“ My takeaway from the IFC meeting is that in the future, companies will need to be fl exible and quick to respond in order keep up with how rapidly things will be changing. Big data will be available in abundance, potentially creating cyber security threats, but on the fl ip side enhancing transparency and creating job opportunities. Firms that can utilize the data to their advantage will see growth, while those that are not able to visualize the benefi ts will be left behind.” Shari Schmidt , HEF Operations Process Manager, Assistant Vice President, Huntington Equipment Finance, The Huntington National Bank Examining the Future of Equipment Finance WHAT ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS from the 2015 Industry Future Council (IFC)? At the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s annual IFC gathering, industry execs explored trends, challenges and opportunities and evaluated how these issues may impact equipment fi nance. Equipment Leasing & Finance magazine asked a few of the IFC participants to share their insights from the meeting. Discover all the highlights in the Industry Future Council report, now available on the Foundation website at www.leasefoundation.org. “ Futurists know that surprises are rare; signs of the future are evident early on. The easiest way to look 15 years into the future is to look at the past 15 years. Headcount is down, while volume is up. Productivity, speed and quality have all increased. Greater automation facilitated by systems, models and data have reduced costs while increasing accuracy and consistency. Those who ignore this megatrend will fi nd their competitiveness slowly eroded away (unless they fi nd an overlooked niche).” Thomas E. Ware , Senior Vice President, Analytics & Product Development, PayNet, Inc. 30 MAY/JUNE 2015 EQUIPMENT LEASING & FINANCE MAGAZINE ISTOCK