Out of Control

New! New! I want New!

2012-01-25T13:38:00.002-06:00

Yay, 2012! A New Year, a new season, a new beginning, things have to get better, right? It is NEW!!!!! New has to be better, right? iPhone 4S has to be better than iPhone 4; iPAD 2 must be cooler than iPAD; the 2012 model cars must be more reliable, better looking and have better features than the 2011 models.

The change of season or the change of time seems to have a certain effect on us. It seems to give us a new lease in life, and we are given the power to wipe out whatever we don’t like and move on to something new. New season brings us new dreams and new hopes, and somehow we are energized by it when the calendar pages turn over. We make new resolutions, we set new goals, and we have new bounces in our steps, why? Because it is a new season! We can finally leave all the unpleasant things behind, all the heartaches and problems in the dumpster. The weight of the past seems to have been lifted when the time ticked over from 2011 to 2012! Maybe that is one of the reasons why people went crazy when the ball dropped at Time Square!

Unfortunately, the problem with “New” is that newness does not seem to stick around very long. My wife and I belong to a local gym for quite a few years now, and every year right after the New Year, the membership of the club increases significantly and the population of people exercising rises considerably. It is hard to find a parking spot at the club, every exercise class seems to be crowded with many new faces, locker rooms are filled with people, and one even has to stay in line to wait for the showers. Then, as predictable as the spring will come, by the end of March, the number of people using the club will be back in the normal level, and the crowd seems to disappear. Only very few new people actually stayed and committed to the resolutions that they made.

Once the newness wears off, we discover that the problems and issues that we thought we have thrown into the dumpster resurface again. The excitement turns into indifference, the burst of energy wears off, and the new becomes old and we all fall back to the old habits, old excuses. Why? Just because it is easy. We find out that keeping the new energy going, reaching for the new goals and dreams takes effort! So, we end up with new and better toys (yes, iPAD2 is cooler and new cars have better features) but our lives do not quite get to the new level that we envisioned. That is why I think setting New Year Resolutions is mostly a waste of time because people do not have the commitment to follow-up; not that they don’t want to, but they don’t want to do so with the efforts and dedication required.

Well, this is NOT a blog of despair and discouragement; this is a blog of hope and encouragement. New goals and new vision are great, and new season really is a wonderful new beginning. The key to move from season to season and keep reaching higher and higher levels is being consistent with the underlying principles that one believes in. For example, when Mitsubishi brings out new lines of PLCs, they have better features, better technologies, but they are also consistent in the core principles of being reliable, high performance, compatible to the products they replaced. Bringing the consistency into the new season and new environment makes success in the new season much more promising.

So, try something new, venture into new territories, go wild in the New Year if you chose to. But be steady and consistent in your core, the way you work, do things, treat people, solve problems, do projects, all with integrity and dedication. We are reinventing ourselves, but keep the core values that we have and we all will have a happy and prosperous New Year!

By the way, Happy Chinese New Year (January 23, 2012) to you! The year of the Dragon! It is also your second chance to try the “New Year” over again, and do it right this time!

Is It Worth It??

2011-12-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

I like this time of the year! There is something special about Christmas time; even the frigid temperature in Michigan does not feel that bad in December! It is time to get together with family and friends, it is time to slow down the pace of our lives, and it is time to reflect what had happened during the year and to wrap things up and getting ready for the New Year!
I was in the Los Angeles area on vacation during Thanksgiving time and drove by a line of people with tents, lawn chairs, and sleeping bags near a Best Buy store. The first thought that crossed my mind was that they were on strike against the store, but soon I realized that they were lining up for the Black Friday sales, days and hours before the start of the sales. All of sudden I felt that the peacefulness and tranquility of the Christmas season seem to disappear since there was nothing slow, easy and nice about Black Friday sales.

I did a little research and found out the term “Black Friday” originated in the 1960s and came from Philadelphia police who each year faced massive traffic mess caused by fans in town for the Army-Navy football game combined with swarms of holiday shoppers. Of course now the term was spun to represent the “official” beginning of Christmas shopping season and helping the retailors’ profits to turn “Black.” Wherever the term came from or what does it really mean, Black Fridays seem to bring out crazy behaviors of certain people. We heard about the woman using pepper spray on other shoppers so she could get the items she wanted, the shooting in the malls, and people fighting each other to get the door-buster deals. So the “million dollar question” to me is: are the deals worth it or do they justify the behaviors of people? I am not even talking about the behaviors to hurt others but simply spending hours to stand in long lines and shop among crowded angry shoppers?

I guess the answer depends on your situations and perspectives. Some used the camping time and hours of waiting as the opportunity to bond with friends and family members; some may need the 90%-off items because of economy necessities; and some simply want the stuff that may become dust collectors in a few months. Whatever the reasons are, “getting a good deal” seems to be one of the strongest motivational factors to drive people behaviors.

Even in the business world, we spend endless time hashing over prices, negotiating without good faith with each other, fighting over a few dollars, figuring out different angles to benefit ourselves….all in the name of getting the best deals that we can. Certainly it is necessary to be frugal and smart with the resources that we have. However, a lot of times we become so “self-centered” and we totally neglect the interests of others, and we get into the “I win, you lose” mentality instead of looking for “win-win” solutions. So at the end, the same question still applies: Is it worth it?

