Hand-Held Scanner Sales Slow
According to Venture Development Corporation’s
just-published market study entitled The 2001 Global AIDC Industry Business
Planning Service, shipments of hand-held bar code scanners surpassed $930
million and 5.4 million units. While growth in 2000 met expectations, shipments
during the first half of 2001 have slowed considerably due to poor economic
conditions in North America. VDC expects growth during 2001 to be flat while
2002 revenue growth is expected to show a slight increase.
According to VDC’s report, while laser bar code
scanners remain a mainstay of the AIDC market, the emergence of
performance-comparable CCD scanners at lower unit prices could drive long-term
CCD opportunities. CCD scanners have improved significantly in terms of key
performance metrics (i.e., scan rates, depth of field, read range, etc.);
however, CCD suppliers need to develop more effective end-user education
programs, detailing the performance/price position of CCD scanners relative to
laser scanners. Moreover, laser scanners continue to be perceived as the
superior technology, according to end users (primarily in North America), and
with decreasing laser scanner prices, linear CCD may have difficulty capturing
market share from laser in certain markets. Additional issues and trends
impacting the hand-held bar code scanner market and influencing supplier
product offerings include:
• The
hand-held CCD/CMOS imager market is perhaps the most hotly contested segment of
the overall scanner market. While current shipments remain limited due to high
price points and uneven performance capabilities, next generation CMOS
offerings are expected to more closely meet end-user requirements and provide
significant market opportunity.
• While
adoption of matrix symbologies has long been considered the primary driver of
CCD/CMOS imager adoption, image capture capability is expected to become a more
compelling factor. Application opportunities include, for example, signature
capture, damage documentation and delivery confirmation.
Who Wants Your Business?
The Small Business Survival Committee (SBSC) has released
its sixth annual rankings of states according to their respective policy
climates for small business in the Small Business Survival Index 2001.
According to SBSC chief economist Raymond J. Keating, author
of the study, “The Survival Index 2001 offers a gauge by which to measure
and compare how government in the states treat small businesses and
entrepreneurs. Since small business serves as the backbone of the U.S. economy
by providing the bulk of new jobs and majority of innovations, every state and
local lawmaker should be concerned with the well-being of small
business.”
In an increasingly mobile and competitive national economy,
differences in government-imposed costs of doing business can make a huge
difference between whether a state grows economically or falls behind, says
Darrell McKigney, president, SBSC. “The purpose of the Small Business
Survival Index 2001 is to let citizens and lawmakers know how they stack up
with the rest of the country in terms of being friendly to small businesses and
economic growth,” he adds.
The Small Business Survival Index 2001 ties together 17
major government-imposed or government-related costs impacting small businesses
and entrepreneurs across a broad spectrum of industries and types of
businesses. These measures are combined into one index number — the Small
Business Survival Index.
The most entrepreneur-friendly states under the Small
Business Survival Index 2001 are: 1. Nevada, 2. South Dakota, 3. Washington, 4.
Wyoming, and 5. Florida. Last on the list of 51 is the District of Columbia.
For a copy of the Small Business Survival Index 2001, visit
SBSC’s Web site, sbsc.org. SBSC is a national non-partisan, non-profit
small business advocacy group headquartered in, ironically, Washington, D.C.
Association News
MESA International,
the association for manufacturing execution system managers, has elected its
officers for the coming year. New leaders include Chairman Ram Prabhakar,
director of strategy for manufacturing solutions, EDS; Vice Chairman Robert
Rudder, vice president, Unifi Technology Group; Treasurer Tom Bruhn, vice
president food and beverage, EnteGreat Inc.; and Past Chairwoman Maryanne
Steidinger, director strategic alliances, Datasweep.
MESA International also announced its first conference and
exposition in Europe to be held November 19-20 in Amsterdam. Visit the
association’s Web site, mesa.org, for details.
The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) has set the dates for its 25th annual
conference. The event will be held in Chicago, April 28 through May 1, 2002.
The Hyatt Regency Chicago will be the venue for this event that draws more than
1,000 members and more than 70 speakers. Jim Bierfeldt, vice president
marketing and sales, USCO Logistics, is the conference chairman. Programs will
be directed by Thomas W. Speh, Ph.D., Miami University.
The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) has promoted Laura Bender to manager, global
marketing. Bender has been with the institute for three years and will now
manage PMMI’s international positioning at packaging tradeshows around
the world.
Managers Making News
Intermec Technologies Corp. has named Tom Miller executive vice president responsible for global
sales and marketing. Miller previously served as Intermec senior vice president
of the company’s Systems and Solutions organization.
Landoll Corporation, manufacturer of Bendi and PivotMast
narrow aisle lift trucks, has appointed Ronald L. Otten chief operating officer.
Kevin Ambrose has
been appointed chief executive officer of WEI Corporation.
Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. announced the hiring of
Dale Wilson to lead its construction
sales efforts as vice president, general sales division. Wilson will direct all
sales activities of the company’s industrial products, power distribution
and residential businesses, which include product categories ranging from PLCs
and drives to home automation systems.
Richards-Wilcox Inc. has promoted Myrna Martinez to be its manager of planning and purchasing.
Martinez has been with the company for 12 years and will be responsible for
management of MRP information.
Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. Inc. has appointed John
Schmitt national account and fleet sales
manager; Terry Rains, parts
sales and systems planning national manager; and Martin Boyd, internal combustion planning and application
manager. In other organizational changes at Toyota, Bill Porento has been named vice president, product development,
training, parts and service; Jim McManus, vice president sales and marketing; Alan Cseresznyak, vice president, planning, finance and information
technology; and Jack Sprouls,
vice president of administration.
