HotPCB has pointed to and written about the relationship between fabricators and designers since our inception.  And we are not the only one speaking to it.  Pete Waddell of UP Media wrote an editorial to the issue of DFM (design for manufacture) failures within our industry earlier this year.  We would like to speak to the issue as well, but not without providing a way to begin fixing the problem.

The issue is that there has been, and will continue to be a disconnect between printed circuit board designers and fabricators.  If you, as a designer, have a firm grasp of the details surrounding the fabrication process, power to you and thank you.  However, if you are a designer and have not spent time learning the process of building boards, I highly recommend it.  Now I understand that the two parties have their areas of expertise, and I am not asking you to do a 9 month apprenticeship in a board shop.  But some research, and using some valuable tools available will be very beneficial to you.  How?  Read on.

Whenever a board comes into our shop, we need to check it for manufacturability and errors.  We use a variety of methods, but one of the key methods is to run the designs through DFM software.  We estimate that about 50% of the jobs we process need to go back to the designer for edits and changes after it has been run through the DFM.  That means we need to call/email the engineer, often leave a message, set up a time to talk about the issues, have them go fix the problems, wait to receive the updated files, assure that we don’t accidentally use the old files, re-check the design files, and then continue on in the production process.  In a quickturn shop, this may take 1-2 days, and I have heard several claim they often see it taking 5-7 days to get this all hashed out.  In a tense, quickturn market, several days means that you have doubled the lead time which was originally possible.  In addition to this, the fabricators are spending a lot of time going back and forth, chasing down engineers, revisions, files, etc.  This is time that is not billed, but in the long run finds its way into your boards because the process is less efficient and is using a lot of man-hours.  And so the designers are delayed in getting their boards, the fabricators are spending a lot of extra time pre-production, and nobody wins.

My hope is that there would be an industry wide shift in mentality toward an attitude of responsibility on the part of all to check for manufacturability.  I believe that it ultimately rests on designers to begin this change, and recognize that they can run preliminary DFM checks on their designs.  It takes very little time to run it, especially compared to several days of back and forth with the fabricator.  With designers running preliminary checks, and fabricators running secondary checks, the process will grow to be more seamless and productive.

One company in the marketplace who has narrowed in on this issue is Intercept Technology.  Their top-end software contains a DFM program, and their goal right now is to make it as accessible to designers as possible.  In fact, for a limited time it is free.  I recommend this to everyone within the industry.  This is an incredibly valuable tool for designers.  Together we can help each other accomplish our goals and increase in efficiency.  Designers will get their boards more quickly, fabricators will be able to spend more time improving their processes and building boards, and greater understanding/collaboration will be fostered between both.

Do you have a DFM nightmare story?  Or a success story?  Please feel free to comment below.  Maybe you think this is all hot air and unnecessary.  I’d like to hear what you have to say.

I have spent some time exploring the virtual show floor and various exhibits.  My gut response? I miss shaking hands.

A virtual trade show has some great benefits.  The reduced costs associated with travel is the first to come to mind.  There is also the advantage of being able to go about your day at work, and to hear a notification that someone has stepped into your “booth”.

However, my first interaction with a virtual show hasn’t been the best.  Please do not read that as a condemnation of virtual shows.  I just don’t fit the description of someone who would truly benefit from this show.  It seems that this style of show (virtual) really weeds out the moochers.  What I mean is – there are a few very specific strengths of the show, and if you fit within the target of those strengths, it will be great.  However, if you’re on the fence, you won’t like it.

With 2,300 attendees, Virtual PCB has been great for the exhibitors.  Many have stated that their booths have been consistently busy.  And it would be awesome to be an attendee looking for some services provided by the exhibitors.  The ability to switch in between various companies and instantly chat with them is great.  Exhibitors also have access to attendee lists, which is a very valuable resource when used correctly.

But for me, as a competitor to most of the exhibitors and being a marketing guy without technical expertise, there was not a whole lot of benefit.  Had we exhibited, I might be singing a different song.  This is a great benefit for the exhibitors… having a firewall/deterrant of sorts to their competitors.  There is very little cherry-picking.

What are your thoughts or experiences concerning virtual shows?  They are definitely a piece of the puzzle as it relates to the future of our industry.  UP Media is leading the charge, and sincerely I commend them.  Did you find the show helpful?  Are there aspects you wish were different?

The year 2009 has been an intense crash-course and immersion into the PCB industry.  I entered the field having only seen a board in settings such as when my mother’s blender lay torn apart on my lap as I sought to “fix” it as a ten-year-old.  My background is in entrepreneurship and business development.  Keep these things in mind as you read, but I hope that you do not allow them to lessen the various observations.  Please be sure to comment, critique, and add to this article in the comments section.