It is the season to enjoy peace on earth and practice good will toward men! It is the time to get good deals not only for ourselves but also allow others around us to do so! Then maybe we can justify our efforts to stand in line for hours because we can share the joy and blessings of the season with others, even total strangers who may be hostile toward us.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Your Families!
p.s. don’t forget to enjoy the after Christmas sales.

Where is my passport??

2011-11-07T08:26:00.000-06:00

I was totally in shock when I arrived at the Seoul Gimpo airport ready to catch a flight to Busan. I went through my backpack and realized that I didn't have my passport with me! I left it back at the hotel!

How was I going to make the meeting at Hanwha, one of Mitsubishi customers in manufacturing Powertrain assembly lines? It was already about 9:20AM and the flight was scheduled to leave at 10AM! I tried to see whether I could get by with my Michigan Driver’s licenses, but the lady at the counter was not impressed by that. So the only choice I had was to go back to the hotel and get the passport. My Korean host looked at the watch and said to me with confidence: "We can make it!" I was surprised by his statement since even though the hotel is not too far from the airport, it would take at least 15 minutes each way with no traffic, and the traffic in Seoul was definitely busy. Well, since I really didn’t have any other option and he had already called the colleague who dropped us off at the airport to circle back and get us, it was worth a try, I thought. What was there to lose anyway? Well, I was sooooo wrong!

We went on one of the most intense, white-knuckle rides I had ever experienced through the busy streets of Seoul. The driver zipped through lanes of traffic cutting from one lane to another with one hand on the horn beeping non-stopped. At one corner, a car was trying to squeeze onto the lane in front of us. Of course my driver would not allow such delay to happen, so he beeped his horn, pushed forward and almost knocked the front end of the other car off. I could smell trouble right away. Sure enough, when the other car finally pulled out, he made a point of forcing himself in front of us somehow, stopped in the middle of the street, got off the car, open the trunk and I thought he was ready to pull out a weapon and fight us! Luckily, my driver drove around the vehicle, and my host rolled down the window and apologized and explained that we were in a hurry! Good thing the other driver accepted the apology; I was so close to witness (participate in?) a street fight in Korea.

To make a long story short, I got my passport and was back at the airport right at 10 o'clock. Needless to say, we didn't make the flight! All the excitement for nothing, really! We got on another flight an hour later, and believe it or not, the meeting at Busan was also delayed by an hour by the people that we were meeting for some unknown reasons. We went through the heart-attack journey ride for nothing.

We take this kind of unnecessary journeys a lot in life. We believe we need to be somewhere urgently or do something right away because it seems to be the only choice that we have. We rush, take risks, hustle, offend people around us, and even get into fights (or close to getting into fights)! At the end, we realize that most the time we don’t need to go through the “hurry up and wait” routine. Unfortunately, along the way, we leave a trail of damages, some are obvious immediately and some have long lasting negative effects. Even when we rush to finish projects in order to meet deadlines, we take short cuts, yell at people who get in front of us, and don't pay attention to the risky steps we are taking. Sometimes we get lucky and end up with the results that we want, but I’ll venture to say that most the time we fail because we don’t do the jobs properly.

I am not advocating that we ignore deadlines or commitments. I am advocating better preparation, attention to details, thorough planning before execution so that we don’t have to go on any wild journeys. I know “things” happen, but we need to make sure we are not the cause for these “things.”

I learned my lessons well, and I made sure I had my passport in my possession at all time for the rest of the trip. I checked it multiple times before each flight so I don't have to go through that roller- coaster car-ride again. I am happy to report that I got home safely, and I will remember the ride through Seoul for a long time!

FORE!

2011-09-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

Summer time in Michigan is a great time for golf, a beautiful but sometimes frustrating game. There’s nothing like hitting that little white ball, seeing it soar through the blue sky, and not knowing exactly where it is going to land!! Those dreaded three footers that we missed (well, those were the gimmes, right?) as well as the unbelievable 40-footers that we made played with our emotions like nothing else. But all golfers (uh.. I mean hackers) know that it only takes one good shot a round to bring us back playing this game because we all have our ~~“Tiger Woods”~~ “Rory McIlroy” moments in us. It is really an addictive game for sure!
I used to take this game a lot more seriously. I got mad at myself with my bad shots and wouldn’t stop complaining how bad the shots were. That was until one day my wife gave me a great revelation: “That’s all the talent you have in playing this game, so why are you complaining?” Wow, that hit me hard and made me realize what a lousy attitude I had while playing this beautiful game. I ignored all the good and fun and focused only on the bad and frustration! What a pity!
With the attitude adjustment, I am having a lot more fun now playing golf. When I hit the ball into the woods, I appreciate the opportunity to find three other balls; when I pulled my shot into the trees and it bounced back on the fairway, I jumped for joy; when I dug three holes in the sand traps, I simply threw the ball on the green… score? What score? Give me an “x” and let us move on to the next hole!
Well, we all need a little attitude adjustment in life as well as at work. Things seldom are as great as we want them to be, nor as bad as we envision they are. Projects are not always going smoothly and customers are not always friendly. However, with a positive and uplifting attitude, we can learn great lessons when we are challenged, and we can move forward to accomplish what we need to do with a lot more fun. Complaining and being angry will not accomplish anything useful, seeing the “silver lining” and “the light at the end of the tunnel” will motivate us to pick up the pieces and strive toward the goals that we set out for.
We should all be thankful for the spouses that keep us straight, no matter what we are doing! Well, another beautiful round of golf is “calling” me, and I will enjoy the game as much as I can before the temperature and leaves begin to drop around here. But again, hitting balls with sweater on and finding balls buried under leaves sound like fun also!

