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GM Revived Warren Plant for Face Mask Production. What Happens When Demand Slows?

General Motors' Warren Transmission was a defunct factory until the Coronavirus pandemic gave it new life this spring — for the production of medical face masks. The plant is humming, having churned out and donated more than 2.7 million masks since late March. It is now producing more than... Continue Reading

Despite Challenging Conditions, Most Manufacturers Keeping Doors Open

NAM survey showed that “manufacturers have proven that with our grit, determination, and patriotic spirit, we can overcome any challenge facing the nation.” As an industry that has dealt with adversity many times, manufacturers are facing the current pandemic with the same... Continue Reading

How to Disrupt the Disruption and Help Your Team Move Forward

You wouldn’t have wished for this ridiculous, unprecedented disruption, but if you’re like many leaders I talk with, this stressful period has also been surprisingly energizing…until it wasn’t. You’re proud of your team; they’ve been working round the clock on... Continue Reading

Lessons in Rapid Innovation from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Solving problems during a crisis demands speeding up innovation by repurposing the knowledge, resources, and technology you already have at hand. The Coronavirus pandemic is one of the most difficult collective challenges facing humanity since the last world war. In the midst of the turmoil,... Continue Reading

MTI Adds HR and Cybersecurity Consultants to Industry Support Team

One of the most valuable benefits of your MTI membership is access to an Industry Support Team who are there for your every need. There are moments in business when daily challenges arise, and you just need some guidance or insight to know how to proceed. MTI has a full team of 11 partners who can... Continue Reading

The First Five Minutes of a Meeting Matter the Most…This is Exactly How You Should Spend Them

Start your meeting off on the right foot, and you'll be much more productive. "How can I get my team to engage? I'm doing everything right, but they're still just sitting there." I was talking with a frustrated leader at a healthcare facility. Her team meetings had always been lackluster, so... Continue Reading

Is Your Supply Chain Ready for the New Normal?

Inventories of raw materials and finished components are diminished because of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet many manufacturers don’t realize the cost of downtime caused by stock-outs and other production-related problems. In fact, some companies underestimate factory downtime by as much as... Continue Reading

6 Keys to a Successful Restart After COVID-19

Stabilize operations, optimize throughput, and maximize your profits. Restarting a manufacturing operation is a huge undertaking in calm times. When you factor in the complexities of the post-pandemic environment, it can be overwhelming. Follow these six steps for a clear path to stabilize... Continue Reading

Not Properly Protecting Connected Environments is Unnecessarily Risky

As plant connectivity intensifies, manufacturers need to embrace best practices to address the evolving threat landscape. The benefits of connected industrial environments can be phenomenal. However, as manufacturers have continued along the digital journey, many have figured out the hard way... Continue Reading

FNA 2020: Technical Sessions Announced

It is proven that companies that have well-trained employees on trends, technology, and enhancements in their industry minimize errors, and increase productivity and morale. Knowing that, why would you pass on the opportunity to bring your top management to Furnaces North America 2020, where... Continue Reading

Lean Manufacturing in a Digital World

Operational excellence never goes out of style, and done right, smart technologies enable better decisions, faster. It’s a question that crops up with amazing regularity: What’s next after Lean Manufacturing? It’s an odd inquiry, really, because it implies that you... Continue Reading

Why Relational Connection is so Important During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created the need for social distancing, quarantine, and isolation so that vulnerable individuals are not exposed to the virus and health care systems are not overwhelmed. Collectively, we understand the goodness of “flattening the curve”... Continue Reading