Manufacture Smarter Blog

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. 

4/12/2019 - BY: STEVE VAMPLEW
Manufacturers face an ongoing, daily challenge to make sure quality is maintained in all of their products and processes. Scheduled management reviews and audits required by a certification body are not always enough to ensure quality is consistently being upheld throughout all levels of the organization. For those manufacturers who wish to go the extra mile with quality, Layered Process Audits are a solution.

4/5/2019 - BY: KARA KUCINSKI
A massive talent shortage is posing a great challenge for manufacturers as they seek to hire workers with the experience and technical knowledge needed to fill open positions in their facilities. But now, a lack of soft skills, or interpersonal skills, among candidates is making it even more difficult to find the kind of worker that will help their companies succeed in the long run.

3/29/2019 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
With downtime, profitability and quality on the line, failure to properly maintain and keep up with equipment can quickly lead to major – and expensive – issues for manufacturers. With this in mind, the goal to achieve autonomous maintenance is growing among manufacturers as they strive to reduce risk associated with downtime or broken machinery, while also improving productivity and extending the lifetimes of equipment.

3/22/2019 - BY: BOB JENKINS
When it comes to manufacturing, Michigan has a wealth of talent and skills. Many of those skills were established through multiple OEM automobile launches and new product developments. And while the 2008 downturn cost Michigan a lot of skilled performers, they have returned in large part.

3/15/2019 - BY: GEORGE SINGOS
A company is only as good as its data. Whether you’re trying to increase productivity, eliminate bottlenecks in production or grow into new markets, data is the key to driving improvements and maintaining success.