Some Companies Moving Manufacturing Jobs Back To America October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing.Tags: manufacturing
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USA Today recently reported, “A small but growing band of US manufacturers – including giants such as General Electric, NCR and Caterpillar- are turning the seemingly inexorable offshoring movement on its head, bringing some production to the US from far-flung locations such as China. Others that were buying components overseas are switching to US suppliers.” For example, Ford announced Wednesday that it will send 2,000 jobs to US plants by 2012, “from suppliers, including those in Japan, Mexico and India.” Experts said that some of the “myriad reasons for the shifts” include lower inventory costs, protection of intellectual property, and the rise in Chinese wages and shipping costs over the past few years, “while US salaries have stayed flat” However, “products that are labor-intensive and churned out in high volumes, such as apparel, textiles and TVs, will likely continue to be made overseas.”
Read the full article here.
Some Companies Moving Manufacturing Jobs Back To America October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing.Tags: manufacturing
add a comment
USA Today recently reported, “A small but growing band of US manufacturers – including giants such as General Electric, NCR and Caterpillar- are turning the seemingly inexorable offshoring movement on its head, bringing some production to the US from far-flung locations such as China. Others that were buying components overseas are switching to US suppliers.” For example, Ford announced Wednesday that it will send 2,000 jobs to US plants by 2012, “from suppliers, including those in Japan, Mexico and India.” Experts said that some of the “myriad reasons for the shifts” include lower inventory costs, protection of intellectual property, and the rise in Chinese wages and shipping costs over the past few years, “while US salaries have stayed flat” However, “products that are labor-intensive and churned out in high volumes, such as apparel, textiles and TVs, will likely continue to be made overseas.”
Read the full article here.
Lean expert to head up VW manufacturing October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in automotive, lean.Tags: automotive, lean
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Michael Macht, an expert in production, is stepping down as chief executive of Porsche AG to head up the Volkswagen Group’s global manufacturing network. Reuters news agency reports that Macht is “an expert in lean manufacturing” and says he “oversaw Porsche’s factories and ran a consulting firm that implemented similar just-in-time production methods at companies like Lufthansa.”
Read the Reuters news release here.
Lean expert to head up VW manufacturing October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in automotive, lean.Tags: automotive, lean
add a comment
Michael Macht, an expert in production, is stepping down as chief executive of Porsche AG to head up the Volkswagen Group’s global manufacturing network. Reuters news agency reports that Macht is “an expert in lean manufacturing” and says he “oversaw Porsche’s factories and ran a consulting firm that implemented similar just-in-time production methods at companies like Lufthansa.”
Read the Reuters news release here.
Ratzenberger: Loss Of Skilled Worker Hurts US Economy, Security October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing.Tags: manufacturing
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In an opinion piece in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, actor John Ratzenberger noted that “a cultural shift has taken place in America that’s tragically made the skilled worker a thing of the past,” while “at stake is nothing less than our long-term economic vitality.” Often, infrastructure projects, for instance, “cannot move forward due to lack of skilled workers.” The US Department of Labor estimates that “by 2012, there will be a 3 million skilled worker shortfall in our nation,” while “the bulk of our existing skilled worker base will retire in the next decade.” And “from aviation to energy, our national security is at risk. In order to maintain the world’s most sophisticated military, we must produce systems, parts and hardware in America.”
Read Ratzenberger’s editorial here.
Ratzenberger: Loss Of Skilled Worker Hurts US Economy, Security October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing.Tags: manufacturing
add a comment
In an opinion piece in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, actor John Ratzenberger noted that “a cultural shift has taken place in America that’s tragically made the skilled worker a thing of the past,” while “at stake is nothing less than our long-term economic vitality.” Often, infrastructure projects, for instance, “cannot move forward due to lack of skilled workers.” The US Department of Labor estimates that “by 2012, there will be a 3 million skilled worker shortfall in our nation,” while “the bulk of our existing skilled worker base will retire in the next decade.” And “from aviation to energy, our national security is at risk. In order to maintain the world’s most sophisticated military, we must produce systems, parts and hardware in America.”
Read Ratzenberger’s editorial here.
