Internally, we have established a global database of component and material information that gives us a knowledge base to pull from. We are developing what we call a lean ERP system that allows us to build and ship to sequence in just over an hour, assemble in lot sizes of one, and do this with fewer than two days of inventory. Our system is allowing us, and our suppliers, to see exactly where inventory is in our system. And we re working to set up this lean system where everything can be viewed in real time not only by us, but also by our suppliers and customers. What a major advancement, thanks to the Internet.
Technology is big, no question.
But when I look at the next few years, I see a couple of key trends that, although they are technology-driven, they are not technology based. One is the future of competition, and the other is the future of cooperation. First of all, competition. Product technology is bringing us advances in subassembled modules and systems, while information technology is giving us new tools to improve process management all the way down the supply chain. Suppliers are lining up with strategic partners, if not buying them up, breaking down many of the old barriers.