Manufacture Smarter Blog

4/25/2014 - THE CENTER
There is much rejoicing in the news on Michigan’s latest unemployment numbers. While still more than a percentage point above the national numbers, Michigan has had two consecutive months of lower unemployment and March is projected to extend that trend.

4/18/2014 - THE CENTER
Innovation is the lifeblood of U.S. manufacturing – especially Michigan manufacturing. We’ve used innovation to establish ourselves as the leaders of manufacturing. Where’s the birthplace of the U.S. automobile industry? You know the answer: Michigan. When things were looking dire during the economic downturn…what state used innovation to create more manufacturing jobs than any other state in the nation?

4/11/2014 - THE CENTER
Engaged Employees, Human Capital, Invested Workforce, Holy Grail? That’s what you’d believe if you read the headlines. Finding and keeping employees actively engaged and connected to your business vision is becoming harder to find than the proverbial needle in the haystack.

4/4/2014 - THE CENTER
A Michigan business that provides high-quality design and engineering concepts to the aerospace industry experienced a 30% increase in revenue. The reason? The organization obtained AS 9100 certification, a recognized and well-respected quality management certification.

3/28/2014 - THE CENTER
As a training and consulting organization, our staff interacts with a lot of Michigan businesses of all types and sizes. Either we’ll send our people out to the plant floor to conduct some hands on training or manufacturers send their people to us, for simulations, working groups, and interactive learning in our Real Factory . . .

3/21/2014 - THE CENTER
As many U.S. manufacturers are aware, outsourcing continues to be a hotly debated topic. It was particularly a major issue in the 2000s when outsourcing became popular. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that major corporations eliminated about 2.9 million U.S. positions in the 2000s while adding 2.4 million jobs overseas.

3/14/2014 - THE CENTER
In addition to being a harbinger of spring . . . something that is desperately desired by virtually every Michigan resident this year . . . . March brings us wonderful local and internationally recognized holidays. 

3/7/2014 - THE CENTER
There is a common, yet erroneous, belief among many domestic business owners that only large businesses have the ability to sell to a global market. Many companies, believing that only large US manufacturing exporting companies can be competitive in the international market, don’t explore the opportunity.

2/28/2014 - THE CENTER
Business pains, much like pain from injuries, are not unusual. However, the cause and the cure to those pains can vary greatly. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to problems.

2/21/2014 - THE CENTER
Manufacturing jobs in the United States have changed dramatically over the past decade, requiring employees with higher, more technologically advanced skills. An unfortunate side-effect is that these improvements in the manufacturing world have led to a shortage of qualified employees throughout the country.