- How to apply the Industrial Internet of Things to your operations - The Smart Factory, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), being “connected”... All these terms and topics are driving manufacturers to consider new and innovative ways to tie together their assets, and make their processes more safe, agile, and productive. The bottom line: realize greatly reduced costs and dramatically increase profits. You might consider this a… Continue Reading
- Business Lessons from the Syracuse Comeback - As a long time Syracuse Basketball fan, I feel compelled to comment on the first-ever visit to the final four by a number 10 seed. What business lessons can this comeback teach us? 10. Don't believe what everyone is saying about you.There are countless naysayers that criticized the selection committee for including the Syracuse Orange… Continue Reading
- The March Madness Effect - March Madness, an opportunity for some great team bonding! There’s nothing like sports to bring people together. Whether it is football, baseball, NASCAR, college basketball, the Olympics, or supporting your favorite local team, all of these are great opportunities to bond with others at work. It may be a Super Bowl or World Series pool,… Continue Reading
- Service With A Smile - I work for a service company. Most of us do. We design, fabricate, install and maintain manufacturing systems. Our customers are manufacturing firms. But being an engineering services supplier for manufacturing firms is no different than being a service supplier in any industry. For many years we have followed an adage, “we hire people for… Continue Reading
- Why Science Matters When You’re Experiencing Extrusion Defects - Previously in this space, we have blogged about the “Science Behind Process Manufacturing,” in which we talked about the necessary fundamental skills and process understanding that are the foundation for helping our customers troubleshoot their production problems. Today, I would like to share a specific scenario where this idea clearly plays out. Our premise is… Continue Reading
- The Roundup – Shamrock Edition - We just wrapped up another great week of posts, as well as another fantastic St. Patrick's Day! In the spirit, check out the link to photos from the St. Patrick's Day parade in Rochester this year. Optimation Construction Manager Tom O'Connell is a past president and board member of the parade. Congratulations to him and… Continue Reading
- The Luck of the Irish - It’s March and we are all eager to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, wear a bit of green and talk about the luck of the Irish. The exact origin of the term “Luck of the Irish” isn’t known. Those who know the history of Ireland realize that Irish luck was often not good luck at all. … Continue Reading
- The Manufacturing Business of Beer - It is remarkable the number of beer brands that are emerging. At nearly every bar there is a tap that you probably don't recognize. Taking a peek at the brewer's association website www.brewersassociation.org there are several market segments contributing to beer production: Microbrewery - makes less than 15,000 barrels/year selling off-site Brewpub - a restaurant brewery… Continue Reading
- 5 quick tips for communicating better with your customers - Communication: we say we are good at it, but are we actually getting worse? Many people say our communication skills are getting worse in the electronic age we are in. Some people argue that they are communicating more, but more does not always mean better. The quality and meaningfulness of the interaction is really what should… Continue Reading
- What “Pay it Forward” Teaches Us About Manufacturing Projects - The movie "Pay It Forward" (2000) demonstrates the value and indeed the necessity of doing good works for the sake of doing them, rather than waiting to do them in response to something. Doing the right things the right way is independent of the actions and responses of others. While in the movie it's about… Continue Reading