Manufacture Smarter Blog

3/17/2017 - BY: DALE WICKER
Manufacturing processes require vast amounts of energy including: heating, cooling, lighting, office equipment and the production line itself. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that energy costs continue to be a major expense for manufacturers.

3/10/2017 - BY: DAVE NELSON
We’ve all seen the memorable customer service sayings: “The customer is always right,” and “A satisfied customer is the best strategy of all!” framed on conference room walls and posted in cubicles. These phrases are not mere decorations; they’re words to live by and should be applied both internally and externally throughout your entire organization.

3/3/2017 - BY: DAVID BRADLEY
If executed properly, a business plan can help increase profits and the likelihood of your organization’s long-term success. Do you know that your Quality Management System (QMS) was designed to work in conjunction with your business plan? It’s true.

2/24/2017 - BY: JOHN SPILLSON
High Pressure Processing, or HPP, has gained a great deal of popularity lately driven by foodies demanding higher quality products, increased shelf life and “clean” processing. This preservation process has been known to triple the shelf life of many food products without the use of chemicals, and without reducing the taste or flavor profile of the product itself.

2/17/2017 - BY: ROB STAUFFER, MBA, PMP
Improving cost identification is one of the most crucial elements involved in driving your organization towards operational excellence and success. With the manufacturing sector evolving to a whole new level of functionality, manufacturers now are finding themselves under pressure to optimize budgets, quality and efficiency, while keeping up with the latest technological trends and adapting to market conditions.

2/10/2017 - BY: ANDY NICHOLS
The 1974 David Bowie song suggests the singer has to “turn and face the strange,” and at first sight, some of the new requirements for ISO 9001:2015 might look like a “Space Oddity.” There’s the addition of “risk,” nothing about any documented procedures, quality manual or even that the role of the “management representative” is missing. And, what about the new layout?

2/3/2017 - BY: CHARLIE WESTRA
Superheroes hold a special place in our culture. Whether you fall into the Batman camp or see Superman as the consummate crusader, these caped characters all have a distinct persona, carefully crafted around a position of strength and superiority.

1/27/2017 - THE CENTER
“How can we do better?” It’s an ongoing question for business owners and managers.  In order to lead your organization towards sustained success in 2017, it’s imperative that you look for new ways to optimize organizational processes and operations. This will help leverage your company’s competitive advantage. 

1/20/2017 - BY: GEORGE SINGOS
What do most manufacturing sales reps normally do when they get a sales lead? A lot of them grab a sticky note and put it on their computer with the best intentions of following up—until the sticky note falls off, and it’s nowhere to be found. Then, the lead is history.

1/13/2017 - THE CENTER
The risks are enormous and potentially devastating. According to IBM, small and mid-sized businesses are hit by cyber-attacks about 4,000 times a day. The U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance found that 60 percent of small companies are unable to sustain their businesses over six months after a cyber-attack.