Manufacture Smarter Blog

6/21/2019 - BY: DEB JOSEPH
The ongoing skilled trades employee shortage is causing many manufacturers to hire from outside of the industry, bringing in people without manufacturing skills or backgrounds. However, due to the unique nature of the manufacturing industry, this lack of experience and knowledge brings many challenges for the incoming workforce. To ease workers' transitions into a manufacturing environment, a strong training program is essential.

6/14/2019 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
In today's market, employee retention has become a major focal point. Knowing how to retain employees begins with undersanding why they leave a company in the first place. One thing senior executives do not commonly consider is that they could be a part of the problem. 

6/7/2019 - BY: JEFF WILLIAMS
In an ongoing effort to maintain information security throughout the defense supply chain, the Department of Defense (DoD) plans to implement a new program called the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which will mandate cybersecurity audits and certifications for DoD contractors.

5/31/2019 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
Transitioning to a Lean enterprise does not happen without careful planning and solid implementation strategies. Success depends on effort. And while it is true that all workers in an organization must contribute to these efforts, the single most important factor in determining the success of your Lean implementation is front-line supervisors.

5/24/2019 - THE CENTER
This Memorial Day weekend, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center would like you to take a moment to remember, honor the ultimate sacrifice, and celebrate the extraordinary service, commitment and courage of our nation’s heroes.

5/17/2019 - BY: ANDY NICHOLS
“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day…” go the lyrics of Pink Floyd’s song “Time." The meaning behind the song’s lyrics, while strongly applicable to everyday life, also is an apt description for the way certain clauses of ISO 9001:2015 are implemented.

5/10/2019 - BY: JEFF WILLIAMS
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution upon us, integrating systems into business operations has never been easier. At the same time, introduction of these technologies into our businesses means the risks we face have never been higher. While creating and maintaining a completely secure environment for information is a virtual impossibility, one thing all organizations can do to protect themselves is implement a Risk Management System.

5/3/2019 - BY: RON QUINKERT
We all have had a bad supervisor at one point in our lives. Maybe they didn’t listen, didn’t show appreciation or didn’t include us in business changes. Whatever the particular issue was, they were the kind of supervisor who drives away employees. This leads to the question: What kind of supervisor are you?

4/26/2019 - BY: CHUCK WERNER
I recently had the opportunity to participate on a panel during an after-hours meeting of local businesses. The ensuing discussion among this diverse group reminded me of an area in business that can greatly benefit through the application of technology: Human Resources.

4/19/2019 - BY: MIKE BEELS
The idea of spring cleaning has been around for many years, when we commit to thoroughly cleaning our homes, room to room, top to bottom, including areas we typically don’t clean. But while this notion of spring cleaning is mostly applied to home organization, it also can – and should – be used to tidy workspaces.