As you can see by our cover this month, thoughts are increasingly turning toward the upcoming APICS International Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Exhibit space is selling out, and speakers, presenters and conference sessions are being arranged to provide attendees with a varied, yet well-rounded array of resource management topics. An insert with detailed information about this year's conference and exhibition can be found between pages 64 and 65 in this issue.

When I attend the APICS conference or other industry trade shows, my days are largely mapped out well in advance. I have meetings scheduled with numerous vendors and plans to attend certain presentations. But after attending the most recent National Manufacturing Week in Chicago, I began to wonder how these large shows must appear to the average attendee. The first adjectives that came to mind were "overwhelming," if not "downright intimidating." After all, facing row after row of vendors that all claim to have the solution to your particular manufacturing conundrum can easily be a breathtaking experience.

My suspicions were confirmed after speaking in depth with a number of software vendors at the show. I learned that many trade show attendees are often a bit lost as to where exactly they fit in the manufacturing scheme of things. One vendor in particular, who sells products aimed at repetitive manufacturers, told me that a large number of people who approached his booth could not, when asked, identify what type of manufacturing they do. Needless to say, it's difficult for a vendor to sell a product to a particular niche consumer if that consumer doesn't even know in what niche he belongs.

After explaining what he was up against in breaking through the knowledge barrier standing between his company and potential customers, this vendor went on to deliver a heartfelt speech on behalf of the benefits of APICS education. I wish I could remember his words exactly, but I won't cheapen them by attempting to paraphrase them here. Suffice it to say, industry would be doing itself a great favor to become better acquainted with the services APICS has to offer.

So as you look toward this fall's APICS event, take a moment to reflect on the value of education, be it textbook or via the school of hard knocks, and appreciate how it has helped position you in the marketplace, prepare you for the future, and target breakthrough ideas.


Issue highlights
This issue's focus on auto I.D./data collection is brought to light through two articles examining the importance of middleware, in combination with the proper software, to the successful implementation of an effective data collection system. Brian Day's article, shows why data collection must conform to the ERP model, with illustrative examples from Boeing Defense & Space Group and World Color Press.

Using the real world example of the Mitsubishi and Caterpillar merger to form Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America, Deborah Navas details the importance of good data collection capabilities to improving WIP tracking and handling expanded output.

-—David Greenfield, editor

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