Page 3 - trends in automation

Dear reader,
Welcome to our new edition of ‘trends in automation’. This
­issue is all about ‘time’. Time has become a critical competitive
factor, as ever shortening innovation cycles demand faster
­processes for every industrial company. Where 20 years ago
competition was primarily focused on the functionality of a
product, and 10 years ago on functionality and cost, nowadays
it is focused on speed, functionality and cost.
The common saying ‘Time is money’ gains new relevance with ­
a better understanding of process costs. Processes require
­employees to invest time, and minimising this saves money.
The key to profitability is the reduction of the total cost of own-
ership (TCO) of industrial equipment, not just its purchasing
cost. Time saving tools in engineering can greatly reduce the
TCO and speed up design productivity.
In the modern world the principles of ‘time management’ have
changed. With so many demands on our time it is no longer­
a question of ‘what to do and when’ but more ‘what not to do
and why’.
Festo sees its mission to increase the productivity of our
­customers. We want to support you in saving process time and
offer you a realistic alternative to doing everything yourself. ­
By supplying easy-to-use selection and design tools, efficient
ordering channels like our Online Shop, integrated logistic
­services, systems design and assembly and, of course, smart
and intuitive products, we can help increase the time available
to you and reduce your production costs.
We are the engineers of productivity.
Enjoy reading this edition!
Yours,
Thomas Lichtenberger
Thomas Lichtenberger, President Festo Inc.
Time is of
the essence