Do you struggle to find top talent in a market that is highly competitive? You are not alone; many companies are experiencing a skills gap. According to “the Manufacturing Institute”, over the next decade more than 3.3 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled. The skills…
ISO 14001 is the international standard used by organizations designing and implementing an effective Environmental Management System (EMS). The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released the 2015 edition of ISO 14001 in September of 2015, with the previous edition having been released in 2004. This new edition…
According to the International Federation of Robotics, the first industrial robot entered a U.S. automotive factory in the early 1960s. Used on a GM assembly line in Trenton, New Jersey, where parts for automotive interiors were produced, the robot was capable of obeying step-by-step commands, sequencing and…
On May 11, 2016, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 was signed into law, creating a private civil federal cause of action for trade secret misappropriation. Historically, trade secret theft was actionable under state and the new DTSA will preempt these state laws. However, the plaintiff…
Although there are many reasons a company should consider an SBA loan, there are 5 critical advantages to an SBA loan which should be considered when applying for a loan to expand or refinance your business or acquire a new one. SBA loans are intended to improve…
Does your current technology create value through utilizing your ERP / Manufacturing software to capture and analyze data to drive (JIT) Just-in-Time manufacturing? Let’s start with a brief history of JIT manufacturing and how it’s adoption has impacted the manufacturing sector. Then look at some of the…
With over 250 automotive manufacturers and associated suppliers calling South Carolina home, it is important that increasing customer demands be understood as a means of maintaining a competitive advantage. Not only are the requirements for implementing various ISO standards on the rise once again, we are also…
It’s nothing short of overkill to hear that bad safety practices can have negative side effects on the success of any businesses. The driver for being safe, and the repercussion for not being safe are one in the same; cost. Now, before any passionate reader out there…
Being a bunch of what some would consider “Quality Dorks”, we’ve been abuzz since the Spring of 2013 with anticipation of the changes to the most widely adopted international management system standard in the world – ISO 9001. If you’ve done business in manufacturing over the past…
If you operate a small to mid-sized manufacturing enterprise (SME), how are you going to grow revenue and earnings? Every company relies on organic growth of their core products. For most that is typically not enough to sustain the business long term. Geographic expansion and acquisitions can…