Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1535954
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2025 Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 Moving Forward With Confidence We're currently enjoying a revitalized and dynamic EMS provider market with signifi- cant growth potential. Since December 2024, the book-to-bill has been extremely strong and growing. Starting with a ratio of 1.24 in Decem- ber, book to bill has continued to accelerate to a 1.41 in April. Yet, there is a global economic restructur- ing taking place. To say that the back-and- forth with tariffs and trade deals makes for an uncertain market is an understatement. While we may be in a 90-day tariff pause among leading economic nations, the deadline is quickly approaching and that leaves many of you feeling unsettled about what to expect. When we combine those two market trends—market growth and economic uncer- tainty—it may seem as if we are sailing in the fog, hoping to avoid the rocky shore as we look for a lighthouse ahead. How do we keep our businesses in the lane we've chosen with all these unexpected obstacles? Do we reset our sails (pun intended) to take advantage of the cloud bank to dodge some competitors and develop new business opportunities? Coincidentally, for the last month, the I-Con- nect007 team has been reading and reviewing Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. is book has been around for 20 years, but its fundamental principles have been the catalyst for many companies to examine their business practices and shi into high gear toward something better in the face of challeng- ing market conditions like we're currently fac- ing. It has reminded me of Spencer Johnson's 1998 business book, Who Moved My Cheese? ese two books bring us around to the same message: ere's a similar growth cycle fueled by economic and technological disruption. If you're finding your "cheese" in motion, then it's time to revisit your niche and your specialty. I've also been reviewing the raw perfor- mance data from two different EMS surveys conducted by IPC in Q1 2025. In both reports, respondents share their recent business results, opinions on the current economic and mar- ket conditions, and what they see coming. e insights I gleaned from those reports might not have been that surprising, but they were tell- ing. It influenced the direction I took for the