Manufacture Smarter Blog

1/25/2013 - THE CENTER
Recently our Federal Sponsor, NIST MEP, posted an article called Challenging Times. In it, Ken Voytek shared some data gleaned from clients surveyed across the MEP network. As part of the survey and to help inform MEP new products and services, clients are asked to identify the top 3 challenges their companies face over the next three years.

1/18/2013 - THE CENTER
What is your company’s biggest asset? Is it your most expensive piece of equipment? Is it a mechanism on your production line that helps you become more efficient?  Whether you’re an automobile manufacturer or produce precision screws, dies or pumps, you’re still going to have the same answer to the question: your staff is your company’s biggest asset.

1/11/2013 - THE CENTER
Customers create value for a business in two different ways: They buy more today, or they improve their disposition toward you and buy more tomorrow. But for a business these two types of value are in conflict just like pace and stride are in conflict for a runner.

1/4/2013 - THE CENTER
This week, the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) reported that December was the fourth consecutive month of expanding orders from American businesses. The ISM export gauge showed sales growth overseas for the first time in seven months. American manufacturers are becoming increasingly optimistic about the outlook for sales in 2013.

12/21/2012 - THE CENTER
2012 has been a pivotal year for our country's manufacturing sector. A sector which is integral part of any sustained economic recovery. We’ve seen a renewed focus from media, legislators and the general public to sustain and assist the industry.

12/7/2012 - THE CENTER
​If there’s one thing to be learned from the impending zombie apocalypse (think Walking Dead), it’s the need for someone to have your back. You can be strong, resilient, and powerful, but at some point - you need to sleep. That’s when you want to know that someone is looking out for you.

11/30/2012 - BY: MIKE BEELS
As a consultant, I work with many, many family owned businesses in Michigan. When I start to relate the numbers to not only my clients, but my friends, I realize the incredible importance of having a succession plan. Imagine the impact on a company, a family, the employees, and a community without one.

11/21/2012 - THE CENTER
Top Twelve Reasons We’re Thankful in 2012

11/16/2012 - THE CENTER
Defining innovation should be easy, unfortunately, it’s not. Is it a process? Is it the end game? Is it merely a new way of doing an existing thing or is it only something completely different? Is collaboration a tool that allows innovation to take place or is collaboration itself the innovation? At least we can agree on this - manufacturing innovation includes the introduction of new processes and practices, new technology and equipment and/or new materials to a company.

11/9/2012 - THE CENTER
Pay Per Click advertising, the “Sponsored Ads” that display at the top and side in search engines like Google, is a highly effective method of driving new prospects and buyers to your website. You only pay for visitors who actually “click” your ad – a more cost effective advertising approach than Yellow Pages, ThomasNet, Newspapers and many more traditional forms of advertising.