“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way.”
– Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins
1. Lean Leadership
This is easily one of the most insightful and eye-opening blog entries I’ve ever read. I’ve had a decent understanding of lean manufacturing since I was initially introduced to it, but what I didn’t know was that it had such a predominant culture! In the past, I’ve been easily impressed with the concept of mass production – even putting it on a pedestal, especially when talking about additive for mass production. In retrospect, lean production almost makes mass production look like a bad word!
2. Manufacturing: There’s an App for That
Mobile apps can help manufacturers by providing a direct connection to their customers, allowing for a two-way flow of information. Customers can use apps to place orders, track shipments, and provide feedback, while manufacturers can use apps to track inventory, manage production, and communicate with suppliers. By integrating mobile apps into their business operations, manufacturers can increase efficiency and transparency while also building closer relationships with their customers.
3. Reshoring Is Real
We’ve known this, but now the mainstream media is making it clear. There is a major shift underway in U.S. manufacturing. For decades, companies have been moving their manufacturing operations overseas to take advantage of cheaper labor costs. However, a combination of factors is now leading many companies to bring their manufacturing operations back to the United States. These factors include the rising cost of labor in China, the increasing complexity of manufacturing products, and the need for companies to be closer to their customers. Obviously, this shift could and probably will have a major impact on the U.S. economy. It could create new jobs in manufacturing and related industries, but more importantly, it could also help to revive some of the struggling communities that have been hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs in the past.
4. Shrinkflation Fit Tooling
In September, cutting tool consumption dropped 3.3% to $172.1 million. This is 5.5% higher than September 2021's consumption total, which leaves some doubt over the current strength of U.S. manufacturing activity. Cutting tool consumption is a reliable index to overall manufacturing activity because cutting tools are a primary consumable product in use across multiple industrial sectors. Through nine months of activity, U.S. machine shops and other manufacturers have purchased $1.6 billion worth of cutting tool products, 7.6% more than the January-September total for 2021.
5. What Do You Call a Hedgehog With ADHD
Hypersonic! Haha … SEGA! IYKYK. Do you ever miss the space race? What about the arms race? Heck, let’s just bring back the Cold War already. I mean, I wasn’t around for the first one, and it’s my inalienable human right to have a chance to be vaporized! #entitled #millennial #sendit #getglassed
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