silver lining of Industries

as an Industrial Engineer, we mostly faced by THIS very lame but popular question in at least every year during study,

"Which industries are you interested in?"

In fact, the expected answer is revolving around "high technology industry/high investment industry" or "traditional industry". As former student from developing country, I saw so many traditional industries with high concentration of labor. Unlike my friends, they are accustomed to high investment industry, with sophisticated methods and machine, built sophisticated goods, I never know about it, or not yet.

So for me, traditional industry is always my option. I saw Unilever and Nestle and so amazed by how they maintain their distributions, make the forecast, deal the bullwhip effects of these cruel network distribution. Let say, both industries are key-maker in daily good products, they sell diapers, shampoo, toothpaste etc. Their major consumer is always a country with higher population, so count Indonesia, India, Brazil, States, and maybe China. China is big, but the birth rate is slowing down. Most of major consumer is developing country that cruel in network, lack in infrastructure, and resulting tight profit margin. But they survived, and they grow!

I amazed by how fast Toyota in Thailand recovered from the flood, even though, Thailand is also severe from very bad damage, over crowded road, etc. I amazed how cheap things can produced in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. I couldn't say Indonesia or Thailand is cheap by now, because many Industries think that Indonesia is "too hot" due to inflation and high raising-wages every year. We are not that cheap anymore.

Those industries, even though, they seems so "traditional", "low-class" and "no inspiration" do survive. But how can a country growing only by traditional industries? not one. Every country that develops, jump out from the comfort of high concentration industry to high investment industry. They use more machines to shape better quality in numbers.

This is the time, we should think of vice versa.

Meanwhile, let see to the down of many many technology industry. Blackberry and Nokia are great example. Blackberry only survive from 1999-2013, a very short period of time. Even Ikea, is still developing the catalog in those length of time *a joke*. By stating high technology Industry, I mean, high tech-consumer products, I am not stating any upstream level industry which is Industrial engineer doesn't play big role in it.

To see the raising and the failing of Industries, most of time because, I am living in the growth of Internet era. I am so grateful to be able to see, two different world with internet and without, or at least, in my young age internet isn't that popular. Now the world has less border, and industry can be built anywhere. By computing the overall cost, an industry can decide weather they want to build their plants near the market or near the materials.

There's no sense to build cement plant near the market, since bringing the limestone in distance is a major waste. Btw, one of my bestie now is working in this industry, I am happy for her, but I personally think that she can do better than that, another but, I can understand that we should put the best candidate in the primer industry. Indonesia still needs master in distribution. It's always be an issue. That's why I personally think, chasing specialty in supply chain management is always my dream.

In high investment industry, like Apple, they have more than 50%-90% profit margin. So, can we imagine how tempting and risky an industry can be? It's like a pure gambling. You invest higher, you will get higher. You generate a lot of money from stock, trading the goods outside the country, playing in currency. marketing campaign, innovations, and selling dreams. These industries is way more complicated. I always wonder, where all the used-products dumped?

Blackberry playbook is a mojor fail, but where all the playbook be dumped? All the cellphones, computers, tv? to where all the mercury and tin substance got their end? Do these industries recycle them, or do these industries have good planning in cleaning their waste? I am sure enough, they won't pollute their own land, they will always take a clean slate.

But what if, some companies in major countries can take no more the cost of clean slate? and more minor countries develop leaps of regulations? To where the industry place their plant and dump their wastes?

Should high tech industry learns from traditional and vice versa?

Should high tech industry be more concern about what people "really need" and not always think to make the life simpler, because trust me, my life is getting more complicated by technology. IF there's no internet, I wouldn't even think long distance relationship is an option which I thought make the options will be more uniform. That's honest.

At many times, innovation is actually become more traditional in sophisticated way. Lets take example from "tablet", the 1st tablet was there before literate existent called book does exist. *I just checked Google, okay, I am not good in remembering data, that's why I do write*
The first tablet was from Babylonian age, 7th BC. How...old. But then Bill Gates come with unpopular tablet pc, followed by Steve jobs with marvelous Ipad.

The idea is so simple, yet the engine is so powerful. But no one can predict any future of this sophistication. It may appear another brand with another promising information, that suddenly fall because it's not what the majority needs.

So, what we actually need in this complicated life whereas all information flocking up our brain 24 hours a day? even my sleep can't be more shallow by the ring of snooze button.

I still don't know which industry suits me best, I am always longing to traditional industry before, because it's the industry that I see and familiar with. But, time goes by, and I am not sure my talent will suit traditional industry best. I am too analytic and observant to deal with traditional distribution, but yet to risk-averse to high investment industry. I fall in between.