3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing, new products and technologies.Tags: manufacturing, new products and technologies
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The New York Times reported in a front-page article on the “manufacturing revolution” spurred by 3-D printing, which “has been radically transformed from its origins as a tool used by manufacturers and designers to build prototypes,” and “is giving rise to a string of never-before-possible businesses that are selling iPhone cases, lamps, doorknobs, jewelry, handbags, perfume bottles, clothing and architectural models.” Proponents of the technology “say that by doing away with manual labor, 3-D printing could revamp the economics of manufacturing and revive American industry as creativity and ingenuity replace labor costs as the main concern around a variety of goods.” One entrepreneur said, “There is nothing to be gained by going overseas except for higher shipping charges.” While there are some constraints, and “some wonder how successfully the technology will make the transition from manufacturing applications to producing consumer goods, its use is exploding.”
Read the full article here.
3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing, new products and technologies.Tags: manufacturing, new products and technologies
add a comment
The New York Times reported in a front-page article on the “manufacturing revolution” spurred by 3-D printing, which “has been radically transformed from its origins as a tool used by manufacturers and designers to build prototypes,” and “is giving rise to a string of never-before-possible businesses that are selling iPhone cases, lamps, doorknobs, jewelry, handbags, perfume bottles, clothing and architectural models.” Proponents of the technology “say that by doing away with manual labor, 3-D printing could revamp the economics of manufacturing and revive American industry as creativity and ingenuity replace labor costs as the main concern around a variety of goods.” One entrepreneur said, “There is nothing to be gained by going overseas except for higher shipping charges.” While there are some constraints, and “some wonder how successfully the technology will make the transition from manufacturing applications to producing consumer goods, its use is exploding.”
Read the full article here.
How to Think What No One Else Thinks October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation.Tags: Creativity & Innovation
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How can an individual think of things that no one else thinks of? The answer is to take a different approach on the issue. There are dominant ideas in every field. The innovative thinker challenges dominant ideas in order to conceive new possibilities.
Read this brief but thought-provoking article at RealInnovation.com, here.
How to Think What No One Else Thinks October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation.Tags: Creativity & Innovation
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How can an individual think of things that no one else thinks of? The answer is to take a different approach on the issue. There are dominant ideas in every field. The innovative thinker challenges dominant ideas in order to conceive new possibilities.
Read this brief but thought-provoking article at RealInnovation.com, here.
How Do You Reinvent Something as Common as the Padlock? October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation, new products and technologies.Tags: Creativity & Innovation, new products and technologies
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Introduced in 2009, Master Lock’s Speed Dial is the first “directional” combination lock. It replaces a series of numbers with a sequence of up-down and left-right movements (like a video-game cheat). FastCompany magazine talked to Lea Plato, one of the designers who worked on the lock, about how the lock came to be and why it’s easier to use than what we’re all used to.
Read the full article here.
How Do You Reinvent Something as Common as the Padlock? October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation, new products and technologies.Tags: Creativity & Innovation, new products and technologies
add a comment
Introduced in 2009, Master Lock’s Speed Dial is the first “directional” combination lock. It replaces a series of numbers with a sequence of up-down and left-right movements (like a video-game cheat). FastCompany magazine talked to Lea Plato, one of the designers who worked on the lock, about how the lock came to be and why it’s easier to use than what we’re all used to.
Read the full article here.
Small Manufacturers Need to be Agile, Not Lean October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean.Tags: lean
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Much of what is written about lean manufacturing simply doesn’t appear applicable to small manufacturers. When the lean literature talks about being lean, small manufacturers say, “We’re already lean. Everybody around here already wears three hats. Maybe big companies have extra people around but we don’t.”
Small companies suffer from the same operational difficulties that large manufacturers do, maybe more, given that they have fewer resources to devote to sophisticated equipment, IT, and engineering. Unfortunately, the “lean message,” at least as it’s been translated and communicated over the past several years, has little applicability to the circumstances of small manufacturers. Small manufacturers (and just about everybody else) have been sold on the idea that lean tools are primarily for cost cutting. So small manufacturers employ lean tools expecting big savings that may not be forthcoming, given that many of them are already practiced at keeping costs as close to the bone as possible.
The value of lean tools for small manufacturers lie, not so much in their cost cutting potential, as in their potential for creating agility.
Read more in this IndustryWeek article here.
