June, 2021
www.us-tech.com One solution is to combine these small
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Navigating a New Normal in the Aftermath of the Pandemic Continued from page 45
reselling them in Europe would not last as the market matured. Instead, he created a busi-ness model with an in-country staff of PCB specialists who were bilingual. These special-ists could translate between various PCB shops and customers back in Europe. They could review the customer specifications in one language and relay them to the fabrica-tors in their language. The genius of Ballenghien’s model was to
understand that there were actually two lan- guage barriers. One in the native tongue and another in the technical terminology. The cus- tomer base was not always disciplined in the terms they used in their design notes, fre- quently confusing terms or making up their own.
When dealing with a support-
ive and long-term supply base, there was no need to correct the errors, as local fabricators easily understood the need and would
(Offshore) suppliers did not offer the same under- standing, and commerce soon became sterile. It
was all about the specifi- cations given and not about the suitability of the product to its end use.
deliver what was required, even if it was not explicitly stated. Suddenly faced with a foreign sup- plier, they quickly discovered that these suppliers did not offer the same understanding, and com- merce soon became sterile. It was all about the specifications given and not about the suitability of the product to its end use. Ballenghien created a way
to avoid the argument of suitabil- ity for use and was rewarded with rapid growth in the market- place. The second innovation was to understand that over time the OEM and supplier would develop their communication to include standards, such as IPC-A-600.
Customer Advocate Having in-country advocates
is critical for dispute resolution. However, if those advocates rep- resent a significant amount of revenue to the supplier, they can bring even greater pressure for an equitable resolution. ICAPE’s business model is to
be a significant customer for its selected suppliers, offering them the leverage to outweigh legal remedies. Suppliers are carefully chosen and continually audited by trained quality engineers. A pro- fessional purchasing department manages the distribution of busi- ness to maintain the highest sup- plier performance. Logistics companies have not
yet fully recovered from the dis- ruption caused by the pandemic. How can a company with a small PCB order ensure that their pack- age is handled and delivered safe- ly and efficiently?
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orders with large ones delivered to a central location for distribution. Today, ICAPE deliv- ers more than 22 million PCBs each month. This volume ensures that the company can mix large and small orders into targeted and secure shipments. Perhaps the best example of Ballenghien’s
long-term vision is his business model’s ability to offer solutions for customers that overcome the challenges of the global pandemic. ICAPE’s facility in Dongguan, has more
than 250 specialists in purchasing, logistics, engineering, and quality control. These spe- cialists are connected through the same net- work of video conferencing tools used by the company’s sales teams in Paris and Indianapolis.
Western customers can connect to one of
these technology centers with support in their own language who then quickly engage their counterparts in Asia. This global response by ICAPE has
always been available to small and medium- sized OEMs and EMS providers. As travel restrictions continue, many large companies are finding this to be a valuable service as well. The global pandemic has forced supply chains to reexamine techniques from decades ago. A business model that can flourish even in a pandemic is indeed a visionary. Contact: ICAPE USA, 8102
Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268 % 317-405-9427 E-mail:
stan.bentley@
divsys-icape.com Web:
www.icape-group.com r
30 MORE THAN
2130 Victor Place, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80915 USA Website:
virtual-ii.com E-mail:
info@virtual-ii.com USA Telephone: 719-572-5566 Fax: 719-572-5504
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