There's no doubt about it: Business has gone international. New electronic and logistical technologies have narrowed distance and time, and trade agreements have opened markets. And manufacturers are in a good position to venture into the business of exporting.
In the News
Peak production season can be a nightmare. It's the time you need all employees to show up consistently and pull their weight. But reality is often far removed from the ideal.
As manufacturers look for opportunities to cut costs, equipment downtime is an important area to address. A breakdown, even for just an hour, reverberates through the manufacturing process. It can slow or halt production, leave employees idle, and play havoc with just-in-time delivery schedules.
"Safety First" should be your corporate mantra. Focusing on the safety of your products as you make them can help avoid complaints and litigation, give you a marketing edge and raise the bar for other manufacturers, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Idle machines, production bottlenecks, equipment breakdowns, absent employees, new orders — these are just some factors that can disrupt production and eat into your company's profit.