News

The explosion in the use of debit and credit cards is not without a downside. As more and more credit cards are provided to merchants, the potential that the information will be stolen also increases. Consumers expect their card information will be...

What makes an effective team? Extensive research has been conducted over many decades to identify the management practices that produce the most effective teams. The findings from that research can be distilled into key behaviors that can make you...

In recent years, energy prices can only be categorized as volatile, and that volatility is having a major impact on manufacturing profits. Further gains are possible if barriers to increased efficiency can be addressed, the U.S. Department of...

Good old American ingenuity and know-how are what made this country a world leader in the manufacturing sector. In recent decades, manufacturing has been eroding in the United States, both through moving production capabilities overseas and through...

The U.S. Tax Code has a long history of tax incentives for manufacturers and other business enterprises. However, as is typical, these incentives tend to come and go at the whim of Congress. The purchase of machinery and equipment has been the...

In the past few years, there has been a lot of discussion concerning the shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing sector. In fact, between February 2010 and April 2013, when sector jobs were on the rise, and 558,000 men were hired, an...

Although it can be a dangerous undertaking to predict what Congress will do, there is little debate that the United States is in serious need of comprehensive corporate tax reform. And it may be on the horizon. 1. The tax code is incredibly...

A multi-agency initiative by the U.S. federal government is another vote of confidence in the revival of the American manufacturing economy. Between 2000 and 2010, almost 40 percent of large U.S. plants closed, with a subsequent loss of jobs. But...

One of the most highly debated and complex new pieces of legislation regarding food products will be finalized late in the coming weeks. The act encompasses preventative controls, inspection, compliance, food import oversight and recalls.The Food...

There has been a lot of press in recent years about the shortage of skilled labor in manufacturing. The employees you need can’t be created overnight, but there is one way your company can fight the challenge – recruit wisely and then...

Diversity in business sectors in an economy brings stability and opportunity. Not all sectors are created equal, however. The manufacturing sector, in particular, provides many direct and indirect benefits, not only to local areas but to the country...

Financial reporting has long been the bedrock of company reporting, widely used by stockholders and others to understand company performance and outlook. But in a world where corporate actions and relationships within communities are far more...

Sales forecasts drive production and investments, so accuracy is critical. If you’re overly optimistic, you have inventory sitting in your warehouses. If your forecast is too low, the shelves are empty and you lose revenue. The forecasting...

When U.S. companies expand outside the country, it helps the employment rate at home. In fact, a record 11.7 million American jobs in 2014 were dependent on U.S. exports of goods and services, according to a new report from the U.S. Department...

Tension is usually considered a bad thing. But as any engineer will tell you, without tension, most mechanical devices won’t operate successfully. It is, in fact, the tension that gives devices their power. One gear turns one way while...

The ability of information technology to improve efficiency and raise productivity is expanding to the next level of digital transformation: the top line of the profit-and-loss statement. Manufacturing companies are discovering, developing and...

Capital expenditures can be a big hit to the bottom line, especially when they are unexpected. A lease or a loan is often needed so you don’t have to drain the savings account, and finding the best interest rates is difficult if...

It’s an interesting phenomenon that, in an economic downturn, companies always find expenses that can be cut without impairing customer service or production. If you ask yourself why, it’s obviously because the company has been paying...

Manufacturing has a perception problem. And it could be costly in the future. As Baby Boomers retire by the bucketful, a shortfall of 2 million manufacturing workers is predicted in the next decade. And most of the kids aren’t...

An average business hears from only about 4 percent of unhappy customers. The other 96 percent don’t complain – they just go somewhere else. The fundamental challenge facing manufacturers and distributors today is this: What does it...