Details! Details!

2011-07-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

Sitting in the Narita airport and waiting for the flight home after a week of business meetings in Japan, I suddenly experienced what people often said is the best part of a trip - going home! It really is a feeling hard to describe, a mixture of anxiousness, anticipation, and joy. Don't get me wrong, the trip was very productive and Japanese people were so courteous and polite, and I truly enjoyed my visit here. But I tell you, nothing beats going home!

The disciplined and orderly behaviors and attention to details of most Japanese people always impress me, and this trip was no exception. I was on a flight between Haneda and Fukuoka this week and observed a flight attendant at work during the take off and landing processes. She diligently pushed the doors of the overhead compartment bins one at a time to ensure they were closed securely, pulling on handles of all closet doors to make sure they were locked in place, and examined all curtains to check whether they were folded and snapped in place as they should. And after she checked everything, she made some kinds of hand signals that seemed to indicate that she checked and everything was fine. The same routine was repeated precisely during the landing process, even though no one even touched the overhead bins, the closets or the curtains during the short one hour flight.

By watching her worked, somehow I was reminded of the importance of attention to details and following procedures precisely in doing a task. A lot of time, we skipped over steps, took shortcuts, or just went through motions because we assumed we know how to do the tasks, things are as usual, and nothing will change. Because we “know” what we are doing, certainly we don't really have to go though all the steps, pay attention to the details, and follow the procedures as required. Wow, that is when things go wrong and we end up regretting on our neglect and ignorance. Well, I am glad she didn't take it easy and skim the steps, and no passengers was hit by any loose objects during the take off or landing processes, a job well done!

It is time to catch my flight home now, and I look forward to an enjoyable journey home because I expect another job well done in details and precision by another fine crew. Hummm… people do expect us to do our jobs with precision and dedication, and we shouldn’t disappoint them.

See you back in the U. S.

Construction Detours

2011-06-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

It has been a cold and rainy spring in the Midwest this year, and the weather finally turned nicer in the past few weeks. When the weather becomes nicer, everyone rushes out from hibernation, and there are cars everywhere on the roads. To make matters worse, the construction season also started and there are lane closures and detours all over the place. Sometimes I wonder who (if anyone?) coordinates these construction projects, because they all seem to start at the same time and all along the same direction. The roads between two places are either closed or down to one lane each way at the same time. Stacking road construction projects to avoid total chaos does not seem to be one of the factors considered.

We all experienced the frustration of being stuck in traffic that turned a simple 20 minute-trip into an hour-long ordeal. Of course we are experienced road warriors, and we can fix this problem and take care of this situation. So when the traffic starts to squeeze down from three lanes to one, we start to “re-calculate” the route in our heads and then jump into action …. cutting through the gas station, making a U-turn in a sub-division, going down the un-paved side roads, turning south to go north …. so after all the turning and twisting, beeping the horn, cursing (silently of course) at crazy drivers (me? not me) we finally reach the destination, taking more time to get there than we would have if we just simply stay the course.

Wow, don’t you feel “not very smart” (well, stupid is a bit strong!) when this happen to you? But in a similar way, we do this all the time when we execute projects. When things start to slow down because of external events and we can not accomplish the goals as quickly as we would like, we imagine a “construction detour” sign in front of us and we jump the gun to look for alternatives and take short cuts in order to meet deadlines. After wasting a lot of time and resources, we get to the destination and find out the slow down is only “minor” and we would have gotten the results a lot quicker if we simply stay the course and press on. Surely there are times that we need to adjust and make alternative plans, but many times we take the detours when we really don’t have to.

So just like we should know the situation (e.g. where are all the constructions) and gather up-to-date information (e.g. current traffic conditions, any accidents on the road) as much as we can before we take a trip, we should do the same when we execute projects. When we are prepared, we can avoid making off-the-cuff detour decisions, or worse yet, getting stuck in traffic when we should have taken the detours.

Enjoy the summer! Happy driving around orange cones!

Resilience

2011-03-23T07:56:00.001-05:00

It is hard to turn on the news on TV these days without seeing the devastation created by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. When I saw the videos of the earthquake and the tsunami, I was in awe of the power of the nature and the damages it created. Fortunately, my Mitsubishi colleagues in Japan and their families were not directly impacted by the disasters, but my heart goes out to the families that lose love ones and whose properties were badly damaged.

