Virginia-based contract manufacturer uses employee input and skill development to build better processes.
July 21, 2020
Over the past decade, Parker Garrett has visited hundreds of companies. During the course of those visits, he's observed his share of unhappy workplaces. Conversations reveal frustrations with bureaucracy, poorly designed processes and "odd" decision-making not in the best interest of either the company or its employees.
There are no unimportant or unnecessary parts in an assembly. Each component within a product, be it large or small, simple or complex, has been delegated there by an engineer to perform a specific task.
For the past few months, countless manufacturers worldwide have retooled to make personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and first responders in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some of their stories.
Robots are an important piece of the Industry 4.0 puzzle. Tomorrow's smart factories will depend on new types of machines, such as collaborative and mobile devices that are interconnected. Artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and data analytics will also make industrial robots more reliable than ever.
Wire and spring makers do some quite-interesting work. Ace Wire Spring & Form Inc., for example, regularly turns thick wire into specialty hooks using a complex, multistep production process.
Looking for stuff, whether it be keys, wallet, phone, meeting notes, spices in a kitchen cabinet, or pencils in my woodworking shop, is the bane of my existence. Some days, I feel as if I spend more time looking for stuff than I do actually using the stuff I was looking for.
Diversification is just as important for company managers as it is for individual investors. Both parties know it helps ensure growth without being dragged down by any one declining market sector.