Managing Automation - August 2008 - (Page 25)

help, there’s a price tag on it, guys. We’re at record deficits. Whoever gets elected, our tax is going up, which means our costs to do all of this stuff are going to go up. The more additional things they get involved in, they may hurt us more than they can help us because they can’t seem to do it without wrapping three more layers of infrastructure around it. WEINTRITT: I don’t need the government helping me run and operate plants or supply chains, but I think they have a role. For instance, the energy thing. There’s going to have to be some leadership, and it’s not going to come from Exxon Mobil. MITTELSTADT: If you asked the administration, they do have [a manufacturing policy]. They’ve got a manufacturing 20/40 process. They are looking at things like trying to get the message across to the [public and] government that manufacturing is important. It’s going to take a long time and a lot of effort. NAM [The National Association of Manufacturers] is working ver y hard to tr y to get some of that message out as well. I’m going to give [the candidates] the benefit of the doubt for a little bit. I would not have expected them to spend too much time on manufacturing except in the Ohio primary. We know that both campaigns are developing not only economic issues, but also things like manufacturing and educational issues. So, we’ve got some oppor tunities here, I think, coming up. SADE: If you’re looking for immediate impact from the government, obviously, energy is number one. Number two is commodity pricing. The consolidation in the steel industr y and in some of the energy companies has caused us as manufacturers to scramble quite a bit and be non-productive coping with changing pricing and chasing the dollar. Regulation for commodities has to be looked at. That has to get under control — somehow, somewhere. has been playing out for a long time. The fact is, the U.S. economy keeps growing. It keeps doing very well. The standard of living is high, and the truth is that nothing really bad has happened, despite all the job shifts and everything else. I think if we’re going to be successful long term, we really have to focus on some of the piece parts. That comes down to redefining what manufacturing is, dealing with the factors about innovation, and the acquisition and development of talent. George Nickel Q: The rising cost of providing healthcare continues to impact the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. What should government be doing to get this under control? ENGEL: The only way you’re going to control the cost of healthcare in a meaningful way is to make it more productive. You’ve got to have some Brad incentives to get productivity Heath into the healthcare process that don’t exist right now. For instance, information sharing in some fundamental way, privatization issues, and civil liber ties issues are huge in terms of getting some relief. [We need to get] standardized information so that you er ror-proof the process. There is just a whole host of things that the government can do. STEINWALL: I buy insurance for 120 families. I don’t have necessarily a problem in cost; I have a problem with how they price it, and they price it so unfairly to the small [business] demographic. It’s the only reason I could think of why I would support a government-funded program. It would level the playing field, if you will, between small and big. Big companies have a huge advantage in purchasing health insurance [for their employees]. We had zero claims last year, and [rates] went up 13%, so no matter what we do, we can’t control this cost. ■ Douglas Engel Q: Manufacturers, according to the survey, believe politicians and policy makers aren’t listening. Why is that? Who’s to blame? GIFFI: One of the challenges we have of trying to sound the alarm bell for manufacturing is, if you look at the statistics, the same story 25 August 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - August 2008

Managing Automation - August 2008 Contents Take 1 After 18 Months, the Oracle/SAP Suit Has Little Effect on Maintenance Sales At 100, Foxboro Reinvents Around Its Customers New Private Equity Firm Eyes Software A Software Suite Just for Manufacturers i2 Chief Focuses on Services Plan Notes It's Time for Action Examining U.S. Competitveness Leveling the Field An Unhealthy Situation Exploring Alternatives Math and Science: Key to the Future Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - August 2008

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