If you’re looking for some guidance on what the future holds for manufacturing, the National Association of Manufacturers has some ideas.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic reminded me of an opportunity working with a federal government agency where I was asked to train high level scientific professionals on the concepts of Cost of Quality.

Consistent product quality is the most proven predictor of any manufacturer’s success. Competitors may imitate each other’s marketing, but superior quality stands alone as the truest statement of company’s values. That is why forward-thinking manufacturers are making quality cost management part of their DNA.

Businesses worldwide are being tested in a crucible of quality. Companies in which quality was already fragile and inefficient have seen their processes go from lacking to completely broken during the COVID-19 crisis.

Tony Uphoff worked in Manhattan during 9/11. He ran a San Francisco Bay Area business during an earthquake in the 1990s. Despite these experiences, he says that the current pandemic is truly an unprecedented time.

When I last spoke to Drew Greenblatt, in March, the world looked a little different.

Your firm is not alone if it put in the time and outlaid the capital on an ERP deployment only to find the challenge of on-time customer shipments still an active and pressing problem.

Confusion between the two is understandable. Their names are nearly synonymous and the terms are often used interchangeably. The acronyms are RADAR, which stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging; and LIDAR which stands for LIght Detection And Ranging.

I think we can all agree that the world is changing. We have all heard about disruption in the economy, technology, and even in the way we work and interact with others.

Marlin Steel Wire Products (Baltimore, MD) has modified its manufacturing practices over the last few weeks.