by David Buckley, ACIM Chief Operating Officer, Nidec Motor Corporation

David Buckley joined Nidec Motor Corporation as the COO for their ACIM Division (Appliance, Commercial, Industrial Motors/Drives) in 2020 and holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of Business, along with a bachelor’s from the U.S. Naval Academy.

The world is confronting a pandemic affecting millions of people at a level not experienced in a century. The impacts of this disease are significant – affecting each of us, and forever changing how we will all go about our daily lives. For many, this disease has taken the lives of loved ones, struck down too early. As a Member of the electrical manufacturing community, Nidec Motor Corporation extends our sympathies to their friends and families.

Also, we want to express our thanks and appreciation to the healthcare workers and all those supporting the health and welfare of the people directly affected by this disease. These individuals have been the true heroes of this once-in-a-generation event. I am proud of the contributions many Members of the Nidec team have made to support these heroes—from printing 3-D masks for local hospitals to ensuring that we ramp up delivery of critical components of vital equipment. As we all know, NEMA Members are crucial elements of the global response to the COVID outbreak.

What we do touches nearly every aspect of life. Many of our collective customers are deemed vital to the mechanizations of the world’s infrastructure. From the hospital room to power generation—and everything in between—motors, electronics, and controllers are critical to our collective efforts to face this pandemic head-on and come out safely on the other side.

The challenge we face as global manufacturers during this pandemic is complex. We must balance the needs and expectations of our employees and their families, our customers, our shareholders,  our suppliers, and the vendors that support us around the world. At Nidec, our priority is always the safety and security of our employees. We have engaged our teams to address this pandemic by balancing our priorities.

• First, we engage our team Members. Just like any business improvement effort, our team Members on the front lines have the best ideas to keep them and their teammates safe. This is clear in every facility where we have implemented so many safety measures and improvements, from wash stations and social distancing requirements to safety gear and barriers. We have listened to their feedback and incorporated the recommended changes to our daily operations.
• Second, we established a COVID leadership task force focused on staying abreast of the massive volume of medical and government guidance. They sift through the information, ensure that all team Members are aware of these changes as they occur, and implement broad compliance requirements meant to provide the right balance of risk management.
• Third, we work with our customers to understand priorities and deadlines, all done remotely via video conferencing—prioritizing the best we can based on our production capabilities. We are also working with our supply chain to overcome issues from suppliers that are in distress.
• Fourth, we assess the availability and safety of our team Members and balance these factors against customer demand and supplier capabilities. Our supply chain and planning teams collaborate continuously in this ever- changing world.

As a team, and as a Member of the electroindustry community, we are learning every day how to adjust to this post-COVID world. By placing the health and well-being of each other ahead of all other priorities, we will come out ahead. We must learn together how to adjust to the new normal that we find ourselves in and come out stronger. ei