In every disaster, there are always encouraging and heart warming stories showing the resiliency and kindness of the human spirit. Such as the following examples from the Yahoo Contributor Network:

•A ship ripped from its moorings with 81 dock hands aboard has been found. The dock workers survived their ride to sea on the waves of the tsunami and were airlifted to safety, Jiji news agency reported Saturday.
•Rescuers pulled a 60-year old man from the sea, 10 miles off shore, after spotting the red cloth he was waving. The tsunami had washed him off his roof and out to sea.
•In Tokyo, in the earthquake aftermath when the streets were filled with stranded commuters, Butagumi Shabu handed out free curry and rice; Eiji Press offered shelter; and Suntory and Bic Camera offered free public phone charging.
•The town of Minaminsanriku was virtually washed to sea in the tsunami, yet an encouraging SOS written in chalk indicated survivors at the elementary school.

But the one story that impressed me the most is the following:
•The Japanese people are known for their orderliness and respect and did not abandon these characteristics in the disaster aftermath. Sendai survivors lined up and waited their turns to buy what they could in the few shops left.
This reminded me about what I learned from a friend of mine. One of her friends was on a subway train in Tokyo when the earthquake hit and participated in one of the most orderly evacuations that he had ever witnessed. People followed the direction of PA announcements without panicking, running, shouting, just quietly and orderly exited the station.

We all experience difficulties in life, may be not as drastic as the earthquake or tsunami, but how do we handle or react to the difficulties will certainly determine how we will come out of them. With the resilient, never give-up attitude, we can walk through the difficulties and come out strong on the other side. Keeping calm and behaving orderly, true to our characters in the most difficult situations, we will not do things in panic, we will not create chaos or create further damages to ourselves and others.

In some ways, these events are parallel to the difficult economic disasters in the past two years. Companies with the resilient spirit and orderly behaviors (taking sound steps rather than doing things in panic mode and reactive) come out of the down turn leaner and meaner than before. We had to make sacrifices, and we had to take steps that were not pleasant, but we knew what we had to do to get through the darkness, just like the 60 year-old man who hung on to the roof floating in sea, he didn’t give up!

I am positive Japan will come out of these disasters stronger. Just like people who survived the disasters in New Orleans in 2005, Sichuan China in 2008, Chile in 2010, people in Sendai will rebuild the town and the farm lands because of the resiliency of the human spirit! Yes, it may take a while, but I am sure the city will come out better than before!

The Old and the New

2011-02-03T07:46:00.000-06:00

I recently attended the P&G PackML Workshop in Beijing, and it was my first trip “ever” to mainland China. With my Chinese heritage and my upbringing in Taiwan, I was quite excited about the opportunity to visit Beijing and experience the people and the culture in mainland China.

With a free day after the workshop, I took the time to experience the city. Being able to speak and read the language gave me great confidence to explore the city on my own. After studying the subway and the tourist street maps, I took off with a planned strategy for the day. I visited the Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, the Heaven Temple, the Front Gate and the Front Gate Boulevard area; I walked through main streets such as WangFuJing shopping district, and many tiny alley ways. I also walked around the Heaven Temple Park and the surrounding areas to get a taste of how people live their everyday life. It was a beautiful and crisp day, sun was shining all day with calm wind, and the only problem was that the temperature was in the high teens and it was COLDDDDD! I went into a Starbucks in a shopping center on WangFuJing Street to warm up and rest my feet, I also rode the subway periodically to get away from the cold. It was a tiring but a very interesting and rewarding day for sure!

One common question I got from friends and coworkers after the trip is “What is your impression about Beijing?” Well, if there is one impression that stuck with me, it is the clear contrast between the old and the new in Beijing, and I am not even talking about the mixture of high-rise, modern buildings and the beautiful palaces that were built hundreds of years ago. I am referring to the clear contrast between generations of people and the ways of life that seems to be vividly shown. There were young people dressed in the latest fashion with earphones stuck in their ears and texting as they walked on the street and rode the subway, just like other young people in many places around the world. On the other hand, there were older people who seem to remain in the 50’s and 60’s with the way they dressed, conversed, and behaved. There were traffic jams everywhere with lots of new cars on the road, but quite often there were also people with push-carts from generations ago walked down the street pushing heavy loads.

I had the chance to talk to a young man in his thirties from the Mitsubishi Beijing office about my observation, and he gave me a rather interesting perspective. He said that China has progressed at a pace in the past 20, 30 years that probably would have taken other countries more than 50 years to accomplish. The super-fast advancement of the way of life left many people behind; they either could not or refuse to come along with the fast-pace changes. This was a fairly insightful reflection of the reality. I must also emphasize one very important point: there was a huge contrast but I did not notice or experience any conflicts from the contrast. The old and the new seem to co-exist just fine together, even though I am sure there are some problems caused by the differences that would need to be dealt with and resolved.

In the automation world, with the rapid advancing of the electronic and communication technologies and the dynamic changes in the global market places, suppliers like Mitsubishi must bring out new products at a much faster pace than before to meet new customer demands. However, there are also many existing customers that are using products with “old” technologies because they do not have the business-justifications to change. It is the responsibility of the automation suppliers to work with the customers to manage the transitions from the old to the new, and also support both the new and the old products to ensure they will co-exist and work together; and I must say that Mitsubishi is doing a good job with it.

