Blog

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.

August 9, 2018

Building the Next Generation of Modern Manufacturers Starts with MFG DayDid you know 35 percent of students engaged in career and technical education (CTE) have no contact with potential future employers, according to a recent report by the Manufacturing Institute?

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August 7, 2018

Does your airline still cross seat belts? A ten-point lean checklist for leadersThe airline industry has begun to embrace lean operations in recent years, for good reason. Airlines are process, labor, and capital intensive: small reductions in waste-the eternal enemy of lean-go straight to the bottom line, improve the customer experience, and engage employees in a more productive "value added" workplace.

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August 1, 2018

White, and in the minorityIt was minutes before the end of the first shift, and the beginning of the second, and the hallways at the chicken plant swarmed with workers coming and going. One pulled a hairnet over her curly hair, giggling at a joke. Two others exchanged kisses on the cheek. A woman with a black ponytail hugged everyone within reach. And a thin, ashen woman, whom no one greeted or even seemed to notice, suddenly smiled.

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July 30, 2018

The Electric Car Market Revs UpSeeing more electric cars on the road? Last year, sales of electric vehicles (EVs) charged forward, as environmentally minded consumers found less expensive, longer-range models on the market.

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July 26, 2018

Students’ Attitudes Shift after Experiencing ManufacturingHow do you get students to pursue manufacturing careers? In most cases, it’s not so much up to you as them. Per a study conducted by The Manufacturing Institute, SkillsUSA, and the Educational Research Center of America, 64% of students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses say that their own interests and experiences are the most important factor in choosing a career path.

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July 24, 2018

Should Manufacturers Use Video in Their Marketing Mixes?As a consumer, it’s nearly impossible to get away from videos, advertising or otherwise. To give you a numeric sense of our collective obsession with online moving images...

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July 19, 2018

7 Things Every Manufacturer Can Do To Make Their MFG DAY Event A SuccessHow can you make sure your Manufacturing Day event is a success? One of the most important things to do is to establish a connection with your guests.

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July 16, 2018

AI and Impact Dakota — ChinaMuch has been written about the rise of China as an economic and geopolitical force. Let’s break off one chunk this week: China’s role as a major player in digital technologies at home and around the world.

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July 13, 2018

Building Strong Relationships to Face Challenges, Make the Most of OpportunitiesThe coming decade offers a host of challenges and opportunities for both large and small manufacturers alike, and forging the right partnerships — whether public, private, or both — is key to navigating the coming changes.

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July 10, 2018

Preparing for Technology and Automation Integration in ManufacturingAs Heraclitus said, change is the only thing constant in life. In the context of manufacturing it seems that there is almost a prescribed course—a road map with regularly spaced forks, one always leading to growth and prosperity, requiring change, and the other to stagnation resulting from fear of change, i.e., doing nothing and hoping that the definition of insanity is just a myth.

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