Market Segments
Tradeshows
There is nothing as bittersweet as a tradeshow.  It is easy to see that while many I’ve spoken with claim to dread the show circuit, there is an industry sustaining vibrancy found on the tradeshow floor.  In fact, regardless of size, shows remind many that they are not alone in this economic climate and in this industry.  “How about them Yankees” was definitely replaced by depressed and rehearsed comments about overseas production and its implications.  Yet even competitors can console one another.

Recessions inherently bring about budget cuts and a careful critique of the ROI (return on investment) of all marketing endeavors including tradeshows.  Smaller displays with fewer freebies seemed more prominent as the year progressed.

However, tradeshows will never go away because there is an inherent need within any industry to foster community and to provide convenient platforms for vendors and customers to interact.  Yet there is a great need for training and planning of employees to occur in 2010.  Pre and post-event networking skills need to be developed.  And it seems clear that the question of whether we will attend the next tradeshow is moot until we have exhausted an investigation of how we can best take advantage of the opportunity contained within each show.

Media and Trade Publications
As a complete rookie to PCB’s, I found the press to be my greatest ally.  Wonderful individuals within UP Media and  iConnect007 greatly encouraged and guided me through year one.  In fact, they are both the customer and supplier’s greatest asset.  Many of the most knowledgeable individuals are connected with these organizations and an email to either requesting direction or a good contact will usually turn out well.  Don’t expect them to play favorites or violate privacy issues, but they will do their best to direct you toward professionals or resources which will aid you greatly.

Political Climate
Changing the political landscape concerning any issue is always a laborious and time consuming process.  However, great strides were taken this year as the position of PCB Executive Agent was created.  In the second week of December, close to one hundred twenty-five industry professionals gathered in Washington D.C. to discuss how we can meet the needs of the Department of Defense in the future.  It was great to see so many key organizations represented and to see that many CEO’s and owners attended personally.  If there is to be a single word that must define 2010, it will be collaboration.  The IPC Technology Interchange in Washington was a great step toward that end.  I will discuss collaboration in greater depth shortly.

Customers
Throughout the year I sensed a continual increase in both the loyalty and price consciousness of our customers.  It was great to see the loyalty exhibited by many of our best customers, while it was tough to see quotes lost on price: even a few dollars.  Budget cuts have made it hard for everyone, and it is understandable in most cases why these occurred.

Although the following recommendation is applicable to every year within a business, I feel 2010 demands an even greater attempt.  It is clear that better communication and collaboration could and should occur between customers and the design, fabrication and assembly providers.  My hope is to personally continue to search out ways we can better serve our customers  (based on what they say, not what we assume).  This is crucial; especially for the small domestic board shops and assemblers.

Praises and Hopes
I have seen several people step up and push the envelope this year.  Some have exhibited customer service above and beyond expectations, some have embarked on innovative marketing and sales endeavors, and several faces have gained recognition as they position themselves as experts within their niche.  Below are some of the ways that they have accomplished these things.

Online Resources
Those who have met me this year most likely know about my passion for seeing the industry catch up with the rest of the private sector in regards to leveraging the tools and resources available online.  There is much to be done, but I am pleased with the small steps taken this year.  The year 2009 exhibited an increased number of companies transitioning to online marketing and advertising.  Several new columnists have appeared for various media organizations and the concept of blogging is beginning to make sense to some.

I continually experience excitement over our endeavors to develop an industry blog, yet see little follow through.  Although much of that may be due to the quality of my efforts, I do hope to see increased support and contribution in the coming year for HotPCB and my colleagues who are pouring their energies into online media.

I was given the opportunity to speak at UP Media’s PCB Atlanta in October on the subject of how the PCB industry can effectively leverage the various Web 2.0 tools currently available.  Those in attendance seemed to find it helpful, and it was a great first step.  I challenge both individuals and organizations to sit down and evaluate how they can implement these tools into their various marketing and sales strategies.

Federal Programs
This year’s Federal Matchmaking event in Tarrytown, NY was extremely well attended.  I highly admire the SBLO’s and various individuals who spend their time making sure that small-business allocated opportunities are distributed.

The PTAC officers and employees really stepped up and it was very apparent how much they desire to foster commerce between small/disadvantaged businesses and the government.

Education
There is a huge need for education within the industry.  And yet, providing resources to seasoned veteran is far from enough.  Unfortunately, the industry is graying, and there is no clear next generation.  Some have recognized the massive vacuum that is forming and are investigating the feasibility of teaching electronics at the high-school level.  This is a movement still in its infancy and needs a lot of support, guidance, materials, and commitment.  That is where collaboration will truly show its worth.

Collaboration
As promised, I want to briefly touch on collaboration once again.  It has been said that when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible.  I saw a lot of great concepts discussed at the Technology Interchange.  There has been a lot of hard work on the part of various individuals.  We as an industry need to be very careful that we don’t simply sit back and applaud their work.  A concerted effort should be made by all.

