Manufacture Smarter Blog

4/13/2018 - BY: MIKE BEELS
People don’t like change. Learning new ways of doing things and adopting new technology can be a scary proposition. I often have clients ask, “Why do we need to change, we are already working hard?” or, “We are already profitable, why change?” The unfortunate answer is that you cannot avoid change; everything changes over time.

2/16/2018 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
Whether you are a New England Patriots fan or not, there is no denying they are consistently one of the best performing NFL teams. In fact, they have played in more Super Bowl games than any other team in the league, with a total of 10 games played and five won. But how do they keep up their winning streak?

1/19/2018 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
Completing a project on time and on budget is not an easy task to accomplish. Although there are many variables involved in this process, one way to ensure breezy project completion is to improve your project scheduling. How you choose to schedule your project plays a central role in predicting both the time and cost that will be involved in a project.

1/5/2018 - BY: MIKE BEELS
Most organizations now know the importance of having an engaged workforce, largely due to the undeniable link between engagement and profitability. Workforce engagement can be described as a combination of commitment to the organization and its values and a willingness to help colleagues. Essentially, it is interpreted as the execution of discretionary effort.

6/9/2017 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
For the first time in our nation’s history, four generations (and soon to be five) work alongside each other. Manufacturers now find themselves trying to balance age gaps that can span upwards of 50 years between the youngest and oldest employees. What can be done so every generation of your workforce is engaged?

5/26/2017 - BY: MIKE BEELS
In the manufacturing industry, it’s desirable for family-owned businesses to be passed down from one generation to the next. Without a proper succession plan in place, a c-level family member’s sudden death or unexpected disability can cause a multitude of problems.

5/19/2017 - BY: CHARLIE WESTRA
Whether you work on the manufacturing floor or in an office, the importance of having an effective leader cannot be underestimated. A recent Gallup study found that 1 out of 2 adults had left their job to get away from a manager. The bottom line: Supervisors can make or break employee retention and job satisfaction.

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.

7/8/2016 - THE CENTER
For years, the retirement of the baby boom generation has been a large topic of discussion and a looming economic threat. Now, that dreaded time is upon us. Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are retiring in droves – to the tune of about 10,000 a day!  

4/22/2016 - THE CENTER
Poor leadership when business is good can be hidden, but poor leadership in bad times is a recipe for disaster. No matter how qualified an individual is to hold a position, or how prominent that position may be, they are still human like everyone else and have flaws.