDIUM CORPORATION Hal Lindsey didn't make the impression he'd hoped to make.