Leader must create a climate where people are not afraid to fail.

As usual, our annual Capital Equipment Spending Survey provided a wealth of interesting and often contradictory data. Thirty percent of plants will spend more on assembly technology next year than they did this year, and only 20 percent will spend less.

The schedule-at-all-cost message has been made too strongly.

The role of manufacturing in the global economy is evolving. What will the future hold?