"If it's not broke, don't fix it," is a common mantra and, unfortunately, one that can lead to you losing your competitive edge. The reason: what was state-of-the-art five years ago may bear little resemblance to today's equipment and the advantages of their offerings. This is especially true in the area of welding.

"I bought this welding machine 10 years ago," you may say. "It's still working fine. Why buy something new?"

Well, what if with new equipment you could increase productivity by 30%? Or what if you could reduce manpower needs by 50%? What if you could shorten prep time, increase deposition rates, decrease training time, and/or reduce weld defects and rework time? What if that machine you purchased 10 years ago is actually costing you money  not because it's not working  but because a new machine could pay for itself in six months and start increasing your bottom line?

These are important questions that represent common issues for decision makers. In fact, Miller Electric surveyed some of its welding customers in the construction and industrial areas and found that the same Key Business Issues (KBIs) kept reoccurring.

• These KBIs include:
• Reducing weld costs
• Increasing productivity
• Increasing operator efficiency
• Justifying the cost of equipment purchases.

These KBIs are so prevalent and pervasive that Miller Electric has structured its Results Web site (http://www.MillerWelds.com/Results) along these four categories. The site's purpose is to provoke thought and prompt visitors to reevaluate their own operations, while encouraging dialogue among its users. It does this by examining how others addressed these common issues and how today's technology improved their bottom line.