Seeing is Believing
An out-of-body experience leads to introspection.
By the time you read this, I’ll be having an anniversary of sorts. Commemorating, not celebrating.
Your life can change in an instant. Let me explain.
Two years ago, at the end of May 2019, our team exhibited a new CT scanning machine at an aerospace trade show in Southern California. Nothing newsworthy there. Display the machine, a kind of entry-level CT scanning system; answer questions from any and all; harmlessly scan a few souvenir water bottles to interactively show the novelty of nondestructive 3-D imaging. Do the usual glad-handing and manufactured sincerity that comes with the show gig. Expectantly snag a few promising leads over three tedious days. Inspire somebody to part with their cash. Show team solidarity around our maypole of a machine by memorializing the moment with a group photo. Say kumbaya, crate it up and dodge forklifts while prepping for shipment back north to our facility. There the system will go into working display as a demo unit. Goodbye, crate. Mission accomplished, take the rest of the week off and enjoy the sights and sounds of Southern California, rekindling my youth and visiting friends, savoring the week’s success over cocktails with broiled fish in Seal Beach. Life is good.
To continue reading, please log in or register using the link in the upper right corner of the page.
Or even mildly irritated. So watch those catchphrases.
As we move into 2021, I resolve to renew my approach to doing business, call things as they really are, and exile all my peeves into permanent residence, where they belong, in their appropriate circle of Hell, apropos Dante Alighieri.
That’s right: we’re talking Inferno.
Flames have consequences.
Nine circles. Nine gripes. All therapy.
In ascending order of severity.
To continue reading, please log in or register using the link in the upper right corner of the page.
What’s more in need of rehabilitation? The bonepile, or supplier gateway?
Hello, I would like to get some information about your capabilities for Bonepile Rehabilitation. I have some legacy circuit cards that were previously tested on a FACTRON 750. Can you reverse engineer the schematics/gerbers from a known good board? Once you have diagnosis (sic) the problem on a failed board, can you also perform the repair? Are you cybersecurity certified for ITAR data?
This is how an unsolicited customer engagement often begins. No unusual requirements here, other than the obvious need for remedial grammar lessons.
“Yes, yes and yes.”
Good. Then you may be able to assist us. What is your process?
To continue reading, please log in or register using the link in the upper right corner of the page.
Sales pitches from Chinese board shops should come with arthritis medication.
Dramatis PersonaE (in order of appearance):
- Saleswomen from Chinese printed circuit board fabricators, all with curiously westernized first names.
- Marketing types trying to sell me lists of attendees at nonexistent trade shows.
- Serial killers.
- Clowns (sometimes indistinguishable from #3). Generally speaking, disturbing.
- SBA-approved loans. (I have one qualified offer right now from capitaldrip.com. I’m not making this up.)
- Webinars about I-9 forms and Covid-19 mitigation and prevention.
- Virtual trade shows (and the people lurking behind them).
- SAM renewal.
- Persons wanting me to sell our business.
- Search engine optimization (SEO) companies, which often lead to:
- Website developers from India named Mike.
To continue reading, please log in or register using the link in the upper right corner of the page.
If only defects were in as short supply as logic and wisdom.
This is what happens when the pyramid inverts and falls on little old unsuspecting you. Just what you deserve for minding your own business.
“We need to audit your quality system. You’re a new vendor with contingent qualification. We can’t make it permanent without an audit.”
What do you mean we’re a new vendor? We’ve been doing business with you for 11 years.
“Doesn’t matter. New regime in place. Since you’re a great big unknown to us, who are new, consider yourself, as we do, a new vendor. Clean slate. Get used to it. Plus, you had a recent test escape, and we need to determine the root cause. Might as well do the full workup.”
So rampant was coronavirus, it even infected accounting systems.
Day 1: Today the authorities announced local shelter-in-place restrictions. All employees of nonessential businesses must stay home or be subject to fines if caught at the workplace. What to do? Set priorities: define whether we are essential and be prepared to back it up if we are. There is no Essential Business Department in California, like the DMV, to which one can apply and get a Certification of Essentiality. No tests one takes. It depends on one’s OEM customers and flows down to their suppliers. For those of us not named Elon Musk, we are not a law unto ourselves.
Day 2: Met with the crew. Game plan time. Henceforth, the old guys (the “over 60s”) will stay home. That includes (gulp) me. Aging and mortality in one poignant bite. A small crew will remain at our facility, handling day-to-day essential business. (In the preceding 24 hours, we established our corporate essential bonafides.) Headcount will fluctuate daily, depending on happenings. Some will stay home today; others will do likewise tomorrow. I stay home every day pondering the Darwinian way of the world, and my humbling new lot in life as a high medical risk individual. Regardless of work site, all employees will continue to be paid for the foreseeable future. As if we can foresee it. No one will burn PTO if they must stay home. Engineering work will be conducted from home to the extent possible. No onsite customer visits will be allowed until further notice. Living a paradox: keeping it all together, while dispersed. Here we are.
To continue reading, please log in or register using the link in the upper right corner of the page.
Press Releases
- Flying Probe Testing: A Practical Solution for PCB Designs That Traditional Fixtures Cannot Test
- ubersmt Implements PARMI Xceed 3D AOI to Strengthen Inspection and Process Control
- Altus Group Expands Sales Support Function with New Appointment in Ireland
- Kitron Secures EUR 37M order for Next-Generation Tactical Communication Equipment