Manufacture Smarter Blog

2/28/2020 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
With the impacts of the last recession still weighing heavily on the industry, it's never too early to start preparing your business for the next economic downturn. Rather than waiting for the downturn to hit, why not fortify your business ahead of time to ensure your company emerges successful?

2/21/2020 - BY: GEORGE SINGOS
As I meet with companies around Michigan through my role as a consultant, I hear a lot of concerns from companies that aren't quite achieving the Return on Investment (ROI) they were expecting from technology implementations. This leads to the question, why do these technology investments fail?

2/14/2020 - BY: ANDY NICHOLS
In the past, we've related ISO 9001 documentation to both the Pyramids of Giza and currency. Now, we turn our attention to what is referred to as "retained documented information," or more commonly known as "Quality records."

2/7/2020 - THE CENTER
When the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) was established in 1991, it was driven by an important mission. This mission was to work alongside Michigan manufacturers to share the expertise needed to work smarter, compete and prosper. Now, nearly 30 years later, our organization is proud to know that we have been a part of Michigan manufacturing’s growth and advancement for decades.

1/31/2020 - BY: JOHN SPILLSON
Anyone with experience in the food processing industry would agree that a lot can go wrong when manufacturing food products. To ensure these food failures are identified and prevented ahead of time, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) can help.

1/24/2020 - BY: MIKE BEELS
In last week's blog, we discussed the importance of creating an organization-wide succession plan, complete with tools to use in the beginning steps. Once these steps have been completed, organizations can move onto the next phase of planning, which involves digging deeper into position requirements and identifying relevant training needs. 

1/17/2020 - BY: MIKE BEELS
In the past few years, much attention has been devoted to employee engagement. There is no longer any doubt that more engaged employees lead to enhanced profitability and organizational growth. What many leaders do not realize, however, is that an important part of this engagement process involves creating a plan for every employee in your organization. 

1/10/2020 - BY: REBEKAH MCCARTER
With the start of a new year, manufacturers are beginning to focus on strategic planning for 2020 and beyond. Although some might not realize it, all business planning can be supported with market research.

1/3/2020 - THE CENTER
Many factors paint a pessimistic portrait of the current state of manufacturing - but that does not mean there's no hope for manufacturers to thrive in 2020. Knowing this, how can manufacturers move forward to ensure the future of manufacturing stays bright?

12/27/2019 - THE CENTER
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.