If you are managing a manufacturing firm, you are well aware of the range of capabilities needed to operate your business at the highest levels. Lean practices need to be deployed in manufacturing for cost-competitiveness, speed and efficiency. Long-time customers are cutting jobs, and new customers need to be found. Even with an experienced staff, you need an expert to
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Caster Concepts, a manufacturer of industrial casters based in Albion, Michigan, completed the TAAF program with several very successful projects.
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Of the technological innovations transforming manufacturing, additive manufacturing may be the most discussed. Publications from technical industry magazines to Harvard Business Review have discussed its potential, and called out its hype. The Great Lakes TAAC is hearing more about additive manufacturing from our firms, and it’s a technology whose impact more small manufacturers should consider. Additive manufacturing (AM) has been
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Among the most common issues GLTAAC hears from manufacturers is the difficulty of recruiting new workers. The manufacturing workforce is aging, and attracting new workers is an ongoing challenge. To compound the challenge, employers need more highly skilled workers prepared to operate advanced machinery. The issue has gained a lot of attention. A 2011 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing
Read moreIn a nearby coffee shop, there is a tip jar with a sign that reads “If you fear change, put it here”. It’s a humorous reminder that tipping is appreciated, and who wouldn’t rather do without change? In the world of manufacturers, things have changed, of course. The past fifteen years have brought an onslaught of new global competition, advancements
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