Manufacture Smarter Blog

7/28/2023 - BY: REBEKAH MCCARTER
The latest Capterra Supplier Relationship Survey underscores the complexity of today’s global supply chains. This tells us it isn’t as simple as identifying a solution.

5/12/2023 - BY: THE CENTER
Every year, Automation Alley hosts an outstanding Industry 4.0 event, Integr8. Our team at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) is grateful to be a featured guest, enabling us to speak with manufacturers about how they can adapt Industry 4.0 technologies to grow their businesses.

1/6/2023 - BY: THE CENTER
Start the year on the right foot by focusing on employee skill development. Explore our new courses being offered in 2023. 

10/28/2022 - BY: EMILY WICKER
Marketing is a key piece of the business strategy that puts value to products or services to satisfy a customer’s wants and/or needs. As technology continues to play a role in our everyday lives, it is important for manufacturers to utilize Digital Marketing within their overall business strategy.

9/23/2022 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
Take a look at your facility. Are there ways you could improve the layout of your plant? Are employees walking far between jobs? Does the arrangement of equipment make the most sense for optimum efficiency? Plant layout is a great way to minimize operating costs by ensuring efficient workflow throughout the shop floor.

9/16/2022 - BY: TRICIA ONESIAN
With the manufacturing world struggling to retain and attract talent, having a culture of loyalty and investing in your workforce is more important than ever. Today, workers don’t necessarily seek employment with the highest paying opportunity, but rather with one where their career progression and development is important. Loyalty to an employer is now based on the loyalty the employer has to the employee.

9/9/2022 - BY: GEORGE SINGOS
As we all know, technology is advancing by the day, hour and minute, which means so is manufacturing. To assist manufacturers, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) provides free Technology Opportunity Assessments. During this assessment, The Center’s experts visit a manufacturing site to see where automation and technologies could help ensure the company doesn’t get left behind. So, what have we learned after completing more than 200 of them?

8/19/2022 - BY: THE CENTER
Last week, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center’s Smart Technology Zone was on the road again. It was a huge hit at the Advanced Manufacturing Expo in Grand Rapids, Mich., where our Industry 4.0 team joined our West Michigan team to talk about all things tech with hundreds of attendees.

8/5/2022 - BY: THE CENTER’S EXPERTS
The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center’s (The Center) team of experts are dedicated to partnering with our clients to train, consult and find the right solutions to help them succeed. After all, our success is your success. To do so, we are always evaluating ways we can evolve and improve.

6/10/2022 - BY: ROB STAUFFER
When I advise my clients or teach a project management course, the first question I ask is what types of problems they experience when managing projects. As with most problems, the first step is to assume they are likely symptoms with some underlying root causes. If you or your organization does not follow a project management methodology (meaning everyone manages projects their own way), then you should expect these types of systemic problems. A variable process will always yield variable outcomes no matter how hard you try.