IABM Trends Survey Shows 'Cautious Optimism'

The International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers has released the results of the organization's renowned Industry Trends Survey.
It reflects senior industry executives' opinions on their own companies' past performance and their outlook for the first half of the new year.
This 2012-13 survey of executives from IABM member companies represents the 16th consecutive Industry Trends Survey. Key findings indicate cautious optimism, with growth still slowed by factors ranging from political and economic uncertainties to limited manufacturing and development capacity.
"Overall, the survey outcome is still positive, but the mood is much more sanguine than in the recent past," said IABM Director General Peter White. "While confidence is growing in many segments and geographic areas, this is not true for all IABM members, many of whom are now feeling the impact of wider political and economic conditions and are adjusting their operations accordingly."
The IABM Industry Trends Survey indicates that while order levels have remained as expected or fallen, selling prices and material and labor costs have remained generally stable. Order and project deferrals by customers are a primary operating constraint. Fulfillment is limited both by credit and finance issues, and by limited manufacturing capacity. Companies are, however, continuing to make significant investments in research and development.
At the same time, headcounts are increasing, most likely with the goal of tackling skill shortages. While confidence ratios are rising in the Asia-Pacific region and are stable in Europe, the most significant and striking change occurred in North America, where confidence ratios dropped to levels equal to and then, for the year ahead, lower than the global average.
Complete survey data and findings are available within the official IABM Industry Trends Survey, which is available only to the IABM members who provided survey responses.
www.theiabm.org