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Normal People in Wrong Processes
Normal People in Wrong Processes

Normal People in Wrong Processes

By George Taninecz, VP of Research Every day somebody somewhere irritates someone — me included — and the knee-jerk response is to finger the “bad” individual for an incompetence that led to our aggravation. But, as lean experts have been telling us for years, most bad experiences have nothing to do with bad people. These are simply “good people in bad processes.” I’m no lean consultant or practitioner, but I don’t think that’s quite right, either. Leave the labeling of “good” or “bad” to a higher power. I think what we’re really talking about are normal people (aka a [...]

By George Taninecz|2016-12-21T22:49:52+00:00July 7th, 2015|George Taninecz, Lean, People, Process|Comments Off

Internet of Things Strategy — Smart Devices Need Smart People
Internet of Things Strategy — Smart Devices Need Smart People

Internet of Things Strategy — Smart Devices Need Smart People

Many manufacturers are aggressively incorporating intelligence into their production assets. Our recent MPI Manufacturing Study found that 10% of plant equipment (median) now has technologies embedded that enable machine-to-machine or machine-to-IT system communications (a much higher average figure of 23.7% highlights how extensively a few manufacturers are investing in Internet of Things capabilities). So, is the Internet of Things (IoT) really taking off? Not hardly and not yet, for a couple of reasons. First, digitally lacing together machines is a prerequisite for the IoT. But it’s not as if equipment is suddenly going to become self-aware and start producing [...]

By George Taninecz|2016-12-21T22:50:42+00:00June 8th, 2015|George Taninecz, Internet of Things|Comments Off

International Plans?
International Plans?

International Plans?

Most manufaturers recognize the importance of global awareness for their businesses. Yet less than half are actively participating in international business: Only 46% of U.S. manufacturers operate or partner in one or more production facilities outside the United States, and just 47% have one or more sales and/or distribution facilities outside the United States. Other firms have more aggressive global plans: 9% of manufacturers have production facilities in more than 10 countries, and 12% of manufacturers have sales and/or distribution facilities in 10 or more countries.[1] Unfortunately, Next Generation Manufacturing research finds that a majority of manufacturers don’t measure [...]

By MPI Editor|2016-12-21T23:38:16+00:00December 13th, 2014|Global Engagement, Manufacturing, Next Generation Manufacturing|Comments Off

Redirection of the World’s Manufactured Goods?
Redirection of the World’s Manufactured Goods?

Redirection of the World’s Manufactured Goods?

The United States continues to be the world’s great consumer. Imports to the United States of manufactured goods were nearly $1.72 trillion in 2011, and since 2001 have increased by 79%. China is by far the leading exporter of manufactured goods to the United States ($390.6 billion in 2011), nearly double that of second-place Canada ($207.3 billion).[1] More telling is how imports have changed in the past 10 years. China manufacturing exports to the United States rose 292% as that nation achieved manufacturing expertise combined with low-cost labor; among the top 10 manufactured-goods exporters to the United States, only [...]

By MPI Editor|2016-08-19T19:16:45+00:00December 13th, 2014|Economic Growth, Export, Import, Manufacturing|Comments Off