Just like Beijing, the co-existence of the old and the new creates a unique atmosphere “和諧” which means harmony! I look forward to visiting Beijing again, to see the Great Walls that I missed during this trip. I will certainly experience more of the new and the old and will thoroughly enjoy them!!

We Love to Implement Standards, Don’t We?

2010-12-01T14:39:00.001-06:00

If you have flown recently, I am sure you are keenly aware of the controversies surrounding the full body scan process at airport security check points. I have the fortune (misfortune?) to be scanned a couple of times recently, and frankly it does not bother me too much; and yes, I received the full pat-down treatment (I forgot to take some business cards out of my pocket). Many people are not happy with these new procedures being implemented by the TSA. Many feel it is a violation of privacy while others complained this process will result in longer lines; added hassle; and various other inconveniences.

In a strange way, it got me thinking about the implementation of standards in the automation / manufacturing areas. Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. recently exhibited its PackML solution at Pack Expo and I had the opportunities to talk with many people about PackML and the benefits of implementing standards. A few OEMs that I talked to had some negative comments on the potential implementation of PackML on their machines. These comments specifically related to the extra engineering efforts that were required to implement and debug the standard as well as the more expensive controller hardware platforms they had to purchase in order to accommodate the additional memory storage resulting from the PackML requirements. Not too many of them questioned or challenged the benefits of PackML, but they sure didn't like the "extras" they had to spend in order to get there.

Hmmm.... are you seeing the similarities in situations? We all want the safest flights, and no one is disputing the need to intense screening of passengers; but most of us are not happy with the process we have to follow in order to reach our destinations safely? Many of us feel we could achieve the same result with a more efficient and less-intrusive screening procedure.

That being said, I am happy to report that Mitsubishi Electric Automation has made the journey of standards implementation more efficient and less time consuming. One of the key benefits of the Mitsubishi PackML OEM Implementation template package is its ability to help OEMs comply to the PackML requirements easily and efficiently. The Mitsubishi PackML templates meet the PackML requirements completely and are offered at no-charge to OEMs that want to use them. Mitsubishi’s PackML solution also uses the PLC resources so efficiently that a smaller size PLC can do most jobs. OEMs can simply concentrate on using their expertise to do what they do best instead of devoting time and effort to meet the PackML requirements. The “extras” are taken care of!

If the process of getting there is simplified, more people will jump climb onboard, and the original intent of having the standard can finally be realized...... Life is good!

Good Luck getting through the check points!

OMAC, Moving Forward!

2010-03-30T16:06:00.000-05:00

Last month I attended the ARC Conference and OMAC Users Group meeting in Orlando. I couldn’t help but thinking about all the changes that happened to the OMAC Users Group over the years. I had the privilege of working with several very good end user companies and excellent people in the establishment of the group in the late 90’s. It started as a group of end user companies getting together to drive command standards and common ways of doing things. I don’t think the goal has changed but the organization structure certainly had evolved over the years.

I left the OMAC Board of Directors and was not as active in most of the OMAC activities four years ago when OMAC went under the umbrella of ISA. My departure from OMAC had nothing to do with the ISA association and was more related to the changes of my job functions at that time. However, the group changed from an ad hoc, loosely connected group to a more corporate-like organization with more structure and financial responsibility. I certainly understand the necessity of the change in order to reduce potential liability exposure for the officers of the organization, and I am not against the change. But I felt that the group might have lost a bit of its “no restriction, we can get together and do what is necessary to be done” kind of “Free-spirit” attitude.

I was surprised to find out that OMAC is moving to be independent again. The separation from ISA may be a financial-driven decision, but I feel like the group is energized again. Under the leadership of Boeing and P&G, OMAC has accomplished quite a lot the past years - the release of PackML standard and implementation guide, adoption of STEP-NC standards, and implementation of standard Machine Tool Subprograms, etc. With the new structure and acceptance of technology supplier representation on the board, I believe the OMAC Users Group will move into the new phase of implementing in addition to defining standards.

Mitsubishi has been a corporate member of OMAC for the past two years and is committed to implement the PackML standard. We are excited that we will be able to help OEMs jump start their effort in implementing the PackML standard by providing PackML function blocks and modular program templates. I am convinced that our efforts together with the efforts of other suppliers will accelerate the adoption of PackML standard, just as what OMAC has envisioned.

Toyota? Tiger Woods?

2010-03-30T16:04:00.000-05:00

Toyota is in the news quite a bit recently and I am sure it is not quite the publicity that the company is looking for. Toyota seems to have recalls and receive unfavorable press coverages in the last month more than they ever did in the past 20 years. The seeming unshakable reputation and public image really took a beating.

Strangely enough, somehow in my mind, I connected the Toyota situation with what happened to Tiger Woods recently. I am sure most of you know what happened to Tiger, and the destruction to his image and reputation. Even though these are two totally unrelated situations, what struck me is that the “mystique”, “can’t do no wrong”, “unbeatable” images of both are severely damaged.

A good reputation and subsequent public trust of a brand take many years of effort and resources to build. Once they are established, they can be power forces in the market place and can be very profitable. However, just when things are going well, we all seem to have the tendency to relax and become comfortable with what we are doing. We also mistakenly think that we are invincible and we can get away with anything we do without the dedication and diligence that we used to have. As we learn from both cases recently, the reputation can be gone quickly and the public trust eroded overnight.

