Manufacturing is the ultimate hands-on endeavor. At its most basic, it is the transformation of materials by humans – something that has been going on since our early ancestors first used primitive tools approximately 3.4 million years ago. We’ve come a long way since...
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Covid, Manufacturing And Remote Work
16
Jul2020
Are you preparing for a second wave of COVID-19? While public health measures have helped reduce the number of people reporting infection with COVID-19, experts have predicted a second wave all along. Today, numbers are on the rise in many areas, and it’s generally...
Read MoreMany manufacturers were in the middle of process improvements this spring, embracing and enacting principles such as Lean Manufacturing. We were making process, increasing productivity, enjoying a predictable feedback cycle of improvement and then the Coronavirus crisis hit, and everything is suddenly in turmoil....
Read MoreThe Seven Wastes of Lean Manufacturing
02
Jul2020
Eliminating waste is a no-brainer, right? It’s hard to quarrel with the merits of eliminating waste. However, accomplishing it is another story. We’ve all had the experience of witnessing inadvertent waste in manufacturing. Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes it takes some detective work, but...
Read MoreLabs around the globe are populated by creative thinkers seeking to revolutionize materials of all kinds. A hundred years ago, plastic was just beginning to flourish. Kevlar was invented in 1964, and now widely used for personal protective gear, musical gear and car components....
Read MoreRemote work is nothing new. Ever since the internet entered nearly every home in America, some people have been working at home regularly, often just for one or two days a week. That’s changed. Shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders have moved a lot of workers...
Read MoreFive Ways Robots Are Fighting COVID-19
15
Jun2020
The coronavirus pandemic has introduced us to a new way of life. As businesses around the globe try to accommodate the newfound need for customer and employee safety in the face of this virus, technology has been a savior. From providing easy ways to...
Read MoreThe 5s System Of Manufacturing
08
Jun2020
Every manufacturer is constantly seeking to increase efficiency in service of the bottom line. Every percentage point of improvement in terms of time, materials and equipment translates into reduced costs, and potentially greater profit, volume or both. What’s not to love? While honing efficiency...
Read MoreTeaching moments are seldom easy. COVID-19 is no exception. Nothing like a global pandemic to encourage us to reexamine just about everything. In the manufacturing industry, we’re taking a closer look at business-critical factors like supply chain, IT infrastructure, liquidity, diversification, and more. It’s...
Read MoreCustomer Relationship Management
25
May2020
Customer Relationship Management is a new buzzword for a very old concept: customer satisfaction. Here’s how Gartner, a research and advisory company, defines it: “the practice of designing and reacting to customer interactions to meet or exceed customer expectations and, thus, increase customer satisfaction,...
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