8 Ways to Improve Your Supplier Selection Process

Posted by IMEC on Jun 20, 2023 11:46:47 AM

This is an original article from the NIST Manufacturing Innovation Blog.

By: Art Thomas

Credit: iStock/Yuri_Arcurs

Many manufacturers have had to make significant changes in suppliers in recent years because of various disruptions. Small and medium-sized manufacturers are often resource-challenged and do not have supply chain specialists to focus on vetting suppliers.

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Get to Know IMEC’s Board of Directors: Caitlin Simhauser

Posted by Jordyn Shawhan on May 11, 2023 11:52:48 AM

Meet Caitlin Simhauser, the President and Managing Owner of Ronk Electrical Industries and one of IMEC’s newest Board members. In a recent virtual interview, Simhauser shared insights about herself and her company, which has been manufacturing electrical products and equipment since 1950.

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Powerful Coaching Practices for Manufacturing Leaders - Part 5: Holding People Capable

Posted by Stacey Curry on May 9, 2023 9:05:21 AM

A 6-part series focusing on impactful practices for developmental coaching conversations. 

Holding people capable (accountable) is an important part of building trust, maintaining standards of excellence, and achieving goals in any organization or personal relationship.

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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: Strategies for Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers

Posted by Joshua Falco on Apr 28, 2023 10:29:17 AM

Supply chain is one of the most important aspects of the manufacturing industry. In order for the manufacturing process to actually begin, companies need the necessary materials to make the desired product. What exactly is supply chain? Supply chain consists of the sequence of different processes involved in the production and distribution of a product, good, or other commodities.
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INCLUSIVE WORK CULTURE: Improve your Profitability and Competitive Advantage

Posted by Paola Velasquez on Apr 4, 2023 2:31:33 PM

Some challenges for manufacturers in 2023 continue to be recruitment & retention and meeting customer expectations, especially as customers are asking about your social responsibility.  These challenges have led to high turnover, inability to meet production demands, customer loss, and lack of market expansion.
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Inventory Management: The Science of Having What You Need When You Need It

Posted by Maria Livingston on Mar 14, 2023 1:17:50 PM

Inventory is money. How well do you track your inventory “money”? Do you know where all of it is every day or are there piles of “money” just sitting in unknown locations? When dealing with dollars, we want to know where it is, how much we have, and be confident the amount is accurate. Remember, inventory is money. If you do not know where your inventory is, or how much you have with certainty, you are losing money. 

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Powerful Coaching Practices for Manufacturing Leaders - Part 4: The Artfulness of Asking Questions

Posted by Stacey Curry on Mar 1, 2023 11:38:35 AM

A 6-part series focusing on impactful practices for developmental coaching conversations. 

If you have read the previous post in this series, thank you! If this is the first time you popped open one of my posts, thank you! 

Writing is not one of my stronger skill sets. Writing is an arduous experience as I tend to overthink grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, logical flow, and the greatest fear of all…being judged by an unidentified person behind a screen who I will most likely never meet. Better yet, what if they respond and like the post and I need to respond intelligently and respectfully? What if I sound like a complete ne’er-do-well? All this white noise in my head leads to me losing sight of the fact that I’m simply sharing my thoughts and ideas and that takes a ton of courage. When I write something and put it out there for public viewing, I am being completely, unequivocally, 100%, vulnerable! And therein lies the artfulness of asking questions – being completely, unequivocally, 100%, vulnerable. 

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Update on the Construction Market

Posted by IMEC on Feb 20, 2023 1:47:49 PM

This article is provided by ITR Economics in partnership with IMEC.

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Inclusive Mindset: 6 Tips to Lead Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Posted by Paola Velasquez on Feb 14, 2023 10:23:34 AM

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments are falling by the wayside. What was once a priority has turned into an annual check-the-box competency training for some. Unfortunately, annual competencies are not enough to drive change, create inclusion, and foster engagement. Below are 6 tips to assist you in your DEI journey.

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Powerful Coaching Practices for Manufacturing Leaders - Part 3: Holding Up the Mirror

Posted by Stacey Curry on Feb 14, 2023 10:00:07 AM

A 6-part series focusing on impactful practices for developmental coaching conversations. 

Recently I read two interesting books, Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and Why am I Afraid to Tell You Who I am? by John Powell. Each book provided a fascinating opportunity for self-reflection (DEEP self-reflection) and although I don’t necessarily agree that ego is the ‘enemy’ per-say, I do believe it is vitally important to recognize the various shades of ego we naturally possess.

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