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Toilet Paper Surplus, Ketchup and Semiconductor Chip Shortages – Supply Chain Forecasting is Hard

Toilet paper now seems to be in ample supply, ketchup packet shortages are vexing restaurants, and semiconductor chip shortages are causing major economic damage to auto makers. Why is it so hard to get these supply chains straightened out, and what more thrills are likely in store? A little over... Continue Reading

Blending Remote and In-office Workers Into a Real Team

With organizations eyeing a return to the office soon, most leaders are breathing a sigh of relief. But not everyone will be returning at the same time, if at all, and many of their teams will be made up of new people who weren’t part of the team “before time.” How can... Continue Reading

Holistic Energy Management: What It Means & Why Your Organization Could Benefit

Energy consultants, energy suppliers, energy managers, energy brokers, energy advisors, the utility…if your head is spinning from the options made available to your organization when it comes to taking control of your energy usage, it stands to reason. So, where do you turn and what’s... Continue Reading

Preventing Eutectic Reactions and Diffusion Bonding in Vacuum Processing

Introduction This paper explains reactions that can occur during a vacuum processing cycle and different methods of preventing these reactions. We will discuss how eutectic compositions can form while heat treating and how diffusion bonding can be a concern to heat treaters when two dissimilar... Continue Reading

Pandemic Accelerating Shift Toward Electric Vehicles

The U.S. transportation system could go through a major overhaul as the country comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan and a pair of studies, all released last week, point to a major shift over the next 10 to 15 years to electric vehicles from those... Continue Reading

Remote Teamwork: Selecting the Right Channels

Smart Channel Selection for Remote and Hybrid Teams Remote teamwork is here to stay and we’re not close to giving up the office. Teams will increasingly have to juggle among communication channels and platforms to adapt to their rapidly evolving workplace. But what’s the point of... Continue Reading

Is 3D Printing the Future of Manufacturing?

Clara Remacha, the Strategic Accounts Project Manager for HP’s 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing business based in Barcelona, is an industrial engineer who works with hospitals and physicians to print 3D anatomical models and a variety of orthotics. She was part of the team that launched... Continue Reading

Lean as Crisis Intervention

Too often, when hard times hit, Lean goes out the window—though it is needed more than ever. We are all familiar with the notion that Lean tools and methods provide a solid basis for continual improvement of operations. We’re also accustomed to the idea that a successful Lean... Continue Reading

Success at Work Happens One Negotiation at a Time

Here's a bold claim: Every conversation in the workplace that's not about the weather or sports is a negotiation. From simple process changes to the significant issues of strategy and structure, the dialog that promotes workplace progress is a form of soft negotiation. Think about it… How... Continue Reading

The 3 Most Dangerous Words in Business

We humans like the dawn. The birth of a new day. The hope of a new year. The promise of a new decade. There’s something about a fresh start that makes us want to look back at all that has changed and forward to all that will. No one knows why a year that ends in 0 seems more significant... Continue Reading

What COVID-19 has Taught us About the Importance of Purpose

One year ago, this month, the US went into lockdown. Scientists, along with health and government leaders, wrestled with a deadly, unseen enemy that would later course through the nation with a vengeance, literally leaving bodies in its wake. During this time, some businesses adopted remote... Continue Reading

The Future of Leadership: Skills to Look for in Business Leaders Post-COVID-19

Just as we have reexamined the way we work in response to the events of 2020, so too should we reevaluate what a strong leader looks like. The COVID-19 pandemic has radically altered the business landscape. Many companies experienced anywhere from a 20-60% loss in revenue in 2020, and more... Continue Reading