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NAM Monday Economic Report: Manufacturing Production Edges Up to Best Reading Since July 2008

Manufacturing production edged up 0.1% in October, increasing for the fourth straight month. Encouragingly, the manufacturing production index reached its highest level since July 2008. With that said, the pace has been more sluggish than we would prefer, up just... Continue Reading

Building Resilience for the Next Supply Chain Disruption

James Rice discusses supply chain resilience and how organizations can prepare for the next big problem. The great supply slowdown of the early 2020s has generated renewed interest in the topic of supply chain resilience — the practice of building a supply chain that can resist disruptions.... Continue Reading

Why CEOs Need to Write a New Contract with Top Talent

Leaders must give the best of their talent attractive new options, helping them focus on their most significant strengths and gifts in ways that will benefit the company in the short and long term. The CEO’s current dilemma about talent is very apparent in three numbers: 98, 71, and 2.... Continue Reading

MTI Prepares for Nadcap with Rigorous Special Meeting

Pittsburgh, PA | The Metal Treating Institute (MTI) hosted a special meeting for members at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Downtown Pittsburgh on Monday, October 17, to review key Nadcap and AMEC topics. During the meeting, members addressed challenges that heat treaters face in Nadcap/audit... Continue Reading

U.S. Industrial Production Declined Slightly in October

Industrial production in the U.S. declined in October, highlighting the sector's increasing headwinds as higher interest rates weaken demand for goods even as supply-chain bottlenecks gradually ease. Industrial production--which includes manufacturing, mining and utility output--decreased... Continue Reading

Vertical Model may be the Future of Manufacturing Success

An inadequate charging network and insufficient access to battery raw materials are critical bottlenecks that could shackle demand for electric vehicles, according to Ford Motor Co's chief electrification executive on Monday. "Infrastructure is the biggest thing that really has to be nailed for... Continue Reading

Big Data and Robotics/A-UGVs

The field of robotics and A-UGVs is growing rapidly, and the amount of data generated by these machines is immense. Standards can help. For years, the term “big data” has been used to describe a collection of raw data that is too sizeable and complex to process with traditional... Continue Reading

9 Ways to Protect Manufacturing from Ransomware

Ransomware continues to cause havoc across the manufacturing industry. In 2021, for example, ransomware accounted for 23% of cyberattacks. Threat actors understand the critical role manufacturing and energy businesses have in global supply chains. A single ransomware attack could take just 11... Continue Reading

US Manufacturers ‘Pumped Up’ About Supply-Chain Reshoring Trend

US companies are acknowledging that reshoring -- once the subject of talk but no groundswell of action -- is accelerating, with at least one executive being “pumped up” about critical supply lines shifting away from nations such as China. “This reshoring, nearshoring,... Continue Reading

Identifying a Cost-Effective Energy Management Strategy

Rising costs are a pain point for most businesses and organizations in 2022, and energy costs are no exception, with natural gas and electricity prices experiencing unprecedented market volatility. A variety of factors, both nationally and internationally, are contributing to high electricity and... Continue Reading

Inflation Fighter and Value Creator: Procurement’s Best-Kept Secret

New sources of value are available for businesses that use their procurement function to combat persistent inflation and build resilience amid ongoing turbulence. Procurement leaders are facing their toughest state of play in many years across global markets. However, there is an opportunity to... Continue Reading

EQ: Why Leaders are Looking for 'Emotional Intelligence'

Increasingly, employers are looking for workers who can manage their relationships at work, as well as they complete their job tasks. Workers are trained to trumpet technical skills and personal achievements on their resumés, and talk them up in job interviews. However, to succeed at work,... Continue Reading