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Thursday, June 11, 2009 |
I had a boss once who never seemed to be in a hurry, was quite methodical, and yet he was always ahead of the rest of us. Talk about a pain ;-)
Well, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits just reminded me of Jim. And also how much I've changed over the years. The 10 Essential Rules for Slowing Down and Enjoying Life More paradoxically will also make you more productive. Trust me. It works. I'm now observing most of the 10 and am working on the rest.
9:07:28 PM 
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Received this release from ABB. I think the interesting thing is between the lines. Power and energy are at the top of about every automation supplier's agenda this year. In fact, tomorrow I'm recording a podcast interview on the subject (sorry for the teaser, more later on that) with another company.
First, ABB announces that more than 5,000 System 800xA systems have been sold since its launch five years ago. There is no context for that number, so I assume that's good. And no dollar value of sales. But the release continues with a theme familiar with those who attended the Power & Automation World Conference a few months back--power and energy. "Designed from the beginning to act as an extended automation integration capability, it has proven to be well-suited for major composite plant systems and integrated process and electrical power systems."
"With its ability to integrate process and power systems on one unified platform, System 800xA provides our customers with key competitive advantages such as improved energy efficiency, process reliability as well as overall productivity," said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABBâo[dot accent]s Process Automation division. "The widespread market acceptance of System 800xA over the last five years demonstrates how this innovative approach to automation has filled a real productivity need across virtually all industry sectors."
Further, according to ABB, by integrating power and process systems on the common 800xA platform, customers optimize the design and performance of their electrical and automation systems and see additional benefits in reduced maintenance, engineering and overall lifecycle costs. Typical savings can result in a 20 percent reduction in CAPEX (capital expenditures) and OPEX (operating expenditures).
1:08:08 PM
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My post on social engineers keeps drawing some interesting comments.
Bob Gill says, "I think the other question is, what would happen if all engineers suddenly became social? Would their work improve? Would things be better designed or manufactured? I doubt it. Maybe we should accept that not everyone is destined to go into sales and marketing or PR. And let's not forget that plenty of engineers are flexible enough to go on to do MBAs. Let's see a marketing guy go and try and do a basic engineering degree. Fast fourier what?! And anyway, I swear the only time I ever wore white socks in my university engineering days was out on the tennis court. "
Then, Robert Greenfield from Acromag adds, "The value of being social is debatable, but communication skills are very important. An engineer that can help promote the product, is very valuable. Now that broadband has made online video so easily accessible, we have a huge need for video training and presentations. When a design engineer can deliver the presentation, it is far more powerful than a marketing guy/gal interpreting the info. Having that in-depth knowledge of the subject matter really makes the difference. As a peer, the engineer presenter has so much more credibility with the engineering audience than the sales/mktg manager. I'm an engineer with an MBA who learned how to present from a B-School prof that also had an engineering degree. We can do it if we try."
12:58:32 PM
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Couple of items in The New York Times online. Fed sees a bright spot in the economy. Good news from main stream media? It does look as though the economy may be bottoming out and starting a recovery. It could be a long recovery, though. Hope we all pull through.
Item on Chrysler. I'm trying to figure out what the "new" Chrysler is. Will it be a complete car designer and manufacturer? It just sold its assets to Fiat so that it could pay off debt (wonder how much was due to the private equity buyout?). Fiat owns a percentage and is running the company. It bears watching.
Meanwhile, I was told during my meetings at Phoenix Contact last week that they've seen an uptick in orders from automotive customers. I've wondered what that market holds for automation suppliers. Maybe it won't be so bad after all.
12:49:38 PM
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© Copyright 2009 Gary Mintchell.
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