Will Toyota and Tiger Woods get back to the status they had before? May be, maybe not, only time will tell. But the certainty is that there will be a lot of re-dedicated efforts and costs required to get back to the pinnacle. In a business world, when you are trying to rebuild what you had before, the door is wide open for the competitors to come in and make life very difficult for you! I used to work for GM, and I still remember the X-Car brake issues, the look-alike cars in the 80’s and the damages those problems had done to the company. The biggest problem is the lost of good reputation and public trust. I saw the struggles that GM had to regain consumer confidence in the company. With great products that GM has in the past decade, it is still an uphill battle just to convince people to get GM a try.

So it is abundantly obvious that a brand reputation in the market place is precious to protect, after years of work to gain the brand reputation. It makes me a lot more appreciative about the quality process that Mitsubishi goes through to ensure its hardware products are reliable and dependable. I know many people who may not know much about the features and functions of Mitsubishi automation products, but they seem to know the quality reputation that Mitsubishi has. I think I will stop questioning why the engineers at Nagoya need to do all the “seemingly over-board” noise testing, environmental testing, etc. It is worth the effort to protect the reputation that you have!

Should it be Manufacturing IT or should it be Manufacturing Controls???

2009-10-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

It is always intriguing to me that IT and Controls people don’t seem to get along. They have different opinions (and reasons) on how data should be collected, what data should be collected, what reports are needed and should be generated, what applications should be used to make manufacturing operations more efficient… and the list go on-and-on.

There are certain things in a manufacturing environment that are clearly defined. IT guys are responsible for enterprise level systems, high-level plant-wide network infrastructure, and all the office computing and communication systems. Controls guys are responsible for getting and keeping the machine running, collecting data from the automated and manual production systems, etc. However, there are two categories of systems that fall in the “grey area” that cause a lot of contention between the IT and controls guys: the loosely-called Manufacturing Execution Systems and “Industrial” Ethernet networks!

Anytime someone mentions Production Monitoring Systems, Andon Boards, Ethernet switches, OEE calculation, maintenance dispatching systems, network redundancy, PC-based control systems, Windows-based Operator Interfaces, the blood starts to boil… Then the arguments (ummm… I mean discussions) turn into server vs. embedded systems, Windows security patches vs. PC on the floor is not a PC, network monitoring vs. network diagnostics, IT professional support need vs. skilled-trade people can do it… and don’t forget the big one – cost!! We can probably take up the whole blog just documenting the types of disagreements we have heard and used.

Is this really a power struggle between Manufacturing IT and Engineering organizations or is it people really have the best interest in mind to help the manufacturing processes and just have different approaches on how to achieve the goals? Should the policies, technical approaches, and responsibilities regarding manufacturing information be controlled or dictated by the Manufacturing IT organization or the Controls Engineering organization?

What are your opinions and thoughts on these issues? People can become very “passionate” on these issues. Let me offer some of my thoughts. Ok, so I may be a bit biased since I am a controls guy, but as a favorite slogan (from the large Controls Engineering organization I used to work for) says “We Make Things Work”, so my points of view are more from the plant floor perspective where the actions are.

Of course the politically correct position is that IT and Controls need to work together for the good of the company. Who can argue against that? But in reality, companies have been working on “Working Together” for a long time and the disagreements are still there. One fundamental factor for the division, I believe, is the “Over-burden, Policy Driven” IT approaches against the “Cowboy, whatever it takes to make it work” mentality. Considering the following conversations:

IT: “You have to upgrade the operating systems of your HMI and PC-based controller so that I can put the latest security patches on them. It is the corporate mandate that all computers need to be patched.”
Controls: “But they have been running Windows NT 4.0 for years and we don’t use them as PCs, we use them as controllers”
IT: “It doesn’t matter, we need to do this”
Controls: “But my control applications won’t run anymore”

The different mentalities turn into organizational power struggle because each organization strides to be the one to set policies and dictate how things should be done. If the IT guys are setting the policies and standards, we will need change requests approved for every change in the ladder logic in a controller. If the controls guys are setting the policies, we will be running MRP systems using PLCs. This may sound funny, but some people do have the extreme ideas.

The reality is that we all know our own business and do our jobs well, if we stay in our areas of expertise. We get into arguments when we try to push our ways of doing things and technologies to other domains without really understanding the details. There are great opportunities in the “grey area “that can really help improve manufacturing efficiencies and we need to utilize the expert knowledge from both sides. For example, controls guys can rely on the network architecture expertise from IT to design the industrial network for body assembly cells. I remember an engine assembly line network that was designed by an OEM without any networking knowledge that ended up with 7-layers of unmanaged Ethernet switches. I am sure that is not the best network architecture for the system. “It works!” a control guy may say, but what happens if there is a network issue during production? On the other hand, mandating MQTT protocol on PLCs does not realize the primary job of a PLC is to control the machine. We all have skewed views.

