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How Lean Manufacturing Principles Apply to Manufacturers Today

Lean manufacturing systems were created by the Toyota Production system in Japan in the 1990s. They encompass five steps that aim to eliminate waste in a manufacturing process, leading to better customer value and reduced costs.  While Lean methodology has been around for decades, how to apply these principles to manufacturing are new. Manufacturing faces …

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How to Lead with a Coaching Mindset

Most leaders in an organization are high-performing problem-solvers. But the transition from top-producing individual contributor to effective leader isn’t always an easy one.  It means helping people learn rather than teaching them; focusing on the team instead of the problem.   And while many leaders inherently understand the many benefits to leading with a coaching mindset— …

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What is Competitive Pay in 2022?

Job-seekers often see the phrase, “competitive pay” on job postings, but very few people know what it really means. Competitive pay is a vague term, and intentionally so. There’s no one-size-fits-all pay rate for any job, so many employers default to this term as a catch-all. Wages, commissions and salaries are dynamic and depend on …

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HR Trends in Manufacturing: 4 Changes in 2022

The past years have seen accelerated changes to American manufacturing, and human resources professionals have faced mounting challenges. The global pandemic revealed how important the manufacturing industry is to the safety and national security of global populations, and manufacturing demand has increased and faced new challenges along the way. The outlook for manufacturing is promising. …

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How to Help Employees Cope With Workplace Change

Workplace change can be really hard for employees to cope with. In fact, in a recent survey, the American Psychological Association showed that workers undergoing current or recent workplace change were far more likely to experience chronic stress and suffer health issues. In turn, they were also more inclined to distrust their managers and resist …

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Risk Management in Supply Chains: Strategies That Benefit You and Your Staff

Many businesses were caught off guard by COVID-19. Nearly 98% of senior-level decision makers said their organizations experienced supply chain disruption, according to a survey conducted by Interos, a business relationship intelligence platform. The pandemic put supply chains’ risk management strategies to the test, reduced demand for ocean freight, and impacted manufacturing output.  This article …

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Medical Device Manufacturing Outsourcing vs. Insourcing

Roughly 58% of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have used a contract manufacturer for a medical device project, according to a study by Medical Design Technology. Nearly 88% of OEMs had a positive experience with a contract manufacturer.  You may compare outsourcing vs. insourcing as you decide how to make the best use of your staff …

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How Supply Chains Are Recovering from COVID-19 Disruption and What It Means for Your Workforce

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions across all industries. From protecting the safety of workers to sending “nonessential” personnel home, very few employers were left operating as normal during the early days of COVID-19. Manufacturing has been hit particularly hard, with global supply chains facing immense strain and disruption. Supply chain disruptions can cause businesses …

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How to Hire Remote and Flexible Schedule Employees

Working from home has never been more widespread. According to a recent study by IWG, a leading flexible workspace provider, 74% of respondents consider flexible working as “the new normal.” As the modern workplace embraces flexible and remote work arrangements, hiring managers are looking for new candidates to fill remote positions. This means many employers …

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