Dear Friends and Partners,
2019 is now well under way and we do have clarity on Q1 numbers as well as high level business indicators for sales and order entry. I hope you are on track with your targets!
Despite some volatility at the financial markets during the last winter and some slow-down in sectors like automotive and electronics, the global
economy
is still robust (roaring in the USA) and financial markets seem to anticipate further growth after some periods of consolidation especially in the expectations of some macro-risks taking positive turns like Brexit, trade negotiations between US-China / US-EU etc.
What is not going away are the technological
disruptions and trends
which are re-shaping most industries, starting with the automobile sector facing changes on multiple fronts; e-mobility and the future of the combustion engine / traditional powertrain technology and the entire industry linked to this technology, but also autonomous driving and artificial intelligence / smart vehicles requiring extreme financial efforts in terms of R&D investments. The same is quite similar in major industries. Technology and globalization are accelerating the transformation of our world to a smart world (
connected and smart cyber-physical systems
).
The trends apply to nearly every industry and company whether original equipment manufacturer OEM or tier 1 / tier 2 suppliers forcing companies to reconsider strategic alliances. Companies, products, services, business models need to evolve and to adjust or they will phase-out through market dynamics. The
customer
has the visibility and the options to choose, the winner takes it all! By the way,
employees
as well, have the choice and the visibility to choose the best in class companies. So, take care of all key stakeholders along your journey!
While there is a lot of pressure on corporate strategy, future planning and on designing the company’s future architecture and strategic alliances....
Read full article