In recent years, technologies that bridge the gap between IT and Controls have made the divide much smaller and cooperation between the two a reality. Even with all the problems OPC servers have (mainly because of poor implementations of commercial products and system integration), they enabled the plant floor to IT integration. The next generation products such as the Mitsubishi MESIT module enables PLCs to be integrated with IT system databases much easier, making the job easier for both sides. The next trend will be moving some of the MES functions into embedded devices on the floor to take advantage of the capability of modules such as MESIT. There are smaller manufacturing environments that need only limited MES functions and can not afford the computer room and multiple servers. The embedded MES modules will be ideal for these facilities.

So here is my Utopia on how things should work in the “grey area”:
• Production should provide the business requirements for MES and production system integration.
• Controls should be responsible for collecting plant floor data and communicating them to MES systems
• IT should be a system design and service provider organization, not the one dictate how things should be done.
• IT and Controls should work together to determine what system architecture should be. Using all servers or no server can not be the solution for all situations. Different system architectures should be customized for different facilities based on agreed upon guidelines.
o We are not talking about hundreds of variations but may be systems and architectures for “large, medium, and small” facilities based on the number of controllers that need to be integrated?
• Controls should determine what network architecture technical needs are and IT should assist in designing the network architecture to integrate production systems.
• Controls should dictate what control system hardware be but follow the corporate information security practices.

Anyway, at the end of the day, we need to get parts out the door! We can be friends as long as we don’t discuss computer viruses and IGMP Snooping on the factory floor.

Did anything good ever come from GM?

2009-06-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

I think most people will agree that the Detroit area is not the happiest place on earth right now. There seems to be bad news coming all the time and no, I am not talking about the Lions! It has almost become fashionable to take shots at Detroit and the U.S. auto companies that reside there. Yes, some of the criticisms are justified. There were bad management decisions; bad union contracts; wastes and inefficiencies; and yes, political corruptions. The list could go on. I may not be qualified to discuss the issues of Detroit itself (even though I certainly have my own opinions!). I am, however, qualified to say that a lot of the automation technology used today was developed by and for the U.S. automotive companies, specifically by GM. I know this because I was a GM employee for 25 years.

When I have talked to people who have had a lot of criticisms of the GM cars and trucks, I often found that (s)he had not driven nor even been in a GM vehicle for at least five to ten years and sometimes longer. The criticisms came from some bad experiences personally, but more times than not, it was from hearing the bad experiences of friends and acquaintances. Wow, what a perception problem GM has to overcome! Now, I know that these criticisms were earned over the years, but I think the products from the past few years deserve a 2nd look without people propagating the old opinions without fresh inputs.

I am not a product guy so I can’t say too much about the technologies in the vehicles, but the innovations and advanced technologies used in these vehicles are so exciting! Consumers don’t have to worry about how these things work and how to use them in the vehicles. They are presented in the forms of safety, comfort, functionality, ease of use…. These are real engineering marvels, if I may say so myself! Many of today’s technologies and innovations in manufacturing automation areas were either driven by or first adopted in large-scale production use by GM and other U.S. automotive companies. For most automation suppliers, the PLC is the key product in the business! Did you know that the first wide-adoption of the PLC in manufacturing operations was by GM Powertrain (it was called Hydra-Matic at that time) operation in Ypsilanti. That adoption literally launched a whole new industry!

Secondly, one may think Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) was a failure since it never reached the goal of becoming the common communication network and protocol that links all components of automated equipment together. That may be true, however, the use of networks in manufacturing with different applications such as peer-to-peer communication, controls to IT system integration, safety networks, device networks, etc. all were derived or initiated from the MAP efforts. Today, it is hard to imagine a production line without network connectivity or even a low-automation line with many manual stations!

My favorite technology topic is Open Architecture Controller versus the PC-based controller. They certainly are controversial in the sense that there are people who have strong opinions on whether they should be used in a manufacturing environment. I always believed that an open architecture controller is not the same as a PC-based controller, and we can probably spend the next two hours discussing the differences. Whatever your view is regarding these two items, they brought the concept of inter-operability to reality on the factory floor. They bring the “openness” of operator interfaces and ease of network connectivity to manufacturing lines. The popularity of using Ethernet-based technologies in manufacturing is the result of the adoption of PCs and the availability of low cost Ethernet connectivity options. Of course GM together with other large end-user companies has the main driving force behind the use of these technologies through the OMAC Users Group.

Let’s look at Windows operating system and PC platforms in manufacturing. Was that a good thing? Was it a failure? I am sure we can debate this for a long time. There were several factors such as information security concerns and operating system updates that made the use of PCs on the plant floor not as beneficial as first envisioned. However, I will say proper use of PCs and the implementation of open system concept enabled great advances in manufacturing automation. That discussion will be something for another blog in the near future.

Vision systems in the vehicle assembly lines, vision guided robotic systems for windshield insertion and stud-welding, full-body gauging systems, paint defect detection systems, panel defect detection systems using light diffraction, modular control, artificial intelligence and knowledge-based systems, flexible fixtures, manufacturing line simulation, ultrasonic gap detection systems, etc. are many of the technology application examples. These are just some of the applications that I was personally involved with over the years. Some were very successful, others not so much from both the technology implementation and application usefulness standpoint. GM at that time was a company striving to be innovative, willing to take risks, willing to provide its engineering teams the freedom and opportunities to use new concepts and technologies, in short, a Company taking bold steps towards being the leader! Some of the risk taking and being the “guineas pig” did not result in direct benefits to GM, however, the contributions to industry from these efforts were invaluable! Maybe that is one of the key factors for GM’s problems right now: it has not taken advantages the many good things it has done over the years itself.

