News & Events

Industry 4.0 Operations

Workers of the Future Won’t Train Themselves

wo articles – September 25’s Throwing Money at a Talent Problem Won’t Solve It and October 15’s America’s ‘Green Economy’ Is Now Worth $1.4 Trillion—recently caught my attention. The first discusses how “leadership has fallen behind” in training and adapting to a changing…

Paul McQuadeOctober 28, 2019

Lean Manufacturing Sustainability

More Consumers Want Sustainable Fashion, But Are Brands Delivering It?

With consumers being more environmentally conscious than ever, it’s no surprise that sustainability has become a familiar refrain in the fashion industry. But are brands delivering on it? That’s a different story. Among mass-market apparel brands and retailers, only 1% of new…

Paul McQuadeOctober 23, 2019

Metalformers Metal Manufacturing Workforce

Advanced Technologies Operations U.S Manufacturing

Metalformers Build Own Skilled Workforce Solution

Over the long, strong history of the manufacturing industry in the United States, a single word has characterized its progress: innovation. Manufacturers have engineered solutions to some of the country’s biggest challenges, constantly creating processes and products to meet the moment. So it should be no surprise…

Paul McQuadeOctober 18, 2019

Data Analytics Lean Manufacturing

Why Doesn’t Lean Have a Seat at the Table?

Lean production, as an approach to managing complex operations, was introduced more than 30 years ago. Yet, despite decades of lean thinking and practice, the utter dominance of its industry by Toyota (the inspiration for lean), and the well-documented gains by those…

Paul McQuadeOctober 16, 2019

Leadership Operations

The 5 Principles of a Great Boss

Several years back, M. David Dealy and I wrote the book Defining the Really Great Boss. I thought about it recently after having several conversations with some highly respected business owners and managers. A common theme these folks shared is that…

Paul McQuadeOctober 14, 2019

Supply Chain Sustainability U.S Manufacturing

Organic Cotton And Microplastic Reduction Mean Growth For This Legacy U.S. Textile Maker

Textiles has been a tough business in the U.S. for a long time. Nobody knows that better than the Zaslow family. So their newest project, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) line of organic cotton bedding called American Blossom Linens, is something to…

Paul McQuadeOctober 11, 2019

Advanced Technologies Data Analytics Supply Chain

Preparing For The Unknown In Your Supply Chain

An earthquake damages your manufacturing facility, a strike at a port has delayed shipments to your store or political uncertainty has left your planning and forecasting in chaos. Today’s supply chains are complex global networks that face a growing host…

Paul McQuadeOctober 9, 2019

Advanced Technologies Data Analytics Industry 4.0

Blueprint For Industry 4.0: What Manufacturers Must Do Today

The manufacturing industry is no stranger to misconceptions and buzzwords. Collaborative automation, Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, blockchain – the real reason we allow ourselves to spin in circles on these topics is because we’re inherently hopeful and practical people: we…

Paul McQuadeSeptember 25, 2019

Leadership Lean Manufacturing

Lean Leadership: Understanding the Why and How of Standard Work

Lean Leadership Question: We are trying to create some standard work around several processes in our plant. Who should “own” this—the operators who run the process or an engineer? I’m not sure I can get everyone to agree there is…

Paul McQuadeSeptember 12, 2019

Advanced Technologies Industry 4.0

What AI Means for the Next-Gen Workforce

As if manufacturers didn’t already have enough on their hands trying to find suitable applicants for their shop floors and R&D departments, the world of artificial intelligence is about to explode onto the scene. And when it does, the scramble…

Paul McQuadeSeptember 9, 2019