Manufacture Smarter Blog

5/6/2022 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
Do you have opportunities to improve your business but don’t have the people or resources to work on them? Do you wish you had a group of experts who could quickly help you move your business forward? Specialty Solutions is the answer.

4/15/2022 - BY: SHAUN LEAHEY
Nearly every Quality Manager or Plant Manager has had this situation come up: The phone is ringing and it’s the customer. You instantly get a sinking feeling in your stomach, thinking, here comes a complaint. On the rare occasion there isn’t a problem, you take advantage of strengthening your relationship with the person on the other end of the conversation. But often, you’ll begin the conversation listening to what problem the customer is experiencing and how you can help. Your new priority is to begin problem solving, starting with assembling a team. Wait, we’re supposed to use a problem-solving team? Who’s on the team?

1/14/2022 - BY: JOHN SPILLSON
With nearly 800 million members at the end of 2021, LinkedIn yielded one of the largest professional social platforms in the world. Now is a great time to update your personal and business LinkedIn information, trainings, certifications, experiences, skills and recommendations.

12/17/2021 - BY: REBEKAH MCCARTER
In recent months, both Deloitte and IndustryWeek published survey data on the pressing issues that are the biggest concern for manufacturers. These surveys, conducted in September and October 2021 respectively, reported remarkably consistent findings.

11/24/2021 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center is partnering with CADIA to offer several courses to manufacturers focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

10/1/2021 - THE CENTER
Today, the first Friday of October, our nation celebrates Manufacturing Day to promote manufacturing careers, fight misconceptions of the industry, and, ultimately, help local communities and future generations thrive. Like last year, Manufacturing Day 2021 looks a little different than previous years. 

8/13/2021 - BY: JIM GORMAN
In a time when manufacturers are struggling to maintain productivity due to an unprecedented talent shortage, the value of an effective employee training plan cannot be ignored. Building a relevant, strategic training plan is vital to developing and retaining all workers, regardless of their role or level within the organization. Manufacturers seeking additional funding and support for their training initiatives can find help through the Going PRO Talent Fund.

6/11/2021 - BY: JOHN SPILLSON
Understanding how all generations learn and thrive is vital to optimizing the efficiency of a team. Lean can be the answer to keeping new hires engaged and excited about their work.

5/7/2021 - BY: JAMIE HEADLEY
In our most recent Smart Solutions Series webinar, we explored how manufacturers can solve challenges related to labor and skills gaps in their workforce through cross training and skills acceleration. Here are a few of the key topics explored. 

4/16/2021 - BY: DAVE NELSON
The labor shortage is not going away. To fill these labor gaps, cross training employees must become a critical initiative in every manufacturing company. In our upcoming webinar on April 21, we will share ideas on how to begin cross training employees along with technologies that can enhance or streamline the process.