The Hoover Group has appointed David Humphrey senior vice president of business development for
iTRAM, an Internet-based application service provider for tracking reusable
containers.
Motoman Inc., manufacturer of industrial robots, has hired Glenn
Jackson as vice president of the advanced
systems group.
Hays Container Services, a provider of reusable plastic
container (RPC) rental services to the produce and perishable industries, has
appointed James A. Vangelos president
and CEO. Vangelos was most recently vice president, sales at CHEP USA.
Shuttleworth Inc. has named John Shuttleworth western sales manager, and Ralph Matchett eastern sales manager.
Sedlak Management Consultants has promoted Larry Bandstra and Jeff Mueller to the level of vice president. Bandstra’s
field of expertise is working with clients to identify and analyze operational
requirements for material handling and information systems. Mueller works in
the area of supply chain software systems selection and implementation. Mike
Foley and Lu Hsi McCoy have been named senior consultants; and Mark
Rosario, consultant.
Peach State Integrated Technologies Inc., winner of the 1998
Material Handling Management Value Added
award, has named Ed Reel vice president and general manager.
Business News
Siemens AG announced
the acquisition of Compex N.V.,
Ninove, Belgium, a leading supplier of software and solutions in the planning
and execution level for batch processing applications. Siemens will integrate
Compex into its Industrial Solutions & Services Group, aiming to expand its
activities in the food and beverage industries, a specialty of Compex. U.S.
activities of Compex will be coordinated through Siemens Energy &
Automation Inc.
NDC Automation Inc.
announced that it is now doing business under the name Transbotics
Corporation. A formal amendment to its
articles of incorporation affecting such name change will be submitted to the
shareholders for their approval at the next annual meeting. The company’s
specialty for more than 20 years has been automatic guided vehicle systems or
transportation robots.
SICK Inc., a
manufacturer of sensor technology, has purchased the LazerData product line of PSC Inc., a provider of mobile and wireless systems and data
collection products.
Automated Systems is
the new name for FMC Technologies Inc.’s automated material handling systems unit. Officials say the
name change reflects a broadening of the focus and product offerings of the
company.
The $300 million acquisition of USCO Logistics by Kuehne & Nagel International AG, Schindellegi, Switzerland, has been completed. The
combined organizations now have more than 17,000 associates and 600 locations
in 90 countries.
Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor Wins — Again
Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor has, for the 12th year in a row,
captured DaimlerChrysler Corporation’s Gold Award. The award is presented
to select companies in recognition of outstanding performance and achievement
of the highest ratings in quality, technology, service and price.
Award of Excellence
Catalyst International Inc., global supplier of supply chain
execution software, has received the Award of Excellence Accreditation 2001
— WMS by the Institute of Transportation Management (ITM). Presented with
the award after 12 months of research by the ITM, Catalyst was the unanimous
choice by the awards committee in the area of warehouse management systems.
Letters to the Editor
To: George Weimer
Your column (Plain English Only, Please!, July 2001)
addressing jargon expressed the sentiments of many of us, and all I could add would
be Amen!
I have been in manufacturing for more than 35 years, and
still recall the days when “common sense” and
“experience” carried weight. I have seen many “flavor of the
day” buzz-words come and go. I suspect the consultants are laughing all
the way to the bank, aah, excuse me, I mean to their “financial outreach
associate.”
— John Feeley, president
Schaeff Inc.
jfeeley@schaeffinc.com
To: Leslie Langnau
I wholeheartedly agree with you (Holding Software to a
Higher Standard, July 2001). I’m a software developer and a licensed
professional engineer (mechanical engineering) with more than 10 years’
experience implementing software for factory automation and material handling
systems.
The state-of-the-art of software is atrocious because the
industry does not treat itself as an engineering discipline. Most developers do
not realize that the problems that we are struggling with today are the same
problems that mechanical and electrical engineers struggled with, and found
solutions for, in the 1920s.
There are major efforts to improve software quality. The
most notable is Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute’s
Capabilities Maturity Model. It attempts to help organizations improve their
software development by analyzing how well software groups institutionalize
certain engineering practices. These practices include identifying
requirements, maintaining configuration control, planning and managing
projects, and using quality assurance techniques.
Managers need to understand that they have the right to
expect software to perform as well as every other part of a system. Only then
will they demand that developers take steps to improve the software development
process.
— Jeff Cohen
Siemens Dematic Postal Automation
jeff.cohen@arl.siemens.com
Counterpoint —
To: Leslie Langnau
As an employee of a software company delivering systems to
the manufacturing industry, I would like to point out that there are many
variables under which software must work in today’s markets (Re: Holding
Software to a Higher Standard, July 2001).
Too often, despite the high cost of downtime, companies who
install these complex systems are not prepared to invest in the testing
required before pushing the “live” button.
Buyers constantly drive down price and want faster delivery.
Many times they will choose to test the systems themselves or take on other
parts of the project to save money. Often, however, they never get around to
executing the steps they agreed to take on, with the result being unexpected
system failure or shutdown. It’s a sad fact that many buyers base their
decision on cost of implementation rather than the ability of a company to
manage an installation.
Those who purchase these systems must be aware of what they
are getting and take responsibility for that. Buyers must provide the resources
that realistically reflect the risk the finished product will carry. If
downtime means a cost in excess of $10,000 per minute, clients shouldn’t
balk at a test program in line with the risk.
Buyers may certainly insist on systems with higher tolerance
guarantees, but they should also be prepared to pay for what they ask for in
both product and services.
— Geoff Dawson
geoff.dawson@scala-NA.com
