All Features
Ayush Soni
Audits and inspections are critical components of industrial safety management. These processes help organizations ensure compliance with legal requirements, identify risks, and improve workplace safety and operational efficiencies. Conducting regular audits and inspections is not just a regulatory…
Quality Digest
Augie, Augmentir’s industrial generative AI assistant, is designed to enhance manufacturing operations. Unlike standard AI-powered helpers, Augie relies on real-time operational data, workforce insights, and training records to deliver solutions that integrate smoothly into daily workflows. It…
Mike Figliuolo
We all have enemies. Some of us have many. But when we spend our time and energy focused on attacking them and counterattacking their inevitable strikes, we’re the ones losing.
In getting us to attack, our enemy has taken us away from productive pursuits. They’ve hung a dark cloud over our days.…
Creaform
Quality control (QC) teams need reliable results they can trust to make informed decisions and address manufacturing challenges. This is why they rely on the coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). However, a CMM’s speed is often a limitation, making the idea that routine quality control can be…
Gleb Tsipursky
The transformative potential of generative AI in learning and development (L&D) is a topic of growing interest among business leaders. And if you think your workers aren’t using gen AI, you might be seriously off-base.
According to a global study of 14,000 workers by Salesforce in late 2023,…
Nathan Ginty
In recent years, reshoring—the process of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.—has gained momentum. Companies are reevaluating their offshore supply chains, driven by rising costs, geopolitical risks, and supply chain disruptions. For smaller manufacturers, this shift also presents a unique…
Roy VanGemert Jr.
What if you could meet your new employees a few years before their start date? Imagine a future where skilled workers are readily available in your local market, eager to contribute and connected to your company’s mission.
By investing in a sustainable local talent pipeline, manufacturers improve…
Hannah Fischer-Lauder
In an age where data are among the most valuable assets for any business, the ability to retrieve, process, and utilize information efficiently is critical for success. Yet traditional data-retrieval methods often struggle with the demands of today’s dynamic business environments. Enter retrieval-…
Susan Robertson
Every year, Amy B., a buyer for a large retail chain store, hosts an Easter egg decorating team-building party where she and a bunch of her suppliers spend an entire afternoon coloring and bedazzling boiled eggs. None of them bring kids—they do this for the sheer pleasure of out of the office…
Donald J. Wheeler
The Man of La Mancha never got to the unreachable goal—and if you’re being judged by overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), then your manager may also be dreaming an impossible dream. This column will look at problems associated with the use of OEE values.
OEE is a value often used in lean…
Harry Hertz
My story begins with Hurricane Milton, one of two tragic hurricanes to hit the west coast of Florida last year. Milton went right over Sarasota, where I live part of the year. It was a devastating storm; tree and plant debris still remain on the sides of many roads. Big root balls are still upended…
Ben Eidlisz
A safe work environment will foster productivity, reduce hazards, and enhance overall work morale. Keeping your team and assets safe requires implementing the right policies, medical necessities, vigilant oversight, ongoing assessments, and proper training.
As the COO of DUSAW, making smart locks…
Gleb Tsipursky
New research provides a compelling analysis of the repercussions of return-to-office (RTO) policies on employee turnover, hiring, and the overall talent pool within major corporations. Using data from more than 3 million LinkedIn profiles, Mark Ma, at the University of Pittsburgh, along with other…
Nick Haase
PharmaNZ is a family-owned nutraceutical company that manufactures health supplements for the world’s leading brands. The company produces more than 250 tonnes of powder-blend products, 10 million tablets, and 70 million hard-shell capsules annually for clients worldwide. The company, founded by…
Adam Grabowski
Cash is king for manufacturers, from the owner down to the machine operators. If you visit any manufacturer, you’ll see that most have a keen eye on how everything is being used. Machines are generally only running if they are making parts; employees are typically only working if orders are coming…
Megan King
When first responders need to rescue people from an earthquake-ravaged home, they need real-time information. If law enforcement officers are looking for a shooter in a crowded building, they must learn everything they can about the scene.
Emergency responders need to know where people are and…
Jones Loflin
I had just finished a keynote presentation and was at the book table set up by the client. Participants were invited to pick up one or more of my books, and the company would pay for them.
One excited audience member quickly made their way to the table and was perusing their possible choices. They…
Eric Linxwiler
Quality management has evolved far beyond traditional checklists and periodic inspections. For complex supply chains, quality is no longer a static endpoint. It’s a dynamic real-time process deeply interwoven with collaboration, transparency, and data-driven decision-making. As supply chains grow…
Gleb Tsipursky
You open your email and your stress level spikes: It’s another request titled “Can I work from home tomorrow?” It’s one of several you received in the last month—a relentless march of requests for remote work that ask for one-off exceptions to your policy.
So, what’s the deal? This constant…
Yushiro Kato
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum across a vast array of fields. Nearly everyone has tried or actively uses a form of AI, whether for personal or professional purposes. Many are finding benefits of the technology in industries that use large amounts of data that must be analyzed,…
Mike Figliuolo
You are the only one who can protect your time and your interests. You have to establish the “line” you’re not willing to cross or allow others to cross. Whether it’s the number of hours you work, the work you do (and the work others do), or the physical layout of your workspace, there are things…
Donald J. Wheeler
In last month’s article, “ANOVA and the Process Behavior Chart,” we saw how both techniques use the same basic comparison to answer completely different questions. Here, we’ll look at a case history where both techniques were used.
A physical property of a mass-produced item was important to its…
John Tschohl
What are the elements of a successful team? In a nutshell—whether it’s an athletic team, a dance team, or a business team—the critical elements are people who are knowledgeable, dedicated, productive, work well with others, and constantly seek to improve their skills.
But hiring and firing are…
Adam Grant, Michael Platt, Jonah Berger, Jerry Wind
Nano Tools for Leaders—a collaboration between Wharton Executive Education and Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management—are fast, effective tools that you can learn and start using in less than 15 minutes, with the potential to significantly impact your success and the engagement and…
Matt Tweedy
In global manufacturing, two key goals—intertwined yet distinct—heavily dominate the industry’s agenda: addressing the growing demand for environmentally sustainable practices, and optimizing operational efficiency. With these priorities in mind, companies are seeking multifaceted solutions that…
