All Features
Bruce Hamilton
For an organization to develop a sustainable, continuous improvement culture, it must, as we say at Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership, involve everybody, every day—i.e., process improvement must become an everyday part of everyone’s job. That’s the ideal.
The reality, however, according to…
Mark Graban
It’s a story I’ve heard too many times: An organization spends years, even decades, entrenched in a top-down, command-and-control culture. In this environment, employees are micromanaged, decision-making is reserved for those at the top, and when things go wrong, the finger-pointing begins. “Blame…
Joshua Zable
Everyone has their own favorite graph type or visual tool. I’m not ready to declare this my favorite yet, but this oldie but goodie has got to get more time and attention. That’s right: I’m talking about control charts with stages, also sometimes called before/after control charts.
If you’re not…
Mike Figliuolo
We’ve already talked about what a strategic plan is (and isn’t) in our discussion: “Strategic Planning Isn’t ‘Budget +10%.’” Hopefully, you’ve now got a direction mapped out and a list of initiatives to pursue, and you’re ready for a little tactical strategic advice. (Yes, that phrase is supposed…
Akhilesh Gulati
A few days after returning from a speaking engagement at the Innovate for Excellence Summit in Chicago last September, I spoke to Susan, an old classmate. We chatted for a while, and naturally the conversation drifted toward innovation—something we’re both passionate about. She asked me about my…
Mark Hembree
If you’re reading this, you probably read a lot. You’ve made your way through all our industry news, keeping tabs on trends in our feature stories and gleaning a greater understanding of your own business—at least we hope so.
And if you read this much, it may be that you do a fair amount of…
Harry Hertz
How do you treat signs when you’re driving your car? Are you a strict rule follower? Does a stop sign cause you to come to a full stop, or a rolling stop, or no stop at all if you see no traffic? What about that intersection you go through every day, where you never see a car approaching from any…
Scott Crow
W ithin the utility industry, regional entities increasingly focus on internal controls as a measuring stick for overall compliance performance.
Developing and executing rock-solid internal controls with an automated compliance management software solution can help maintain compliance, not only…
Scott Ginsberg
Despite the industry’s push toward digital transformation, 95% of manufacturers use paper-based documentation, according to Forbes. But modernization doesn’t have to be overwhelming for manufacturing teams.
When implemented strategically, digital documentation can improve processes, enhance…
Harish Jose
In this article, I’m looking at Weber’s Law. It’s named after Ernst Heinrich Weber (1795–1878), a German physician who was one of the pioneers of experimental psychology. I highly recommend the Numberphile YouTube video that explains this in detail.
A simple explanation of Weber’s Law is that we…
Gleb Tsipursky
Despite the clear benefits of hybrid work models, a significant number of managers still push for their teams to be back in the office. A KPMG report of responses from 100 CEOs of large companies shows that more than a third expect to have all corporate workers back to the office full time by 2027…
Bruce Hamilton
Not long ago, I accompanied two of the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership’s consultants, Bob Elliott and Peter Melnik, to a Shingo Systems Design workshop at Osram, a terrific host site in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. Bob and Peter did all the work. My job, in the spirit of continuous…
Donald J. Wheeler
All improvement efforts require a framework. No matter what we’re doing, we all need some way to align our efforts and focus on a specific objective. During my 50 years in this business, I’ve seen people use many different improvement frameworks. Most of these have been variations on either PDSA (…
Mike Figliuolo
This ain’t your daddy’s or mommy’s business world anymore. I’m sure you’ve figured that out already. First of all, people use cell phones. I keep reminding my father.
“Dad, turn on your cell phone when you’re not home.”
“Why? Then it will ring. I’m retired, and I don’t want to be bothered by…
William A. Levinson
The Associated Press, reporting on the strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association, noted, “Local ILA president Boise Butler said workers want a fair contract that doesn’t allow automation of their jobs.” The report added, “The union had message boards on the side of a truck reading, ‘…
Roman Davydov
More and more companies in the manufacturing industry admit that providing great customer experience is vital to their business success. 41% of respondents to the “2024 State of Manufacturing Report” by Fictiv consider enhancing customer experience (CX) one of their top three priorities for this…
James Chan
Asset maintenance isn’t just about fixing things when they break. It’s a complex mix of strategies, both proactive and reactive. Finding the most cost-effective blend makes all the difference in the success of your maintenance program and your business as a whole.
Whether your team is scrambling…
Megan Wallin-Kerth, Stuart Potchinsky, Benton Li
In modern manufacturing practices, it’s vital to be able to cut costs and time without cutting corners. Enter an increasing reliance on AI tools to generate automated and accurate documentation, predict outcomes, and increase the reliability and accuracy of data. Within this realm, Infor is one of…
John Tschohl
‘The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.”
That quote of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, underscores the importance of putting together a team of people who will drive your business to heights you would never believe possible. If you…
Gleb Tsipursky
Amazon’s recent decision to require corporate employees to return to the office five days a week is generating significant controversy. In a memo to employees, CEO Andy Jassy emphasized the benefits of in-person work, such as increased collaboration, innovation, and cultural connection.
Yet, this…
Jennifer King
Asset management is an integral part of a smoothly running business. It facilitates accurate forecasts, prevents theft and loss, and optimizes resources. However, according to the Wasp Barcode State of Small Business Report, 55% of small businesses still use manual asset management or don’t track…
Thierry Mantel
Metal cold-rolling is a critical process in manufacturing various steel and aluminum products. As manufacturers look for ways to modernize and streamline their manufacturing and quality control processes, digital technologies are poised to transform the metal cold-rolling industry by offering…
Robin F. Goldsmith
There’s perhaps no better reputation for quality than Stradivarius. As I’ve learned from Wikipedia, a Stradivarius is a violin or other stringed instrument “built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th…
Bruce Hamilton
I once attended a presentation that Eli Goldratt gave for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. We were seated in an auditorium, listening as Goldratt paced back and forth on the stage, puffing on his cigar, gesturing for effect, and occasionally cursing for emphasis. The author of The Goal (…
Ram Charan
In the near future, significant and unpredictable external factors may combine to challenge the global business landscape in unprecedented ways. Responding effectively to those challenges will require adaptability. Although many leaders acknowledge its importance, even successful companies can…