Evaluating Technology

By Mark Inboden

On May 11-12, John Beattie and Garrod Massey will be in attendance at this year's Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Expo will have more than 165 suppliers of equipment and tools used in our business. John and Garrod will be on a quest to see what new technologies are being touted in the world of wiring, and how they may impact the Control Automation world of which UCEC is a part.

Even though a new technology or tool might be of interest to UCEC, we will most likely use three simple criterion in evaluating a new product:

Does it enhance our work? Does it improve the user experience? Does it improve the employee experience?

After these criteria are met, there is still a business case that needs to be made concerning financials matters such as cost, ROI and investment payback, to name a few. Hopefully, the guys will come back with some ideas that meet all three, and we can show you the next “new thing” at UCEC in the coming months.

Mark is CEO and President of UCEC.

More Stories from UCEC's Experts

Featured

Leadership

UCEC Celebrates 60 Years. A letter from our president as we look to the future.

Leadership

In October, UCEC will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
From the beginning, the founder of UCEC, Howard Lacy, felt that he could make a better control panel at a better value than the control panels he was purchasing from others. My father-in-law, Chris Kitsos, took this concept beyond the municipal markets, and provided even better control panels and customer service to the private industry. It is amazing to think about how far UCEC and industrial control panels have come since 1958. We can all be proud of the role UCEC has played as a leader in our industry.

Leadership

Happy New Year from UCEC

Leadership

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoy this special time of year with your loved ones and friends. I am very excited about what’s in store for 2018, and for the opportunity to work with all of you to make it happen. Thank you to our customers, vendors and employees!

Leadership

Best of the Blog 2017

Leadership

Whew! It's been quite the ride in 2017 with a very busy shop, working with talented co-workers and of course, the reason for what we do: creating our valued customers' electrical control panels. Here's a look back and a few stories that made our year.

Leadership

A Game-Changing Project

Leadership

Our customers often bring us cutting-edge challenges—and we love it! Recently, one of our vendor partners CPI came to us with a project we couldn’t resist. CPI’s customer wanted to revamp the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) screens that are installed in each of their electrical control panels at a large beverage canning facility. (Side note: UCEC is fortunate to work with many partners. Meet more of our vendor partners here, here and here.)

Leadership

Looking Ahead to 2018: Goals for Next Year

Leadership

What's ahead in the New Year for UCEC? We're glad you asked!

Leadership

The Best Result: It Starts with You

Leadership

Ever wonder why some people are always happy? Do you wonder why some athletes always seem to win? As someone who is always looking to improve, I believe that one of the biggest factors is the ability to Think Well.

Leadership

Is Your Panel Shop Future Ready?

Leadership

Editor's Note: This fall, we published a series of posts about how UCEC is preparing for the future. We heard from our Executive and Management teams, and after reading their vision for UCEC's next chapter, we're pretty jazzed for what's ahead. Below, please find the entire series.

Leadership

Use It Up!

Leadership

Growing up, my family was a model “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” type of clan. Throwing things away was not an option. It’s a character trait I’ve passed on to my kids, and also one I’m proud to say that UCEC observes whenever possible.

Leadership

[UCEC: Future Ready] Looking Ahead to the Customer of Tomorrow

Leadership

What does the UCEC customer of the future look like? One things is sure: they are getting younger! From newly minted engineers to mid-career engineers to factory management teams, our median customer age is skewing downward.

Leadership

Do You Stay Inside the Lines?

Leadership

Last Saturday morning as I waited in the lobby of my hotel in California, something very small moving on the floor caught my eye. It was an ant, and the ant seemed to be “trapped” on a 12-inch-square light-colored tile.

Leadership

The UCEC Video Collection

Leadership

Our blog regularly features our leaders and employees in photos and videos. We've even done a virtual "shop tour." We want our customers to feel comfortable visiting their projects.

Leadership

Working with the Next Generation (and Every Generation)

Leadership

U.S. manufacturing is on an upswing, as the Labor Department reported that manufacturers nationwide added workers last month at the fastest pace in more than four years.

Leadership

Figuring out What's Important

Leadership

I put my daughter on the bus to middle school last week, and like any parent, I thought of the passage of time. From tiny infants to adolescents headed off to the wider world, kids are a great reminder of grasping what’s important to you.

Leadership

Leadership, Industrial Automation

Going the Extra (Sky) Miles

Leadership, Industrial Automation

Editor's Note: Several members of the UCEC team recently returned from Monterrey, Mexico where we helped our customer modify and expand some panels they had onsite. This trip made us remember a similar journey in February 2016.

Leadership, Industrial Automation