Manufacture Smarter Blog

8/4/2017 - BY: ELLIOT FORSYTH
Cybersecurity is no longer optional—it’s a necessity for business survival. As cyber-attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and the frequency continues to escalate at breakneck speed, it’s imperative that your business has a plan to combat these dire threats. After all, it’s no longer a question of “if” a cyber-attack will occur, it’s now a matter of “when.”

7/28/2017 - BY: CHERYL BURT
The goal of any manufacturer is simple—be successful. This can be measured in many ways (happiness, money, health), but in terms of running a business, profit is essential for survival. Fortunately, there are four simple steps that any manufacturer can take to help ensure that their company avoids money troubles.

7/21/2017 - BY: GEORGE SINGOS
Most small to mid-sized manufacturers think they’re doing enough to help their business thrive, but the reality is—they aren’t. So, how can you tell if you’re doing your part to maximize your organization’s success.

7/14/2017 - BY: DAVID BRADLEY
ISO 9001:2015 blends documents and records into a single concept called “Documented Information” and no longer requires any documented procedures. If you’re still in the ISO transition phase, you might be thinking that certain procedures for handling documents and records got a lot more complicated—but did they?

7/7/2017 - BY: RON QUINKERT
Align Your Mission, Vision and Strategic Plan. Most businesses are formed because of an owner’s vision. But, what happens when that vision isn’t conveyed to the employees, and it doesn’t evolve into a carefully drafted mission statement and strategic plan? Unfortunately, this is a common problem—and it sets up the business to fail.

6/30/2017 - BY: ANDY NICHOLS
Since ISO 9001:2000, it’s become increasingly common to consider that an organization’s Internal Quality Audits be performed using the so-called “Process Approach.” At the time of publication, that particular version of the International Standard for Management Systems contained no description of what the process approach was. The recently introduced 2015 version makes the “Process Approach” a lot clearer.

6/23/2017 - BY: CHUCK WERNER
When teaching a new group of Continuous Improvement (Lean and/or Six Sigma) students, it’s always critical to emphasize the importance of the first “team” activity of any project or kaizen— the process map. There are many benefits to process mapping. One is its highly visual nature.

6/16/2017 - BY: TRICIA ONESIAN
Whether you prefer a burger grilled to perfection or a tasty summer salad loaded with sun-ripened berries, there’s no shortage of delicious summer fare at your favorite restaurants. I’m always reminded that the overall experience is far more satisfying when a restaurant serves up delicious food and excellent service.

6/9/2017 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
For the first time in our nation’s history, four generations (and soon to be five) work alongside each other. Manufacturers now find themselves trying to balance age gaps that can span upwards of 50 years between the youngest and oldest employees. What can be done so every generation of your workforce is engaged?

6/2/2017 - BY: DALE WICKER
In the ISO 9001:2015 standard there are two basic terms encompassing risk: risk-based thinking and the compound term risk and opportunities. Risk-based thinking is intended to be the system or approach an organization takes when considering risks and opportunities.