Blogs
The Lead
The Fine Line Between Greed And Discovery
May 9, 2012 | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, Product Design & Development | Comments
Apple's plans for building a silent power plant in North Carolina could either be a power-hungry grab or the next big step in a new energy revolution.
Could Manufacturing Use A Makeover?
May 3, 2012 2:34 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Comments
While plant floor employees don’t need a facility to look nice, or for the tools they use to be...
Billionaires & Their Toys
April 11, 2012 2:26 pm | by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | Comments
Thankfully, the world remains full of billionaire playboys willing to invest their lives and...
Excuse Me Miss… Do You Mind if I Touch You There?
April 11, 2012 10:20 am | by Meaghan Ziemba, Associate Editor, PD&D | Comments
During a recent trip to San Francisco, I was unprepared to be somewhat molested by airport...
The Delicate Balance Of Checks And Balances
May 23, 2012 10:50 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsAs we improve processes and remove unnecessary steps, we often eliminate quality checks and other approvals. Doing so is good, but be careful.
Is It 'SaaS' Or 'Cloud?' Is That Even The Right Question?
May 22, 2012 1:11 pm | by Cindy Jutras, Founder, Mint Jutras | CommentsMany use the terms “cloud” and “SaaS” interchangeably, but there are some important differences. So let’s distinguish between the two.
Flour Power
May 21, 2012 1:34 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsMy recent trip to a once iconic mill was a great opportunity to give a little more thought to this nation's ability to innovate, improve and — yes — rebuild.
Picking Glass Out Of My Eyes
May 16, 2012 1:49 pm | by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | CommentsGoogle’s Project Glass, which will inevitably be called Google Glass, is a futuristic Internet-connected pair of glasses.
The Public’s 'Right To Know'
May 14, 2012 11:37 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsNew “Right to Know” bills raise the possibility for the labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in food.
Seven Success Criteria For Hiring A GMP Consultant
May 11, 2012 1:33 pm | by The QA Pharm | CommentsThere is nothing worse than throwing a bunch of consultants at a problem without knowing the boundaries of the project or defining the expected results. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. It ends in frustration for all parties involved. A formal scope of work (SOW) helps both the client and the consultant to set expectations of each other, and agree on basic assumptions that are critical to success.
The Connected Culture: The Issue Of Overreliance
May 11, 2012 9:04 am | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | CommentsWhat would happen if every computer shut down and we were forced to communicate via landline, or worse, face-to-face?
What The Future Holds
May 9, 2012 9:24 am | by Meaghan Ziemba, Associate Editor, PD&D | CommentsIf our future lies in the hands of the young innovators who participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition, I’d say we have a pretty bright one.
Think About Never Failing, Not How To Recover
May 8, 2012 1:50 pm | by Dennis Wenk, Symantec | CommentsWe live in a technology driven world. Every possible business process has been automated — automated to the point where IT is deeply embedded in the operating fabric of our business and the organization is now highly dependent on it. IT has become a microcosm of the organization and it is used to process more transactions, of greater value, faster than ever before — retaining an ever-increasing amount of information for longer periods, as well.
Impatience Is A Virtue
May 3, 2012 2:05 pm | by Mike Schmidt, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technolog | CommentsI'm not known for patience in the face of mild inconveniences. I can navigate the major roadblocks life throws my way with a grin-and-bear-it or a glass-is-half-full attitude, but there is something about the small stuff that goes wrong that makes me sweat these trivial problems in a big way. But sometimes you can’t help but wonder if this one seemingly insignificant bother, left untreated, could develop into a major hurdle.
FSMA Provisions May Protect 'Pink Slime' Whistleblowers
April 24, 2012 12:37 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsGerald Zirstein jumped into television interviews last month, during which he demonstrated how he grinds his own beef now, refusing to buy anything containing "pink slime." The consumer media picked up the story and ran with it, and soon the words "pink slime" were on everybody's tongue. But what people were really talking about, specifically, were products primarily made by Beef Products, Inc. (BPI), the manufacturers of "pink slime."
The Power Of Perception
April 24, 2012 8:50 am | by Lindsey Coblentz, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsDespite scientific evidence of a product’s safety, a deeply engrained negative perception will lead consumers to avoid that product.
Cut Costs While Cutting Waste
April 18, 2012 1:46 pm | by Mathieu Turpault, Partner and Director of Design, Bresslergroup | CommentsIn-depth life cycle analysis may take months and millions of dollars, but now there are better tools for design engineers to make cost-saving choices.
Manufacturing Is Cool
April 17, 2012 1:36 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsWe hear all the time how today’s young adults are so disenfranchised with the idea of working in manufacturing that there are still thousands of jobs going unfilled. Typically, these positions require training in high precision skills like CNC programming. But the skill mismatch we currently face shares a seat with a vast pool of candidates who spent the past few years educating themselves for other career paths.
Engineering The Future
April 13, 2012 12:34 pm | by Mike Auerbach, Editor in Chief, Pharmaceutical Processing | CommentsWhen designing pharmaceutical facilities, there is much to be taken into consideration, and merely throwing up a "bunch of bricks" just doesn't cut it anymore.
Made Lean In America
April 12, 2012 2:00 pm | by Bruce Hamilton, Founder, OldLeanDude.org | CommentsFor many organizations, Lean means creating employment opportunities at home: Good jobs, a strong tax base, a brighter future. We believe that the tide is turning towards “re-shoring” jobs and capability that America has lost in the last two decades, and that the time to rally our Lean community is here. Long-term thinking is emerging: America can compete through use of Lean thinking.
The Perfect Storm
April 10, 2012 12:08 pm | by Wayne R. Pinnell, CPA, Managing Partner Haskell & White, LLP | CommentsWhile manufacturing is finally beginning to show signs of a turnaround, uncertainty remains a chief concern. Economies around the world are grappling with debt crises, market volatility has become the norm and job growth can be measured by the decimal point. But what if this “perfect storm” of economic futility also had opportunities? What if the increased demand for lower pricing and higher production could usher in new efficiencies?
The Cost Of The Untrained
April 9, 2012 12:05 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | CommentsIn America, there will be no sustainable recovery in the manufacturing sector without the right training programs to teach the necessary skills. Without cultivating the right talent right here in the U.S., those jobs will remain unfilled, and may eventually move overseas as well. Or U.S. manufacturers will look to other ways to accomplish integral business functions.
What You Need To Grow
April 6, 2012 12:01 pm | by Michael P. Collins, Author, Saving American Manufacturing | CommentsSmall and midsize manufacturers (SMM) do not like to do business plans, but they all want to grow. The real question is: How much growth can they afford?
Road To Redemption
April 5, 2012 11:45 am | by Mike Schmidt, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsI must admit I’m a bit of a sucker for redemption tales, so to watch Motor City and the state of Michigan benefit from the auto industry’s comeback is heartening.
