Manufacturing Insights
Welcome to Manufacturing Insights, a blog dedicated to providing valuable information and insights into the dynamic world of manufacturing.
At the heart of every successful manufacturing venture lies the ability to make informed decisions. Manufacturing insights serve as the compass guiding us through business complexities. They offer us the vantage point to anticipate market shifts, optimize operations, and strategize for the future.
Driving Profitability in 2025: Precision in Costing and Customer Margins
Profitability in manufacturing requires focus, precision, and a forward-thinking approach. To ensure success in 2025, take time to evaluate the accuracy of your costing, the profitability of your customer base, and the efficiency of your operations. With these insights, you can prioritize the most impactful strategies, enabling your business to drive greater efficiency and growth.
Building great teams: Lessons from Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors
Teams that trust one another, engage in healthy conflict, commit to decisions, hold each other accountable, and focus on collective results consistently outperform their peers. They’re resilient in the face of challenges, adaptive to change, and, most importantly, a joy to be part of.
How Deviance Becomes the Norm: Breaking the Cycle of Unsafe Practices
Deviance from workplace safety becomes a real issue when workers perform tasks unsafely and no negative consequences occur. As unsafe acts continue day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year, without employee injury or property damage, this result becomes embedded in the mind of the individual performing the task
The True Mark of a Great Quality Manager
Discover the key traits that elevate a Quality Manager from good to great, including fostering a customer-focused culture, driving continuous improvement, and leading by example. Learn how the right leadership can inspire a culture of excellence across an entire organization.
Build your blueprint. Manage the clock.
The baseline checklist of items included in a comprehensive financial plan is telling, and it begins to reveal the breadth and scope of the many variables affecting our lives. Investing time and effort into building a customized, dynamic, personal financial plan will create the foundation to where you want to go.
The Makings of a Great Maintenance Manager
Many Maintenance Managers have mechanical and electrical aptitude, but that does not make them great or even good Maintenance Managers. On the flip side, a great or good Maintenance Manager must possess some knowledge about electrical and mechanical systems, and not rely on leadership alone.
2024: The Second Half
As we move into the second half of 2024, many thoughts come to mind in general, and specifically for manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley. The usual suspects of inflation, employee attraction and retention, as well as lingering other workforce issues continue to be high on the minds of our manufacturing community. On the employee attraction and retention side, the pendulum has swung more to retention as the hot priority.
Lean Manufacturing: Meeting the Needs of the Emerging Workforce
Explore how Lean Manufacturing meets the needs of next generation workers: By embracing Lean principles, manufacturers can create environments that not only drive efficiency but also naturally align with the workplace preferences of Millennials and Gen Z. This alignment can be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining talent across generations.
The Strategic Role of the CFO
CFOs drive sustainable growth, create long-term value, and position their organizations for success in an ever-changing business landscape. By bridging the gap between financial performance and operational agility, modern CFOs are invaluable strategic partners. Leading beyond the numbers, nurturing a culture of growth, and embracing the future of financial leadership,
Sun, Heat, and Safety: Navigating Workplace Hazards in Summer
Controlling workplace safety hazards in summer does not need to be complicated, but it does take effort to understand the needs of employees in certain situations. Review OSHA regulations. Discuss the hazards with your safety committee. Develop options for eliminating unsafe conditions.
Mastering Business Success: The Paramount Role of Customer Experience
Customer expectations are constantly evolving, driven by technological advancements, cultural shifts and changing market dynamics. To stay relevant, businesses must continuously adapt and innovate CX strategies. Large brands have given us new standards by which we measure all other companies.
How Smaller Manufacturers Can Develop Risk Management Strategies for Their Supply Chains
To build a resilient supply chain, manufacturers should align their supply chain strategy with their business goals and engage in strategic planning, inventory management, and vendor management. This includes classifying raw materials, negotiating contracts, and inventory management.
What’s your strategy for automation in 2025 and beyond?
What’s your strategy for automation in 2025 and beyond? by Shawn Furman AMT Strategy Manager ERP, Robots, and AI, oh my! These are just a sample set of manufacturing technology we hear about weekly, if not daily, that fall under the Smart Manufacturing or Industry...
Winter Safety 101: Protecting Yourself and Your Team from Cold Weather Hazards
Winter Safety 101: Protecting Yourself and Your Team from Cold Weather Hazards by William T. Paletski PE, CSP Keystone (formerly East Coast Risk Management) Lehigh Valley, PA As a child, my mom’s voice would ring out each winter morning: “Wear a hat! Wear your...
Driving Profitability in 2025: Precision in Costing and Customer Margins
Driving Profitability in 2025: Precision in Costing and Customer Margins by Ryan Walter Managing Director ProCFO Partners As we wrap up 2024 and complete our planning for 2025, now is a great time to consider how you can drive increased profitability in the new year. ...
Building great teams: Lessons from Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors
Building great teams: Lessons from Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors by Wendy Beltzner, Senior Director Leadership Development and Training Strategy In today’s fast-paced manufacturing world, great teamwork is more than a “nice-to-have”—it’s a core ingredient for a...
How Deviance Becomes the Norm: Breaking the Cycle of Unsafe Practices
How Deviance Becomes the Norm: Breaking the Cycle of Unsafe Practices by William T. Paletski PE CSP CWCA Senior Environmental, Health & Safety Consultant Keystone (formerly East Coast Risk Management) Lehigh Valley, PA Workplace safety culture is how “things”...
The True Mark of a Great Quality Manager
The True Mark of a Great Quality Manager by Sally Wilk CEO / Sales & Operations Manager WCH Professional Services, LLC The makings of a great Quality Manager extend far beyond technical expertise. They encompass a blend of in-depth product knowledge, mastery of...
Build your blueprint. Manage the clock.
Build your blueprint. Manage the clock. by William Stewart, Director, Client Advisor Alex. Brown | Raymond James Successful business owners, movers and shakers by definition, endlessly wrestle with the challenge of balancing multiple priorities against the relentless...
The Makings of a Great Maintenance Manager
The Makings of a Great Maintenance Manager by Shawn Furman Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy Manager Many Maintenance Managers have mechanical and electrical aptitude, but that does not make them great or even good Maintenance Managers. On the flip side, a...
2024: The Second Half
2024: The Second Half by Rich Hobbs President & CEO MRC As we move into the second half of 2024, many thoughts come to mind in general, and specifically for manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley. It’s a political election year so that always weighs heavily with lots...
Lean Manufacturing: Meeting the Needs of the Emerging Workforce
Lean Manufacturing: Meeting the Needs of the Emerging Workforce by Gene Kaschak VP, Continuous Improvement & Leadership Development Strategy As manufacturing evolves to attract and retain talent, the core aspects of Lean Manufacturing offer a compelling alignment...