by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Oct 10, 2021 | Plant Operations, Workforce Issues
New equipment and technologies are inevitable as manufacturing jobs in America go begging for people. Shortages of skilled employees have reduced production and led to plant closings. At the same time, reshoring of manufacturing businesses and foreign direct...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Oct 4, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
I am writing this column on the heels of Manufacturing Day, October 1, 2021. Despite the event having already come and gone, in recognition of it, I’m prompted to investigate what’s shaping the future of this powerful segment of the global economy. But first, we...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Sep 27, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
While always important, equipment performance and reliability have become even more so as businesses deal with the onslaught of post-pandemic challenges. Is your equipment doing what it’s supposed to do, first time, every time? What causes poor performance?...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Sep 20, 2021 | Newsletter Column, RAM's Human Factor
What members of our plant-floor workforces do and how they do it directly impacts equipment performance and reliability. Traditionally, machine operators operate; maintainers maintain; engineers engineer; planner/schedulers plan and schedule; supervisors supervise;...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Sep 13, 2021 | Plant Operations, Workforce Issues
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) conducted its “Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey” for the third quarter of 2021 from Aug. 19 to 30. (www.nam.org/manufacturers-outlook-survey). The report published on Sept. 9, 2021, paints a picture of “healthy...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Sep 6, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
In my August 30, 2021, article, “High School Robotics Competitions: A Source of Next-Gen Technicians” (see link below), I described how certain hands-on applied-technology programs in schools are building excitement, skills, and knowledge for careers in industry. The...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Aug 30, 2021 | Plant Operations, Workforce Issues
Imagine if your operations could recruit entry-level technicians and apprentices who 1) had four intensive seasons of hands-on team experience in tightly controlled design-build procedures; 2) had adhered to strict schedules in learning how to solve mechanical,...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Aug 23, 2021 | Training & Qualification, Workforce Issues
Imagine that you’re 15 years old. You like new technology. You’re a whiz at strategy games. You built your own computer and set up a wireless network in your home. You’re yearning for your first car. You have fleeting thoughts about you might want to do when you grow...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Aug 16, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
Manufacturing in America is a global force to reckon with. Our technology, machinery, facilities, and transportation systems are powerful and robust. The challenge we had prior to the advent of COVID-19, was availability of a sustainable and skilled workforce in many...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Aug 9, 2021 | Training & Qualification, Workforce Issues
According to Monster’s “The Future of Work 2021: Global Hiring Outlook” report, the skills gap is widening. The top hurdle that hiring managers expect to face in 2021 remains the skills gap and its impact on finding qualified candidates. A third of U.S. employers say...
