The HeyScottie Newsletter Fetching you interesting insights in US Manufacturing
Not Sure Why This Makes Me So Angry
This chart, which purports to talk about digital transformation for manufacturers, is aggravating on several levels. One: the only segment listed that is unique to manufacturers is the catch-all IIoT. Two: Where is robotics? Digital twins? Edge computing? Digitizing supply chains? AI for predictive maintenance? Three: This was developed by a digital transformation consulting group, in conjunction with DigitalCommerce360 – perhaps we can conclude that neither really understands manufacturing – unlike us at HeyScottie.
Mfg Contracted Again In April
This should surprise few in the manufacturing sector. This is for the fifth month in a row, as inventories – swollen from the purchasing frenzy of 2021 – 2022 – need to be worked through before fresh new production is needed. Most “experts” I’ve heard suggest overstocks should be depleted by Q3 2023. I hope so.
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Doom and Gloom
The Equipment Leasing and Financing Foundation released a depressing study. They polled executives in the Equipment Leasing business and none believed business conditions will improve over the next four months.
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Robot Density in Automotive – Top Countries Ranked
The International Federation of Robotics has a little graph that shows “Robot Density” (number of robots installed per 10,000 employees) in the automotive industry across several different countries. The US is on par with both Germany and Japan. But these three lag South Korea.
A Job Only A Robot Would Love
Speaking of robots… Robots are great for the dirty, dull and dangerous jobs that no one else wants to do. Not sure about you but this is a job I would gladly leave to the robots:
Reshoring Is A Thing Now
Reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) job announcements for 2022 reached a new record of 364,000, a 53% increase from the previous year, according to the Reshoring Initiative’s 2022 Data Report. Anyone experiencing a boom because of this? We are at HeyScottie!
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Lockheed Martin Launches Moon Satellite Company
Their newly launched subsidiary is planning to offer “infrastructure as a service.” Like they say – its not the gold diggers who get rich, it’s the guys who sell them the picks and shovels.
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Second Public Availability of Additional Information for the Proposed Amendments to the Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Chromium Electroplating and Chromic Acid Anodizing Operations
We’ve been following this story for awhile now, and the latest is the California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) continues in its process that will likely see the closure of most plating companies in CA.
Public Hearing Date: January 26-27, 2023
Public Availability Date: April 26, 2023
Deadline for Public Comment: May 11, 2023
Click here for more information.
What Makes A Good Beta Test?
I was asked by Forbes Technology Council to opine about what makes a good beta test. I feel I am qualified to answer, as I still have the scars of being the Beta Test Customer Liaison for Oracle’s ERP in the 1990’s. This was back in the old days, when enterprise software was a lumbering giant – with release cycles counted in months and years. This particular release was 18 months late, one month at a time, and I was the one who was tasked with delivering this cheerful message. So, read on for my (and others’) good advice.