Impact Dakota Blog is a blog dedicated to supporting North Dakota’s manufacturing community improve People, Purpose, Processes and Performance. Entries provide information on opportunities, new ideas, quick tips, celebrations of success, and well, frankly, anything to help you become a better manufacturer.
Every year, I take some time to look at what manufacturing clients across the MEP National NetworkTM are saying about the future and the challenges they face. It’s usually part of my New Year’s resolution to take the time to step back and consider what is happening with our manufacturing clients and their businesses. This exercise provides a peek into the hearts and minds of the CEOs who run the over two hundred thousand small manufacturers across the U.S. whom MEP supports. It always provides me with some insight into important market intelligence to guide future activity.
Bismarck, ND – Impact Dakota and the ND Trade Office, along with the support from a number of planning partners and sponsors, will be holding ExporTechTM. This proven program is designed to help North Dakota manufacturers and other interested companies who want to be proactive internationally by helping them boost their sales through profitable exports. The program will be held in the first quarter of 2018.
It's no secret that Amazon is changing the way American manufacturing works. But there's more to the issue than just the idea that retail is different. People are buying things online much more today, instead of shopping local. That's changing whether some companies can stay in business, and is a problem especially for smaller stores and shops that cannot compete with Amazon's prices or selection. Looking beyond that, though, to manufacturing, means considering much more than just the retail sector. Here are three important issues to consider when it comes to how How the "Amazon Effect" is Changing the American Manufacturing Industry Forever.
NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is pleased to announce the publication of NIST Handbook 162 "NIST MEP Cybersecurity Self-Assessment Handbook For Assessing NIST SP 800-171 Security Requirements in Response to DFARS Cybersecurity Requirements.” The Handbook provides a step-by-step guide to assessing a manufacturer’s information systems against the security requirements in NIST SP 800-171 rev 1.
These "eye" diagrams reveal how much noise is present in a digital signal. As the signal grows noisier, its characteristic shape grows distorted, shrinking the center so it resembles an eye closing. NIST's new 3-D chip-testing method passes microwaves through chip material, allowing researchers to quickly detect flaws that would create noise and make the diagram change from the open-eyed clarity of the top image to the squintier distortion on the bottom. Credit: Y. Obeng and N. Hanacek/NIST
No standard exists for determining when ice accumulation is severe enough that it will endanger workers. Most times, safety managers and supervisors must use their own judgment to alter work practices based on changes in weather conditions. We recommend that you plan ahead for anticipated hazards so you’ll be ready when conditions start to get dicey.
There’s no question the digital manufacturing revolution is racing at us. As a small or medium-sized manufacturer, how close are you to already being “smart”? Here are five steps in the journey to becoming a smarter digital enterprise.
Buyers generally have a good understanding of their company’s needs, however, too many assumptions and too little structure can result in mistakes when selecting suppliers. To ensure the best decisions are made, buyers need to reflect on their current decision making process. Dr. Cuneyt Altinoz has a long history of working in supply chain and offered frequent pitfalls made when selecting a supplier. Review the following list of common mistakes to make sure your company is on the right track.
Previously I wrote a blog about the differences across the 50 states as measured by manufacturing value added per employee. The differences across the states were quite large and I suggested that much of that variation was a function of the mix of industries in each state. While this mix may not be the absolute predictor for manufacturing growth, it is undoubtedly an important and interesting factor to consider when researching optimal manufacturing efficiency.
I think we’ve taken this pumpkin spice thing too far. Don’t get me wrong, I love fall. That first crisp evening when you need to put on a sweater, the crunch of leaves under your feet, homecoming football games, but pumpkin spice? It’s obvious that the pumpkin spice council’s marketing team has done an outstanding job because it’s in everything now: cookies, chocolate candy, ice cream, oatmeal, pancakes, marshmallows, and now even in a special “limited edition” of my favorite breakfast cereal.