Running a manufacturing operation in South Central Pennsylvania means managing a constant tension between the costs that keep the shop running and the margins that keep the business healthy. Raw materials, labor, energy, overhead, and equipment maintenance all pull in…
After more than three decades of helping manufacturing enterprises in South Central Pennsylvania boost their productivity and profitability, MANTEC has found value stream mapping to be a proven small business strategy. The purpose of this activity is to identify all…
Written by MEP National Network's Rick Winkler, IMEC Technical Specialist. Throughout my 20+year journey with continuous improvement, I’ve helped individuals experience a wide array of necessary “tools” for executing lean continuous improvement (CI). But none are perhaps more integral for…
Manufacturing continues to change and evolve, which opens up a whole new world of possibilities for progressive manufacturing companies with an eye on future growth. However, keeping up with all the changes presents a challenge for manufacturing entities that must…
What is Six Sigma Methodology? Six Sigma is one of today's foremost process improvement methodologies. It introduces a structured six sigma process with a set of standards for organizations to follow, with the ultimate goal of trimming operational waste and…
The W.E. Upjohn Institute released a new study that found the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program generates a substantial economic and financial return of 14.5:1 for the $128 million annually invested by the…
While the concept of operational excellence is difficult to define, its attainment is vital to any manufacturing organization that wants to stay relevant in today’s highly competitive business climate. A focus on continuous improvement is usually what separates the companies…
It seems that manufacturing technology is changing and evolving at the speed of light. The manufacturers who are the first to harness emerging technologies are usually the ones who remain ahead of their competitors and continue to thrive in these…
MANTEC’s federal program MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) is under threat of total elimination. Send a communication to your representative and two senators to support manufacturing in PA and continued funding for MEP. 1. Click this link- https://cqrcengage.com/smallmanufacturers/PA#statecontent 2. Click red button Send…
Does your team work on important improvements and opportunities? Or is it always the urgent stuff? Does strategic planning seem complicated and time consuming? Is it tough to follow through and finish? Maybe you need to take a different approach.…