As I follow what is happening at GM closely, I have great confidence in the future success of the company! GM was a very good company and it will be a great company again! It is an opportunity to correct some of the mistakes; and with the tradition of innovation and the mindset of being the best, GM will be better than ever! Of course many of my friends are still there, and I know how innovative and smart they are, and there are many like them in the company.

Many Wonder if the Grass is "Browner" on the Otherside...

2009-05-04T15:04:00.000-05:00

"What is it like to be on the otherside?"

Ever since I joined Mitsubishi Electric Automation in November of 2008, one of the more frequently asked questions I get is “How does it feel to be on the other side?” Of course people who are now my competitors are the ones most interested in knowing how I feel.

Frankly, the transition of my role from end user to technology supplier has been fairly smooth; it was almost like I just moved to a different assignment and didn’t really need to make a whole lot of adjustments. In some ways, it was easier than my transfer to GM Controls Conveyors Robotics and Welding (CCRW) organization from GM Powertrain a few years ago. At that time it took me a few months before I became totally comfortable with the organization and the way things were done. Don’t get me wrong, I liked CCRW, the people and the assignments, and I still do like GM and the people a lot! I just didn’t adjust as easily to the change at that time for some reason. On the contrary, there should be more reasons for me to feel “uneasy” with this recent job change: the role change from end user to supplier, the move from an engineering focused organization to a more marketing and sales focused organization, the adjustment from a huge company to a smaller organization, the change of routine from the daily commute to the office to working from home and flying to different business locations… I can go on and on. Hey, maybe the new challenges in a brand new environment make everything easy and exciting!

Looking back, I can say being an end user was very beneficial to my career and me personally. I had the opportunity to work with many different supplier companies to understand the good and the bad of various technologies and products; companies short and long-term business strategies; different ways different companies conduct business and serve customers; “games” people play to win new business, etc. All of these experiences have broadened my view and knowledge in both commercial and technical aspects of the automation business. Additionally, while representing an end-user company in many industry associations and committees, I was able to work with many other end-user companies to understand their automation architectures, strategies, and rationale for selecting technologies and suppliers. Jointly, we were able to define new directions and new applications for the industry and that was very satisfying. However, the best part of working for an end user company was the privilege to work with many good people from many different companies over the years. I was able establish wonderful relationships with many of them, both professionally and personally. Now that I am working for a supplier company, many of my friends will not talk to me anymore professionally! The good thing is that we are still friends personally, so we can still get together to play golf and complain about the Lions! The opportunity to network truly was and remains priceless!

After a few months with Mitsubishi, I started to appreciate life from the supplier’s perspectives. I quickly found many different opportunities to utilize the experiences I have. I am excited that I can see how my contributions directly impact the bottom line of the organization; I can gain deeper understanding of the needs and requirements in different industries; I can assist in creating new business opportunities with the connections that I have; and how I can help improve the efficiency in engineering development projects. Not only do I get to work with new people within Mitsubishi globally, but I also have the opportunity to work with customer companies as well. Pretty exciting stuff! I am looking forward to the opportunities for me to provide the end-user view to the Mitsubishi teams globally in order to improve the functionality our products to meet customer requirements and bridge any solution gaps. My insight on vendor selection criteria, effective sales approaches, end user company decision making process, etc. can be used to improve the efficiency of Mitsubishi’s direct sales and marketing approaches to end user companies. Knowing the behind-the-scenes procurement processes at an end-user company, I am convinced that Mitsubishi can avoid certain common mistakes supplier companies make during a project quoting process.

If I really have to compare the two sides, I can see the end users may have more influence in defining the industry standards (e.g. MAP, OMAC). However, these standards will not become reality without the technologies provided by the suppliers. On the other hand, technology suppliers not only have the ability to make standards a reality, they are also able to market and influence industry and international standards on their own (e.g. OPC, DeviceNet/EtherNet/IP, Profibus/PROFINET, CC-Link/CC-Link IE). So I am glad that I am blessed to be able to contribute from both sides!

So, how is it to be on the other side? I can’t really say the grass is greener on the end user side since I believe the grass is equally green on both sides! When I was an end user, I sometimes detected supplier employees felt like they were “second-class” citizens to the end users. This was especially evident when they were “beaten-up” by end users on certain supplier-related issues. I think when people asked me this question; they were really asking me how it feels to be beaten up by customers! To be truthful, I don’t feel like I have been beaten up at all. I know the important roles that we play as suppliers of technology, and I am confident in the contributions a supplier company can make and is making! Of course there always will be difficult customers that we have to deal with from time to time, but I believe it is a “cost of doing business” and can be taken in stride. When you are sure about what you’re doing and have the confidence in your technologies and products, and genuinely want to resolve customer issues and meet customer requirements, “Customer Beatings” can easily be turned into productive opportunities for new business!

Of course there are plenty of wonderful end user customers, like I used to be one, to make a supplier’s life enjoyable!