Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all leadership skills. It is what enables us to pass information to other people and to understand what is being said to us, the foundation of productivity and strong relationships. It was Dale Carnegie who stated, in How to... Continue Reading
As industrial applications of additive manufacturing become more prevalent, the oil and gas industry looks to technology to speed up prototyping and the manufacturing of spare parts. Over the years, additive manufacturing has become prominent in different industries and has significantly... Continue Reading
Big data, analytics, and machine learning are starting to feel like anonymous business words, but they're not just overused abstract concepts—those buzzwords represent huge changes in much of the technology we deal with in our daily lives. Some of those changes have been for the better,... Continue Reading
Leaders can gain clarity by using January to simplify operations and focus on desired outcomes for the coming year. This time of year always ushers in resolutions and thoughts of what will be different when we wake up on January 1, but commitments to make lasting changes to diet and fitness... Continue Reading
Manufacturing has a critical shortage of skilled workers -- more than 2 million are needed now, and the problem is getting worse, but very few women are rushing to fill the gap. Just 29% of manufacturing's labor force is female, including only 7% in middle-skilled jobs. That's not because... Continue Reading
As collaborative robots continue to be introduced in manufacturing, some key safety hazards need to be addressed before collaborative robots can be safely implemented on the line. The introduction of collaborative robots (cobots) in manufacturing has presented some unique safety challenges for... Continue Reading
Digital investments can help your company be resilient amid changes in the economic environment. There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding the pace of economic growth. The International Monetary Fund predicts that global growth will have slowed to 3.0% by the end of 2019, down from 3.6% in... Continue Reading
Robotic exoskeletons, from single-joint systems to full-body kits, are beginning to be deployed across industry and the military. Exoskeletons have been a staple of the sci-fi imagination for decades: think Tony Stark's Iron Man outfit, or Aliens' Ripley suiting up to shift containers (and battle... Continue Reading
The NAM scored significant legislative wins for manufacturers this week, many of them years in the making. Recently the House approved the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, in a strong bipartisan vote of 385-41, sending it to the Senate for a vote in early 2020. Both chambers... Continue Reading
Is manufacturing ready to embrace facial recognition technology? Whenever the topic of facial recognition surfaces, it tends to garner immediate reactions. For instance, according to the Center for Data Innovation, one in four Americans think that the government should strictly limit the use of... Continue Reading
Global Economy Shows Signs of Stabilization Despite Ongoing Weaknesses. The global economy remains weak, but there are signs that manufacturing activity has stabilized. Indeed, the sector continues to grapple with slowing growth and trade uncertainties, but there are also... Continue Reading
Planning for a key employee's departure is not inviting turnover or expressing disloyalty to staff. It's a necessary step for long-term success. Job growth and unemployment rates continue to hold fairly steady in the US, spurring ongoing conversation about a tight market for talent. Many of... Continue Reading