Change is a slow process.  But it is even slower when there are only a few players.  My hope is that 2010 will be a year marked with collaboration, unity, and change.  We have all seen glimpses of where things could go.  And although it is unlikely that things will ever look like they did twenty years ago, I find it highly likely that this industry will take huge leaps forward in the next twelve months.

In ending, I am very thankful for where I am, and where we are.  Great hopes drive my endeavors and will continue to shape my efforts.  Where do you see yourself making a difference?  What unique skills can you bring to the table?  How can we come together to overcome the various challenges that are facing our industry?

2010, here we come.

Below is the media portion of my presentation.  It gives a very general outline of the topics I covered and the order.  If you are interested in learning more about the specifics of the presentation, or are interested in discussing how social media and web 2.0 technology might benefit you or your company, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.  My contact information is found in the Author Bio’s and Tweets section.

Enjoy!

For the attendee, there are three distinct aspects of the Symposium that ought to be taken advantage of.  The first is Networking, the second Vendor Qualification, and the third Education.   This first short installment is designed to give you some recommendations on how to capitalize on the great opportunity you have to meet people.

Pre-Event
Taking advantage of the Symposium involves a pro-active, pre-event initiative.   There are many tools available to help you get in touch with people who will be attending the conference.  If you do not already have a profile on LinkedIn, it is important that you do so.  LinkedIn is a very powerful resource and continues to gain prominence.  My colleague Blake Imeson has written a great piece titled 21 LinkedIn Hacks, Tricks and Ways to Make Your Profile Better.  Be sure to reference this as you go about developing your online LinkedIn network.

On LinkedIn you ought to RSVP for the Tradeshow in the events section.  If it has not already been created, then take it upon yourself to create the event.  You will gain prominence by doing so.  Click here to RSVP for the IMS 2009 LinkedIn event. Once you RSVP you will be able to see others who have done so, and you will be able to connect/message with them.  Make sure that you’ve followed the steps in Blake’s article about connecting with power users.   I have put a list of a few power users in the PCB industry who will help you gain access to even more people.

Also, take advantage of Facebook if you are a user.  There is a Facebook group for IMS 2009 as well.

Email some of your business contacts a quick email asking if they, or anyone that they know, is attending the show.  More than likely you will be put in touch with a friend of a friend who is just as overwhelmed by the prospect of networking as you are.

As you begin contacting all of these people, keep a clear calendar of the show in front of you.  It is important that you have read the materials concerning the show so that you know what nights have mixers, city excursions, etc.  Make sure that you schedule times to meet with the various people that you are networking with, but also make sure that you block of times where you do not plan anything ahead of time.  You want to be available so that when you meet people at the show, you can meet with them too.  Also try to avoid too many exclusive meet-ups, but make sure that you have a healthy balance of group activities.  This way, if there are a few people you want to spend time with and it comes down to only one available time for everyone, there is no awkward canceling of plans, simply bringing more people along.

At the Event

You are going to be busy at the show, and hopefully having the opportunity to meet and greet those people you have been in touch with the few weeks before the show.  However, make sure that you have plenty of business cards with you so that you can create more contacts.

Be careful not to gravitate toward one group of people the entire time.  Stretch yourself and branch out.  Split up from your co-worker for a meal and go sit at a table of people you don’t know.  It might be slightly uncomfortable at first, but the event is designed to foster networking and cliques need not apply.

Remember to be yourself and have fun.  Trade shows may be a lot of work and continued education, but the interaction with people who are there can make it one of the best weeks of the year.

In the comments section below feel free to share your tips and suggestions for how to take full advantage of the Networking possibilities.   I look forward to hearing them.

It was instantly clear that although competitive, most vendors shared a sense of camaraderie, and were open to talking with me and answering my questions.  Most of the attendees have been in the industry for over 20 years.  In fact, the industry as a whole seems to be comprised of mostly 40+ industry professionals.  It was apparent that I was the youngest exhibitor.  In fact, I was the only exhibitor asked for ID at the complementary bar during the evening reception.

Small, but efficient and well balanced, the show was in my opinion a great success and well worth the effort to attend.  Attendees flew in from all parts of the country.  There were also individuals from Canada, Sweden, Israel, Singapore, Italy and Africa.

The workshops provided were very helpful, and have inspired me to set a future speaking role as a personal goal.  I obviously would not be able to give a technical seminar, but hopefully through my work on this blog, I will be able to position myself as a leader in bringing social media marketing to this industry.

I highly recommend that you set your calendar for the next PCB East conference.  The whole program is put on by UP Media, and there are a few additional shows occurring around the country in the next few months.  Click here to see a list of those shows. The UP Media team did a fabulous job and it was a pleasure to meet all of them.  I look forward to crossing paths with them in the future.

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