GE the latest company to bet big on the technology. Additive metal manufacturing is a “disruptive technology,” that will change a lot of the manufacturing landscape, according to Mark Meyer, leader of GE Additive. Just as taxi service often improves when Uber and Lyft move into... Continue Reading
Bloomberg News (2/1, Chandra) writes that the January report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), released on Thursday, found that “US factories expanded more than forecast in January and near the fastest pace in more than 13 years, indicating manufacturing was still powering... Continue Reading
HIRING THE RIGHT PERSON CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EFFICIENT PLANNING AND SCHEDULING PROCESS AND ONE THAT WASTES TIME AND MONEY. Why do maintenance departments need to “invest wisely” when hiring for a maintenance planner position? Consider this: A skilled maintenance... Continue Reading
Despite productivity gains made during recent decades, the financial pressure remains for manufacturers. Increasing global competition, greater consumer choice, unpredictable resource pricing, and tighter margins have them searching for strategies to become more productive and efficient. The good... Continue Reading
Sheila Kennedy examines how remote and predictive maintenance gets a boost via “smart contract” technology. The increasingly digitalized industrial space is a prime candidate for deployment of blockchain technology. Operations and maintenance organizations depend on efficient and... Continue Reading
Machine-learning algorithms used by remotely connected computers. Autonomous robots with vast libraries of data at their metallic fingertips. “Smart factories” where sensors detect and repair problems before managers are even aware. These are not science-fiction tropes; they’re... Continue Reading
In today’s fast-paced and highly-competitive economy, it is not good enough to compare your company simply against last year’s metrics. It may look great that your energy costs are down 5%, but what if your competition is down 10%? It may look great that your labor costs are down 4%,... Continue Reading
Enterprise resource planning can help organize inventory, prepare for customer demand, and improve productivity. From better inventory management and productivity, to improving quality and lead times, companies with manufacturing operations are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency.... Continue Reading
Effective leaders establish and regulate the sense of urgency in their companies. Peak-performance cultures maintain a sense of urgency. Urgency is a feeling people experience. Urgency is when your people believe not only that something specific needs to be accomplished, but also that that... Continue Reading
Your organization may not be started on its Lean journey, but that doesn't mean you can't be. Here are six key steps you can take: When signing copies of my book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean, I would often write "Lean is both an organizational journey and a personal one; Lean begins with you!"... Continue Reading
When you set goals, there’s commonly two types: quantitative and qualitative. By setting both types of goals for your organization, you can achieve a balance of results driven by people focusing on the behaviors that matter. Quantitative Goals and Driver Metrics When you set quantitative... Continue Reading
Dear MTI Members, The most powerful resource we have as members, is our connection to one another. We are truly stronger together than separate. Social media has helped bring us together on a real-time basis, but there is nothing more powerful than the perspective you gain during MTI’s... Continue Reading
