ASEE Conference at WPI
Engineering Education and Practice for the Global Economy
CIS Global Business Strategies
Al Barry
17 Mar 2006
Agenda
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Introduction to CIS
The Global Challenge
Our Response
A Few Observations
What this Means for the US
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Introduction to CIS and subsidiaries
Products
Organization
• Linear slides
• Rack mounting kits
• Heat exchanger parts
• Cable management
• Keyboard/monitors
• Antennas
• 1,400+ people
• US$115 M revenue
• NA HQ Grand Prairie TX
• EU HQ, Scotland
• AP HQ, Singapore
• HPQ
• IBM
• Powerwave
• Sun Microsystems
• Carrier
• Whirlpool
• Dell
Customers
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New products for global markets from Asia Pacific CIS
Glasgow, UK
Wuxi, China
Grand Prairie, TX
APCIS
Singapore
Manufacturing
Assembly & Service
Engineering
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Products: Power Distribution and Control
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Products: Linear Slides
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Products: Antennas for Mobile Phone Towers
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The Global Challenge
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Server customers moved their
sourcing to Asia with a heavy
emphasis on China
Taiwanese contract
manufacturers with Chinese
factories became the key
suppliers
US and EU suppliers shrank or
went out of business
CIS was an integrator with a US
footprint, the market wanted
manufacturers with an AP
footprint
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Our Response
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Grow our small Chinese
assembly shop into a world
class manufacturing facility
Establish engineering office for
new product design and testing
Develop CIS intellectual
property for products
Build one global company, not
three!
Leverage our business
development and service
leadership
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A Few Observations
US Engineers and Managers:
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Better creative and problem solving
skills
A culture that values the individual
and questioning why
Every day experience with high
quality products and services
Expectation of high living standard
Economic rewards to pursue other
interests
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AP Engineers and Managers:
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Prepared to follow explicit
instruction and routine
A culture that values the group and
tradition
Every day experience with lower
quality products and services
Expectation to achieve a better
living standard
Economic rewards to consume
more common goods/services
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What this Means for US Businesses
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More value in product design
and distribution, less value in
product manufacture
US engineer can manage
design, sourcing, quality, and
manufacturing engineers world
wide
R&D for products/processes are
the key to technical job creation
in the US
These jobs will be fewer than
those in product or service
supply chains
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What this Means for US Engineers
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Know your engineering science,
develop technical skills
Understand economics
Develop product, project, and
people management skills
Understand culture, learn how
to manage globally
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