U.S. manufacturing contracted in April for the sixth consecutive month. The old adage ‘you can't manage what you can't measure’ has never been truer, especially in the industrial sector. Having the right data about your plant, your business, and the industry in general is essential if... Continue Reading
U.S. gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 1.1% in the January to March period, markedly less than expected. U.S. economic growth lost steam in the first quarter as gloomier business investment countered a rise in consumer spending, the Commerce Department said Thursday, while the... Continue Reading
The technology can be used to automate mundane tasks, but users should beware of its security lapses and capacity for error. ChatGPT is grabbing headlines in recent days. The large language model (LLM), which launched in November, is already being discussed as a technology that could solve nearly... Continue Reading
The heat treat industry is always evolving, so companies must continually look for new ways to improve their systems, add value to their company, and boost profits and sustainability for growth. According to a recent study conducted by a group of 100 registered event attendees, creating systems... Continue Reading
The key to dealing with disruption is agility. The key to agility is having a strategic approach to harnessing data flows in real time using today’s digital tools. Agility is essential for manufacturers to deliver a solution that suits consumers and brands. Indeed, Industry 4.0 describes an... Continue Reading
The ISM manufacturing survey rose slightly to 47.1% last month, up 0.8 percentage points from March. U.S. manufacturing activity shrank again in April as companies continued to match slowing demand by cutting new orders, according to survey data released Monday. The contraction registered by the... Continue Reading
Hint: It's not your in-house lean expert. Your lean culture depends on you providing the correct answer to this basic question: Who leads and owns the lean transformation? Who has the responsibility to create and sustain the culture that enables lean behaviors throughout the organization? I... Continue Reading
Coaching is a way of being with others that's accessible to everyone and is by no means the exclusive purview of professional coaches. And while there are limits on the extent to which you as a leader can coach an employee, coaching is an approach that lends itself well to many managerial... Continue Reading
Accelerating the use of AI can result in substantial benefits, but manufacturers must proceed with a practical understanding of the best applications. Artificial Intelligence adoption and deployment seem to be less extensive and mature in industrial manufacturing than in most other industries.... Continue Reading
70% of younger workers said they would quit their job in favor of one with more control over their schedule. Figuring out strategies to accommodate younger workers entails being open to ways of working that are taking new directions. One recent direction involves when employees want to work.... Continue Reading
Conversational artificial intelligence that can be used to communicate with equipment and generate machine parts. Digital versions of vehicles and planes that can be modified to fine-tune their physical counterparts, and autonomous robots that move as you walk by. These are just a few of the... Continue Reading
Industry insiders and other experts largely praised the agency’s recommendations but noted that its recent report omitted some key hurdles to adopting energy storage. In a wide-ranging report, released March 30, the Government Accountability Office outlined some of the challenges facing... Continue Reading
