Fellow NORIN ISA members (and visitors),

"Measurable" is a remarkable word when put into action.  It happens to be a gauging term used frequently in our industry.  If it is not measurable, then it is probably ambiguous.  You need a standard to gauge the past, present, and future.

NORIN members, it is an honor to be your president and I want to do more than be average.  I will work with our board and you, to try and devise ways to measure the progress of our organization this year.  Measurable objectives determine if a positive difference is helping us to grow, to influence our knowledge base, to stand out as a group of technical people who want to be more than average.  For example - new member growth, Vendor-Night tables sold and size, board meeting attendance numbers, social meeting participation, etc.  Set goals for yourself too, your family, your role with your employer, and don’t forget about NORIN ISA.

If you are a customer, please allow us an opportunity to show you our ideas on new products with new features.  Try to hold your calls when we are there.  Let us know how much time you have, so we can accommodate you better.  If you are a supplier, learn your "stuff" before you leave your office or plant. Get valuable actual hands-on experience. Anticipate customer questions, and know the answers! Many of you are already doing a great job.  Take a tip from law school students who are taught to prepare the opposing case before readying their own.  Measure your own performance in other than gross sales figures (as important to your boss as it may be).

Most of you remember when then USA President, John F. Kennedy promised in 1961 that we would land a man on the moon before the end of the 60"s decade.  He set a goal with momentum and accomplished in 1969 what he promised, 5 years after his untimely death.  Many citizens said it was impossible to land on the moon, and even more hopeless to bring them back. Look at the astonishing progress since then.

NORIN will have slightly less challenging goals.  And we also have slightly less money budgeted than NASA had in 1969.
Nevertheless, on a comparative budget basis, we should be able to show worthwhile statistical progress this year.  Will you give just a little help? Just 1 or 2 hours a year?  Will you participate in our activities?  With approx 200 NORIN paid-up members, if ½ of them gave our organization a token amount of time, it would make a huge difference, and pay them and everyone else dividends.  Which ½ are you going to be?  Will you measure your participation?

Please send an email and let me know.

John A. Beatrice
President
NORIN ISA Section

NORIN elected me to become your president.  Some members already know me as a supplier, customer, friend, or associate.  If we have not met, this is an opportunity to invite you as a guest to any of our monthly board meetings, held 2^nd Tuesday of each month.  Our NORIN website provides the exact time and location.  Since the excitement generated at our meetings may be too much to absorb at one sitting, other events with a social ambience might be more convenient for you to attend.  Detailed event information will also be listed on the NORIN website    http://www.compumark-ind.com/isanw.htm

Since joining ISA in 1971, there have been many changes in our industry. Can not say it has always been easy to adjust, but it has been challenging and fun even at times. Many of our previously established and well known manufacturing company names have already vanished, and more consolidation is eminent in the near future. When distributed control got accepted by the control end-users it left a lot of die-hards in the dust - at least suppliers in the Power and Electric Utility market segment. Yet today, a profitable market for dedicated controllers exists in many industries. And look at PLC’s as their capabilities continue to expand! Other exciting technologies are just beginning to emerge.

Let us not forget that we are only providing measurement and control solutions for our customers, who may not necessarily share our product excitement. They only want reliable, cost effective, trouble free, and in some cases "never to be seen again" solutions to operate their plant or process. We must learn their process as well as they do, and maybe in some cases better than they do, in order to earn their business. You can compete on a price advantage some of the time, and in certain industries, but the overall future and long term successful winners will probably be those with the most customer-oriented knowledge.

ISA gives you an excellent opportunity to enhance your knowledge. It will only be one of many sources for your continued success in this business. However, as in most other things in life, you will need to expend time and energy to make it happen.

My tenure as president, along with the Board, can not radically change this ISA NORIN section in just one year. We are just a volunteer group of busy people like YOU. But ISA can help you change, or at least get new ideas about the way you do business, and progressively increase your technical knowledge/skills, help meet new customers, and learn about emerging products. We also hope you see opportunities to contribute something to your ISA organization.

BECOME AN ACTIVE MEMBER. Try to visit our technical seminars and meetings with an upbeat attitude, and attend our social events where lively table discussions are always happening about timely solutions to interesting technical issues. (You may even hear a good joke) Spending time in a social setting with people interested about YOU and what you do, can be rewarding. Almost all of our social activities will include your spouse, where they can enjoy the extra attention of a "social night out".

When it was time to begin writing this note to you, it was difficult to get started. Now it is harder to stop. But I own a business named Compumark Industries, Inc. and it too needs attention to make it run properly. When you see me at one of our ISA functions, ask me about the control business, and let’s talk.