Manufacture Smarter Blog

2/19/2016 - THE CENTER
Whether it is because of their hard work and dedication or as recognition of their proficiencies, skills and knowledge, employees are promoted into leadership roles for a variety of reasons. While internal promotions can be positive, challenges may arise for those employees in their newly promoted role.

1/22/2016 - THE CENTER
According to Deloitte Manufacturing Institute’s report, The Skills Gap in U.S.Manufacturing 2015 and Beyond, manufacturers for years have reported a sizeable gap between the talent they need to keep growing their businesses and the talent they can actually find.

1/15/2016 - THE CENTER
It isn’t uncommon for newly graduated and well-educated engineers to immediately begin their career in manufacturing. They sit down at a new desk, organize materials, and layout their “task” list provided by their new managers.

12/11/2015 - THE CENTER
Every organization, big or small, for-profit or not-for-profit, is only as good as the way its people work together to accomplish a goal.  If you look up ‘organization’ in a dictionary or online, it is defined as “two or more independent parts with a common aim.”

11/13/2015 - THE CENTER
As the manufacturing industry faces a near crisis in talent, companies are going to great lengths to attract the right people. It’s often costly – I’ve heard of some extremely attractive 401k matching programs, pay-for-performance bonuses, tuition reimbursement, health care benefits and the list goes on.

8/28/2015 - THE CENTER
In the next seven years, the U.S. Census Bureau is calling for a significant population change in the 55 and older segment. What does this mean? Business leaders and executives are committed to remaining in business longer. Because of an inability to envision leaving their business, older leaders delay conversations regarding succession planning.

6/26/2015 - THE CENTER
Workforce engagement can be interpreted as the execution of discretionary effort. It can be seen as a combination of commitment to the organization and its values, plus a willingness to help colleagues. It is important to note it is NOT the same as employee satisfaction. Thirty years of research tells us a satisfied employee is not necessarily a productive one.

2/6/2015 - THE CENTER
A productive business is one that is able to manufacture quality products effectively and at low cost…correct?  In reality, a productive business is also one that’s able to manufacture quality products effectively while improving overall employee morale. Unhappy employees can be just as damaging to a business’ bottom-line as bad products or processes.

8/22/2014 - THE CENTER
A couple weeks ago, we posted about Waste Walks. In fact, there’s a lot of information out on the internet that you can just Google and discover. Remember, the most important thing is to identify what you see – what type of waste it is, potential causes, and potential solutions. This sets you up for the next part – which is what you are going to do about it.

7/25/2014 - THE CENTER
Henry Ford rose to prominence over 100 years ago, but this quote still resonates with manufacturers today. Organizations maximize success when everyone on the team is working together. Companies can only strengthen their workforce by improving their internal communication skills.