Manufacture Smarter Blog

6/6/2014 - THE CENTER
Michigan’s manufacturers are always looking for ways to strengthen their workforce. In today’s competitive environment, your staff is your company’s most valuable asset. Cross-training is an excellent way to cultivate a versatile workforce that maximizes efficiencies and productivity.  

5/30/2014 - THE CENTER
We're often asked about a typical lean journey, “What does it look like?” and “How long does it take?” While the answers range anywhere from "every situation is unique" to "there is no typical ’journey'," we do have a few steps that are essential for a successful lean implementation.

5/23/2014 - THE CENTER
In a previous entry, Can Your Team Pinpoint Value-Added?, we identified some places that waste or non-value added steps can hide in your company’s processes. Today, we’d like to follow up on that. I mean, now that you know where to look, how do you actually identify the correct steps to eliminate?

5/16/2014 - THE CENTER
When you start a new job, it’s a lot like heading into the summer. It’s a fresh start. There’s the rush of meeting new people and a genuine excitement about starting a new journey. Managers walk you through the training process, teach you about the company and orient you to the culture.

5/9/2014 - THE CENTER
We often hear company team members say “We don’t deal with the customer.” Team members are seldom aware of how their daily tasks connect to customer satisfaction. This is why it is so important that every organization recognize what its customer’s value and align its activities to deliver that value.

5/2/2014 - THE CENTER
The topic of “employee engagement” has been popping up a lot lately. I’ll be honest with you… and maybe it’s just because I took my “let’s be blunt” pills this morning… but most of the articles I read about employee engagement are… well… on the cheesy side. They remind us that it’s important for our employees to be engaged and urge us to give out our annual survey for employee feedback.

4/25/2014 - THE CENTER
There is much rejoicing in the news on Michigan’s latest unemployment numbers. While still more than a percentage point above the national numbers, Michigan has had two consecutive months of lower unemployment and March is projected to extend that trend.

4/18/2014 - THE CENTER
Innovation is the lifeblood of U.S. manufacturing – especially Michigan manufacturing. We’ve used innovation to establish ourselves as the leaders of manufacturing. Where’s the birthplace of the U.S. automobile industry? You know the answer: Michigan. When things were looking dire during the economic downturn…what state used innovation to create more manufacturing jobs than any other state in the nation?

4/11/2014 - THE CENTER
Engaged Employees, Human Capital, Invested Workforce, Holy Grail? That’s what you’d believe if you read the headlines. Finding and keeping employees actively engaged and connected to your business vision is becoming harder to find than the proverbial needle in the haystack.

4/4/2014 - THE CENTER
A Michigan business that provides high-quality design and engineering concepts to the aerospace industry experienced a 30% increase in revenue. The reason? The organization obtained AS 9100 certification, a recognized and well-respected quality management certification.