Manufacturing Outlook Blog
Jim Engelhardt |
06/04/2013 |
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This is the third part of a series chronicling MAPI’s rich 80-year history. Research and writing provided by Jessica Larkin. Catch up on previous installments covering 1933-1942 and 1943-1952.
Following World War II, the United States found itself in a new period of economic growth. Many industries previously on hold because of the conflict were able to diversify. There was a rise in new homes and manufacturing to accommodate the post-war boom...
Cliff Waldman |
06/03/2013 |
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In yet another report that demonstrates the impact of global economic weakness on U.S. manufacturing growth, the Institute for Supply Management reported that U.S. factory activity actually contracted in May, with the overall Purchasing Managers’ Index falling to 49.0 (below the 50.0 threshold for growth) from 50.7 in April. This is the first contraction in manufacturing activity that the ISM report has shown since November of 2012 and it is...
Cam Mackey |
05/28/2013 |
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In a 2011 MAPI survey of chief procurement and sales officers, we saw some interesting statistics. Only 13% of sales executives felt that purchasing departments were interested in proposals that address total cost of ownership (TCO). On the flip side, only a third of procurement executives felt that sales reps were good at emphasizing total cost. Not encouraging numbers, but there is a growing understanding in the marketplace of the importance...
Categories: Marketing, Operational Improvement, Operations, Productivity, Purchasing, Sales
Jim Engelhardt |
05/23/2013 |
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This is the second part of a series chronicling MAPI’s rich 80-year history. Research and writing provided by Jessica Larkin. Catch up on the first installment, covering 1933-1942.
This segment picks up during the United States’ involvement in World War II, a time during which businesses adapted for the war, women and minorities were brought into factories to fill the void left by drafted workers, and the economy saw significant improvement....
Rae Ann S. Johnson |
05/21/2013 |
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"Happyness" abounded last week as MAPI celebrated our first Leadership Summit for Manufacturing Executives featuring former Navy Captain Michael Abrashoff and "homeless to Happyness CEO" Chris Gardner. In only 36 hours, over 150 executives experienced a hearty combination of leadership inspiration and practical know-how for achieving executive excellence.
So, how did they do it? How did Abrashoff transform the worst ship in the Navy to the star...
Cliff Waldman |
05/15/2013 |
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Discussions of the slow U.S. jobs rebound often overlook the vital issues of entrepreneurial dynamism and the health of the small business sector. These are critical omissions. Research supports the importance of new businesses for employment recovery and employment expansion. Further, the health of the small business sector is well known to be of importance for general economic vitality. U.S. Census Bureau data show that small companies...
Cliff Waldman |
05/15/2013 |
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In a disturbing report, the Federal Reserve announced that U.S. industrial production (manufacturing, mining, and utilities) contracted by 0.6 percent after strong gains in February and March.
The manufacturing picture, which constitutes the lion’s share of industrial output, is bleaker. U.S. factory production declined by 0.4 percent in April and has now contracted in three of the past four months. The output backslide in April was broad...
Krzysztof Bledowski, Ph.D. |
05/14/2013 |
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Things are not moving up in Europe’s economic tables.
Income and employment continue to sag amid languishing business sentiment, unfinished recovery of the financial sector, and continued political malaise. The euro area’s GDP will finish 2013 down about ½ percent on the year before. The ECB’s recent interest rate cut is helpful but unlikely to gain much traction. That’s because the private sector isn’t in the mood to add or refinance debt. In...
Jim Engelhardt |
05/13/2013 |
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This is the first of a series chronicling MAPI’s rich 80-year history. Research and writing provided by Jessica Larkin.
In celebration of its 80th year, the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) is taking a look back at its rich history in an eight-part blog series. Woven together with pieces of U.S. and manufacturing history, and milestones from its member companies, this series examines how MAPI has contributed to the...
Rae Ann S. Johnson |
05/09/2013 |
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The world was stunned recently by the death of a soccer official at the hands of a 17-year-old goalie. One single unsportsmanlike act created a cascade of devastation with two lives lost, and families and teams reeling in its wake. Companies face similar risks everyday - not necessarily death - but certainly the risk that one employee's misstep could lead to a devastating outcome. This all demonstrates why sportsmanship, and good "corporate...