ECIA’s latest edition of The Channel Channel Podcast features an information-filled discussion between two self-described ‘data geeks,’ ECIA Chief Analyst Dale Ford and Tony Uphoff, President and CEO of Thomas, parent company of industrial product sourcing and supplier selection platform Thomasnet.com®. The two discuss what the data from the over 1.5 million monthly sourcing events reveals.
“Our data has given us a ringside seat to the technology driven transformation of industrial manufacturing, accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis,” Uphoff declared. “These data are so important we have decided to share insights with the industry through a new free data point, the Thomas Manufacturing Index (TMX)”
One of the major themes discussed on the podcast is the shift away from concerns about tariffs to a renewed interest in reshoring of manufacturing to shorten supply chains and bring more resilience in response to crises like the pandemic. “The recovery in the electronic components industry is gaining steam,” continued Uphoff. “Yet there are still pockets of disruption. Companies that are doing the best are those that are furthest along the path to digital transformation of their business processes.”
“This discussion is particularly timely given the need for strategic planning going into 2021,” added Ford. “I encourage all our listeners to pay close attention to what Tony has to say about the recovery, based on his close proximity to supplier and buyer behavior at a macro level.”
The podcast can be found at www.ecianow.org/podcasts.
