Y-Blog

My master’s thesis dealt with job satisfaction in the workplace. At the time I wrote my thesis, I was working for a global manufacturer of aircraft parts. In the mid-1990s, I watched my employer go through massive layoffs, reducing its workforce by more than 60 percent in three years. Watching the turmoil made me aware of how important it is to consider people when dealing with shifting economics, production needs and skill gaps.There is no single best answer when evaluating your need for talent because every manufacturer’s situation, even when it appears similar, is unique. Take these situations for example. Read More

At this year’s IMTS in Chicago, I had a number of discussions with manufacturers that were looking for ways to improve their manufacturing process.

• Some were part of an industry experiencing stagnant growth, and they were looking to prepare for future growth opportunities.
• Some were looking to address the cost of reworking parts so that they could maintain costs.
• Others were investigating ways to increase production levels since their business is booming.

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t’s been said taking something apart is easier than putting it together. If you’re in business to dismantle and recycle wood pallets, you might say otherwise. Taking apart (or dismantling) wooden pallets is dangerous, deafening and draining for employees. The work in pallet recycling plants is largely manual labor, and it’s always challenging to recruit and retain staff for a job that has people in constant contact with band saws, debris and vibration. Yet, the job is critical because the pallet, literally and figuratively, supports the nation’s supply chain. Read More

Some technologies are loved. For other technologies, there’s no love lost. Like your cable provider, waterjet cutting fills a need, but it’s an uneasy (if long-standing) alliance. Since the 1990s, top automotive interior trimmers have relied on waterjet cutting to remove flash from instrument panels, carpets and headliners. However, our surveys show many trimmers would be happy to do without the energy consumption, noise and occasional product mishap that comes from relying on a laser-like stream of water compressed to 40,000 psi for cutting and trimming. Read More

Two hundred forty minutes could save you $240,000 or more on your manufacturing process, but unlike those GEICO® commercials, not everybody knows that. Some of the companies that are in the know, however, say it’s because they agreed to a plant audit. A plant audit is a when a perceptive supplier visits your factory to meet with your production team, listen to your production supervisors and study how you are manufacturing piece parts. The process takes about four hours or roughly half a day, but the payoff can be more than worth it. Read More