Manufacture Smarter Blog

9/13/2013 - THE CENTER
Technology is a wonderful thing . . . or it can be, especially as it relates to medical advancement, gadgetry, and the like. With all technology, it can also displace or supplant something else, creating a lost skill or product. Perhaps somewhere in the middle of the ocean is an island for misfit technology. 8-track and vinyl records, anyone?

9/6/2013 - THE CENTER
On Friday, October 4th, companies nationwide will join together and celebrate National Manufacturing Day! The holiday was established to raise awareness about manufacturing’s impact on the economy and change the perception of manufacturing careers for future generations.

8/16/2013 - THE CENTER
Talking with manufacturers around Michigan, when many individuals hear the word “Lean,” they automatically think “to cut.” Especially during a recovering economy, Lean manufacturing topics are commonly discussed. It’s to the point where the perception of Lean is that you get rid of everything left and right….just reduce your expenses and improve your profit margins….that’s all that Lean is, right?

8/9/2013 - THE CENTER
Several recent articles surfaced surrounding Michigan manufacturing. American Axle needs 200 new workers, 100 more than originally anticipated . . . . .A Holland manufacturer set for $9 Million expansion, is adding jobs . . . Chrysler Group plans $52 Million dollar expansion . . . and so it grows. The only dissenting voice appears to be from Ford, which in the same email alert, says new plants unlikely. It’s not that Ford’s not growing, they are.

8/2/2013 - THE CENTER
A couple of years ago, MMTC created the Proud to Manufacture in Michigan campaign. The objective was simple: we wanted to promote the importance of manufacturing in our state and highlight the contributions of our local manufacturers. Michigan’s manufacturers were encouraged to display the official Proud to Manufacture in Michigan poster and we launched the first-ever Proud to Manufacture in Michigan Conference and Celebration.

7/19/2013 - THE CENTER
There was a really great article published in Industry Week this month called, “Innovation: One Size Fits One.” The article relayed quotes and stories from industry experts about the importance of innovation in the manufacturing field.

7/5/2013 - THE CENTER
​Yesterday, we celebrated one of the best holidays in our country… the Fourth of July! We stuffed our faces with burgers and macaroni salad, played some horseshoes and joined with our family and friends to celebrate all the things that make the U.S so great!

6/28/2013 - THE CENTER
Many manufacturing companies use absorption costing methodologies that simply add up all costs and divide by the number of hours worked in a given year. This equation typically yields an average cost per hour for each department, or a blanket cost per hour (i.e. everything in the shop costs $120 per hour). This approach is quite easy to calculate and it provides a safe way to make sure all costs are ‘covered’ in terms of determining costing rates.

6/21/2013 - THE CENTER
Every business owner cares about workplace safety for the obvious reasons. I mean, who doesn’t want the reassurance that their employees are working in a safe and healthy environment? However, many of Michigan’s manufacturers “play defense” when it comes to safety regulations.

6/14/2013 - THE CENTER
According to the findings of a recent Deloitte survey, "Perspectives on family-owned businesses; Governance and succession planning," family-owned business executives may be impacting their companies' long-term success and competitiveness due to gaps in the areas of governance, board operations and succession planning.