Manufacturers of all sizes face numerous challenges to productivity. Among them are safety concerns, available manpower, plant layout, and production speed. Automation and material handling equipment have improved manufacturing immensely, but how do you know what is right for you? When getting material from point A to point B, there are four popular solutions to… Read more

Lean manufacturing is just a subset of the Kaizen principle. Remember these 8 keys to continuous improvement for greater efficiencies. Manufacturers who want to improve production, profits, and processes turn to the strategies that promise greatest success. Just in Time (JIT) and Lean manufacturing are two great examples. What we keep failing to remember, however,… Read more

Manufacturing is back as a top US industry, but it is facing some debilitating challenges. Here are the 4 common ones and how to solve them. The American manufacturing industry has not just survived the economic downturn in recent years. Our American backbone has come out thriving as strongly as ever. With reshoring, technological advances,… Read more

Hiring quality candidates in manufacturing is getting more difficult. Here is the best way to get both brains and brawn in your production. The simple truth about many manufacturing jobs is that they require muscle. It’s just the nature of the industry that a young, strong male is the perfect fit for these positions. These… Read more

3 easy ways to keep your staff healthy, efficient, and productive in the heat and humidity. Warehouse labor jobs are already physical enough to raise body temperatures. When the heat goes up outside, even an air-conditioned warehouse can’t protect staff from the effects of the heat. With doors frequently opening and closing, heat and humidity… Read more

Hiring quality candidates in manufacturing is getting more difficult. Here is the best way to get both brains and brawn in your production The simple truth about many manufacturing jobs is that they require muscle. It’s just the nature of the industry that a young, strong male is the perfect fit for these positions. These… Read more

How to effectively incorporate Management by Walking Around in a manufacturing environment. Management by Walking Around (MBWA) is an effective and powerful concept utilized in many offices. The strategy isn’t limited to cubicle-based business, though. Manufacturing managers can add great value to their processes by employing MBWA. The article “4 Tips for Effective MBWA in… Read more

As an industry, confidence is currently high in manufacturing. These businesses feel good about the economy and energy costs. In turn, manufacturers are paying better and hiring more. Unfortunately, however, these plentiful, high-paying jobs are left empty as manufacturing suffers a labor shortage. As a result of retirements, qualified, skilled workers are much harder to… Read more

Overcoming the hiring shortage in manufacturing by improving efficiencies with the production staff you have. We’ve been hearing about it for years: manufacturers will experience a shortage on skilled, qualified workers available for hire. If you thought you still had time to prepare for this, you were wrong. The economic comeback in manufacturing comes at… Read more

Production supervisors benefit from practical equipment that improves both safety and productivity on the floor. In the manufacturing industry, production supervisors have extremely complex roles. They must be experts both on the floor and behind the desk. They need to be effective trainers, managers, and problem-solvers. Two of the most important concerns for supervisors are… Read more