What’s the SCOOP? From the Guest Editor’s Desk

It’s been a real honor to edit EMSNOW for Jennifer Read while she took a well earned break this week. We’ve seen features from Carl Hung, CEO at Season Group, Bruno Racault, CEO at ALL Circuits, Theo Saville, CEO at CloudNC and yesterday for SCOOP’s new senior partner Marco Annunziata. These are writers I consider to be among the most insightful in the industry, with a deep understanding of the current market and an innovative and exciting vision of the future. Thank you all for your contributions.

Mid week I got up at 5am to join EMSNOW Publisher Eric Miscoll on his show, The EMS (Eric Micoll Show), along with Jason Spera of Aegis Software and Alex Chassels of Dorigo Systems. The show covered the execution of an Industry 4.0 strategy providing insight and advice along the way from one of the leading software providers and smart factory champions as well as a user who had experienced just what digital transformation could do. The show will be available on-demand on Monday of next week and would encourage anyone who considers manufacturing excellence to be important to watch it. 

Meanwhile the world continues to deal with the pandemic, the roll out of various vaccines, which comes with its own supply chain issues, and the challenge of semiconductor shortages. 

• According to Ken Eakin in IndustryWeek, “Just-in-Time Is the Hero, Not the Villain”, and a more plausible reason for shortages is simply the long and complex nature of our global supply chains.
• The news desk at EPSNews warned that “Rates Climb in Wake of Suez Blockage”. The delayed but anticipated impact of the Suez blockage on Asia-Europe container flows and freight rates finally kicked-in this week, according to freight marketplace Freightos.
• In Thomasnet, Sydney Wess, offers insight on “How to Make Your Procurement Processes More Sustainable”. Suggesting that the supply chain industry is deeply integrated in the vast majority of business services, creating an interconnected network of people and products. Companies can utilize this network to develop more sustainable business practices.
• Elsewhere in the media, CloudNC’s Christine Bailey offers here “Five Manufacturing Trends Sales Teams Can Follow For A Competitive Edge” in her council post on Forbes. Spoiler alert, the five trends cover autonomy, sustainability, well-being, digital transformation and product agility.
• Also in Forbes, Marco Annunziata wrote about how “A Manufacturing Renaissance Could Drive Europe’s Post-Pandemic Recovery”, suggesting both ALL Circuits and KATEK could be two of the rising stars in that renaissance.
• Meanwhile in WIRED, “NASA Launches Astronauts to the ISS on a Reused SpaceX Rocket”. The six-month mission is another step toward an eventual moon landing, and the second time this Crew Dragon capsule has visited the space station.

That’s the SCOOP this week…!