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Is Africa the new frontier? In this interview, I speak with Paul Benke, CEO of Zero Defects International, about trends in automation, the apparel industry, and perhaps a manufacturing move into one of the world’s largest continents. Will it be in our lifetimes?
Nolan Johnson: Paul, what are the trends in the industry and how does this compare to the last 30 years?
Paul Benke: It’s probably the same answer that most others would give—automation in all facets of our industry around the globe. As much as we’ve seen, there’s more to come.
Johnson: Are there particular areas where automation is not getting traction or a large amount of success?
Benke: Our focus is on testing and inspection, and we work with companies like Viscom in terms of X-ray and AOI. We also see developments in in software, applications of AI are becoming popular among our competitors. Another area that’s been talked about for a few years now in the assembly world is components storage and inventory and retrieval. While there was a lot of talk about Smart cabinets, not much happened in the way of trend commercial activity. Now, even better are Smart racks that think probably as well as you and I do. They really take care of automating the component management and assembly systems.
Johnson: They take that human element out of out of the overall process.
Benke: Right. That results in better efficiency, less loss of inventory and better inventory control.
Johnson: Test and inspection, though, does seem to be a great place for automation. AI is good at finding patterns that we don’t, and there’s a lot of data to be analyzed. That sort of insight can easily turn from data into analytics in that space pretty pretty well. Are the customers embracing it? How are they responding to this AI work in testing inspection?
Benke: I may not be the best expert to answer that, but my observation is that there’s not a stampede in that direction, but I think it’s inevitable. Like other topics, it’s in the early stages of discussion and implementation. In the next few years, you’ll see a heck of a lot more in place.
Johnson: You’re in a place where you hear people talk about what’s going on. What other new developments do you see over the horizon in the next five years?
Benke: I see changes in the geopolitical sense. Particularly in the Far East, the volatility of our relationships, and maybe even including some aspects of Europe, will change. Venues may change. I’m not a technologist, so I can’t address that standpoint, but from what I read and what interests me, not a day goes by that you don’t read about India and Vietnam.
Johnson: It’s true these countries are emerging as potential venues for manufacturing.
Benke: It’s fascinating and it’s not just our industry, either; it’s all sorts of things that move around, like clothing. Let’s not forget Mexico. I think that maybe the best is yet to come. We haven’t seen much happen in the continent of Africa yet, but maybe in our lifetime or maybe not, but it’s there.
Johnson: It’s interesting that industries like apparel and shoes move into markets such as Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and create a dynamic of building more reliable infrastructure—from electricity, water, and sewer treatment, to a higher education level to do the work. It seems like technology follows apparel into those markets now that there’s a stable infrastructure, and a workforce that can be more skilled and more technical. They seem to run parallel.
Benke: I’ve never thought of it in those terms, but that does make sense.
Johnson: The question really is: When will you move into Africa? Is that next?
Benke: I think so, I really do.
Johnson: At that point, we’ve pretty much touched everywhere. As you look back over your time watching this industry, is there hope for us?
Benke: I think so. It depends on who’s looking at it. In North America, we’re approaching new levels. I don’t necessarily see a surge of manufacturing returning, but I do have a positive outlook for the country, its resiliency, and ability to compete in the world.
Johnson: Absolutely. Paul, thank you for your insights.
Benke: Great talking to you, Nolan.