News & Insights

Manufacturers will be pressing ahead with their M4.0 investments as they expand their digital deployments in operations, a new MLC survey reveals.

Sustainability is rapidly becoming one of the key drivers of industrial transformation for the rest of the decade, reveals the MLC’s latest exclusive research results.

Members of the Manufacturing Leadership Council were given a glimpse of the future of factory connectivity at the Ericsson USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas and Imagine Studio Tour in Plano, Texas. Exploring the theme Effectively Managing 5G and…

A new MLC survey reveals that rapid technology adoption continues as manufacturers deploy transformative technologies to reshape how work gets done.

Industry has moved to an M4.0 phase where technologies are transforming how we work and create things.

Manufacturers embarking on a digital journey need to identify both the 4.0 technologies and the data that hold most potential.

How manufacturers can optimize their productivity, quality, and efficiency with augmented reality.

Johnson & Johnson successfully pilots a scalable smart factory strategy to modernize operations and transform how digital capabilities are incorporated.

To enhance competitiveness, manufacturers must integrate functional areas of their companies under a common set of digital models.

Intelligent automation and AI can significantly extend electronic product lifecycles to provide greener and more profitable end-of-life solutions.

There is value hiding in your operations. The key to finding it is data mastery.

Successful manufacturers find ways to ensure that digital change leads to evolution, not disruption.  

Lincoln Electric has a long and storied history since its 1895 founding in Cleveland, Ohio, as a manufacturer of electric motors. Today, it is a global industry leader in welding equipment and consumables, additive manufacturing, and automation solutions, and has…

How manufacturers can bolster resilience through operational technology cybersecurity

High-performing projects and world-class leaders were honored at the first in-person awards gala to take place in three years.

Multiple ML award winner AB InBev is harnessing the power of technology to create a future with more cheers, says Global VP Marcelo Ribeiro.

The good news from MLC’s new cybersecurity survey is that more manufacturers than ever before — 62% in fact, according to the study — have put in place formal cyber plans and strategies to defend their companies against increasing numbers…

Is there value for manufacturing in the future metaverse?

In highly connected industrial ecosystems, managing the supply chain landscape requires adapting traditional approaches to cyber risk.

As consumer products get smarter, how can manufacturers transfer security best practices from production environments into the devices in consumers’ hands?

Cyber AI can be a force multiplier that enables organizations to respond faster than attackers can move, and to anticipate and react in advance.

More companies are taking a disciplined approach to dealing with the growing threat of cyber attacks, a new MLC survey finds.

As manufacturers increase their OT investments, a well-planned cyber strategy is essential to resilience.

How manufacturers can bolster resilience through operational technology cybersecurity

For interconnected manufacturing, industrial control systems are key to preventing unauthorized access to data

Six steps to achieve cyber resiliency in a digital world.

GM completely renovated, retooled, and expanded an existing factory into an ML award-winning plant to drive its all-electric vision for the future.

When it comes to digital transformation, is there a way to ensure that all manufacturers have an equal opportunity to focus on digital initiatives – regardless of their size? A panel at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit examined the…

Katelyn Kelsey didn’t expect to go into manufacturing, but as an engineer, the lure of digital transformation and the opportunity to solve emerging problems was too great. Participating in a panel discussion on next-generation leaders at MLC’s Rethink 2022 Summit,…

In 1914, the Ford English School fostered shared language between the company’s workers who spoke many languages and had diverse perspectives. By establishing a shared understanding and fluency in the English language, Ford’s school led to increased safety and efficiency…

Lots of heads were nodding when Cynthia Farrer kicked off her opening comment of a fireside chat during the MLC’s Rethink 2022 Summit by noting that supply chain is something that everyone in the room is dealing with and it…

Mastering data will help manufacturers unlock value they hadn’t thought of before.

Manufacturing Leadership Council members toured The Smart Factory @ Wichita to see the latest Manufacturing 4.0 technologies at the showcase factory.

Today’s manufacturing leadership teams must make bold decisions to realize the full potential of Manufacturing 4.0.

To escape pilot purgatory and achieve value at scale, manufacturers must adopt a value-centric problem-solving approach.

In manufacturing’s new digital era, the requirements for leadership are evolving just as rapidly as the technology that is underpinning the change.

The formation of value-added digital networks in manufacturing is underway, leading to new ecosystem partnerships that will reshape the industry in the years ahead.

Understanding the differences between how employees and employers are reimagining work helps leaders build better future workforce strategies.

LISA, Flex’s ML Award-winning avatar-based line stop assistant, helps significantly improve front line operations while empowering employees to succeed.

In a difficult hiring environment, investing in staff and fostering employee-focused cultures are essential.

Developing the next generation workforce depends on a new approach to cultivating talent for the M4.0 world.

USM’s goal is to foster a closed loop program that recycles both metallic and non-metallic materials to be put back into production, says EVP Jodi Keller.

Workforce planning should be part of every manufacturer’s supply chain strategy, helping to maximize digital opportunities and drive industrial growth.

Manufacturers are facing pressing talent issues today. But they shouldn’t forget to plan for tomorrow.

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), the digital transformation arm of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of six leading figures from industry and academia to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC is the…

For Intertape Polymer Group, a manufacturer of paper- and film-based packaging products, the last six years have been a time of significant growth – and change. Revenue during that period doubled from $750 million to $1.5 billion at the end…

Manufacturers are increasingly targeted for attack as cyber criminals refine their ransomware and adopt new business models to fund their operations.

5G networks vastly increase the speed and scope of data transmission and capture. Could 5G be the key that opens the door to the factory of the future?

Building a resilient supply chain has to include empowering the whole ecosystem.

The high-performing companies and outstanding leaders winning 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Awards.

