Fluke Chief Technology Officer Aaron Merkin answered some questions from Pumps & Systems on the state of the industry heading into 2022.
1. What industry trends are you seeing going into 2022?
The pandemic significantly impacted companies’ ability to perform measurement, monitoring and maintenance activities on-site. This drove accelerated adoption of remote and cloud-based alternatives, minimizing the need for employees on-site. We expect this adoption to continue to accelerate, driving demand for condition monitoring solutions.
2. How have any price increases of products or materials impacted you or your company?
Global supply chain disruptions have presented significant operational challenges, this includes both price and availability of materials.
3. What needs to happen in regards to industry improvements?
We expect disruptions to continue through 2022 as existing manufacturing capability returns to prior efficiency levels and additional capacity is brought online spurred by sustained high demand. There is not an immediate short-term fix. A portion of the supply issues is caused by defensive purchases by end manufacturers as well as speculative purchases in the broker market. This pressure will ease over time as supply stabilizes and volumes become clearer. The long-term ramifications are likely to be supply chain diversification including the introduction of more flexible designs, vendor choice and source geographies include reshoring.
4. What’s on your mind?
Restoring customer intimacy and understanding within our workforce. Reliability, corrective services and condition monitoring are inherently physical in nature, as they are a function of the equipment and how it is used in a facility. To create the best possible solution for our customers to address these challenges, it is necessary to have a deep understanding, best done through hands-on engagement and exposure. Due to the pandemic, our onsite engagement with customers has been limited. We look forward to re-engaging with our customers in situ and restoring that deep connection with them.
5. What keeps you up at night?
The emotional health of our employees. The pandemic period is unprecedented in our lifetimes. As we transition toward a new normal, we are all navigating issues around return to work, changing definitions of work/life balance, maintaining an inclusive and diverse culture with a mix of in-person and remote employees, etc. I feel fortunate to be a leader in such a diverse and talented organization. The opportunity to both lead and support my team through this period is top of mind and keeps me up at night.