Small Manufacturers Need to be Agile, Not Lean October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean.Tags: lean
add a comment
Much of what is written about lean manufacturing simply doesn’t appear applicable to small manufacturers. When the lean literature talks about being lean, small manufacturers say, “We’re already lean. Everybody around here already wears three hats. Maybe big companies have extra people around but we don’t.”
Small companies suffer from the same operational difficulties that large manufacturers do, maybe more, given that they have fewer resources to devote to sophisticated equipment, IT, and engineering. Unfortunately, the “lean message,” at least as it’s been translated and communicated over the past several years, has little applicability to the circumstances of small manufacturers. Small manufacturers (and just about everybody else) have been sold on the idea that lean tools are primarily for cost cutting. So small manufacturers employ lean tools expecting big savings that may not be forthcoming, given that many of them are already practiced at keeping costs as close to the bone as possible.
The value of lean tools for small manufacturers lie, not so much in their cost cutting potential, as in their potential for creating agility.
Read more in this IndustryWeek article here.
Stepping off the hamster wheel: How to stay creative even when you’re insanely busy October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation.Tags: Creativity & Innovation
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In IBM’s survey, 1541 CEOs, general managers and senior leaders cited “creativity” more than any other attribute as crucial to their success in the current economy. Firms are crying out for innovation for two reasons: a desire for organic growth and avoiding the debilitating effects of mass distraction like email, twitter, interruptions, and multi-tasking. What can you do to counteract the forces of mass distraction and cultivate your creativity? Author Robert Tucker offers two suggestions that may help. Read them here.
Stepping off the hamster wheel: How to stay creative even when you’re insanely busy October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation.Tags: Creativity & Innovation
add a comment
In IBM’s survey, 1541 CEOs, general managers and senior leaders cited “creativity” more than any other attribute as crucial to their success in the current economy. Firms are crying out for innovation for two reasons: a desire for organic growth and avoiding the debilitating effects of mass distraction like email, twitter, interruptions, and multi-tasking. What can you do to counteract the forces of mass distraction and cultivate your creativity? Author Robert Tucker offers two suggestions that may help. Read them here.
Is Lean the Secret to Curing Healthcare? October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in healthcare, Lean Thinking.Tags: healthcare, Lean Thinking
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Former ThedaCare CEO and president Dr. John Toussaint thinks so. He’s prescribing Lean to change the culture in healthcare – from shame and blame to using data to make decisions.
ThedaCare Inc., a not-for-profit system of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other services in Northeast Wisconsin, has been practicing Lean for more than seven years. Through its use of Lean principles, the organization has seen not only cost savings, but also a drop in patient mortality, after removing wasted time and effort from the cardiac surgery process. Read this interview with Dr. Toussaint about lean lessons learned, the national healthcare debate, and ThedaCare’s progress.
Is Lean the Secret to Curing Healthcare? October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in healthcare, Lean Thinking.Tags: healthcare, Lean Thinking
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Former ThedaCare CEO and president Dr. John Toussaint thinks so. He’s prescribing Lean to change the culture in healthcare – from shame and blame to using data to make decisions.
ThedaCare Inc., a not-for-profit system of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other services in Northeast Wisconsin, has been practicing Lean for more than seven years. Through its use of Lean principles, the organization has seen not only cost savings, but also a drop in patient mortality, after removing wasted time and effort from the cardiac surgery process. Read this interview with Dr. Toussaint about lean lessons learned, the national healthcare debate, and ThedaCare’s progress.
Unemployed Find Old Jobs Now Require More Skills October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in economy, manufacturing.Tags: economy, manufacturing
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”The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them.” This is “a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers. Some asked staffers to take on a broader array of duties – duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs.” Mark Tomlinson, executive director of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, noted that “there are jobs available, but the worker just has to have more skills than before.” The trend also “means workers are bearing heavier burdens.”
Read the full story here.
Unemployed Find Old Jobs Now Require More Skills October 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in economy, manufacturing.Tags: economy, manufacturing
add a comment
”The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them.” This is “a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers. Some asked staffers to take on a broader array of duties – duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs.” Mark Tomlinson, executive director of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, noted that “there are jobs available, but the worker just has to have more skills than before.” The trend also “means workers are bearing heavier burdens.”
Read the full story here.