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today revealed the list of world-class manufacturing companies and individual leaders set to receive recognition as winners of the 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Awards, the industry’s…

A new MLC survey warns that disruption could continue for as long as two years as manufacturers strive to adopt more resilient supply chain strategies.

Is Just-In-Time now DOA? Many manufacturers are now questioning whether JIT approaches are still valid in disruptive times.

ATS has adopted three transformational initiatives to advance supply chain visibility and optimization without excessive system investments.   

How manufacturers can help smaller supply chain partners embrace the changes needed for a successful digital supply chain.  

This pragmatic approach to building resilient M4.0 supply chains is essential for thriving in today’s new normal.   

Additive manufacturing, distributed production networks, and blockchain will combine to create a new manufacturing enterprise model by 2030.

True supply chain resilience requires more than knee-jerk reactions. It requires a paradigm shift.  

Manufacturers can take a range of actions, from integrating for visibility to digital models, to create resiliency.  

How manufacturers can help smaller supply chain partners embrace the changes needed for a successful digital supply chain.   

The past two years will get plenty of blame for supply chain disruption, but disruption — from human and technology error to weather and other crises — has always been a challenge. Manufacturers are using dashboards to visualize performance measurements…

As any company that has undertaken a digital transformation knows from sometimes painful experience, transitioning to the digital model of manufacturing includes overcoming many obstacles. Over the last several years, MLC research has revealed that dealing with legacy systems, keeping…

MLC kicked off its Manufacturing in 2030 Project with a one-day event in New Orleans in December that focused on the key technological, organizational, and leadership trends that will shape the future of the industry.

The NAM’s Manufacturing Leadership Council Announces New Chair and Vice Chair for the MLC’s Board of Governors

The pandemic accelerated the demand for M4.0, but those same challenges are also dragging it down.

Every industrial revolution goes through three overlapping phases: technology development, application, and ubiquity. The decade ahead will see manufacturing move into M4.0’s second phase.

Henkel has combined its cloud-based Digital Backbone, analytics, AI, Digital Twins, and a connected worker program to drive efficiency, customer satisfaction, and sustainability in its award-winning Mexican plant. 

A digitally empowered performance management approach helps manufacturers identify key operational bottlenecks and directly tie improvements to bottom line business impact.

While pandemic disruptions created a rush to move to M4.0, MLC’s latest Factories of the Future survey finds those plans have often been struck with a reality check.

Manufacturers make strides toward better agility and connectivity, but getting small businesses on board is necessary for global economic stability.

Companies have a tall order to transform their operations into factories of the future and one technology that can be a key accelerator is digital twins.

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

As more companies move toward creating factories of the future, they need to prioritize cybersecurity as these new manufacturing models present new threats and require new defense strategies.     

Data-driven insights from smart technologies can help organizations regain ground lost during COVID-related downturns.

Middle market executives are increasingly shifting from a linear to a circular economy mindset because it offers a systemic approach to economic development that benefits business, overall society, and the environment. Advanced 4.0 technologies can help them get there.  

While it’s still early days in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, common errors can put organizations behind the curve on their ability to compete.

Using a Digital Twin to get feedback from the shop floor to the top floor will help manufacturers save their most precious commodity — time.   

Devising detailed roadmaps will enable manufacturers to transition their factories to a better future state, but such transitions will be most effective when aligned with a clear vision and strategic goals.   

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

Manufacturers are embracing the vision of highly automated and intelligent future factories, but many still have a long way to go on their digital transformation journeys.   

Deploying enterprise solutions using advanced analytics helps companies discover transformational insights.

Blockchain technology is set to empower the semiconductor industry to expand its business horizons.

Advances in robotics and AI are driving innovation in warehouse automation.

The desire to adopt more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices is now an overwhelming sentiment among manufacturing executives, reveals the MLC’s latest sustainability survey. But the pace of change still needs to increase if the industry is going to achieve…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

Leaders need to be ready to think and act outside the normal lanes of operation and stay ahead of future threats to success, believes Lisle Corp. President, Mary Lisle Landhuis.

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

One of the major aspirations of Manufacturing 4.0 is to digitally unite a manufacturing company with a seamless flow of data that provides one, accurate picture of operations.

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

Manufacturing cells that incorporate automation and analytics can boost both efficiency and sustainability for the aerospace industry.

Manufacturers see data’s massive potential to improve operations, predict disruptions, and bring about new revenue streams, but realizing that promise continues to be a work in progress.

Wherever your company is on its Smart Manufacturing journey, one stubborn issue remains: reducing human error. Whether it’s insufficient operating practices and procedural follow-through, equipment operation failures, or inconsistencies in shifts due to capability issues, the human component is a…

Manufacturing needs to adopt a more flexible, resilient approach to global supply chains, believes Madison Industries’ Filtration Group CPO Tim Voortman.

By taking a strategic and integrated approach to the adoption of multiple 4.0 technologies, manufacturing companies can create a powerful digital thread across their supply chains that allows them to share critical information across all parts of their business, including…

Understanding the sophisticated requirements of operational systems and how they differ from IT systems will enable manufacturers to devise more effective cybersecurity strategies. 

One of the major aspirations of Manufacturing 4.0 is to digitally unite a manufacturing company with a seamless flow of data that provides one, accurate picture of operations.

In an M4.0 world, democratization not only means making data available to more people, but giving them the tools and guides to use that data effectively. 

How advanced technologies can drive supply chain visibility and efficiency.

The pandemic has spurred digital adoption and more companies are feeling the heat.

By turning the physical into the computable, manufacturers can reach new heights in visibility, performance, and business value.

Manufacturers struggling to scale value from investments in digital technologies and AI need to take a more holistic approach that ensures C-suite buy-in, addresses new skills requirements, and creates an AI-friendly culture for the future 

It’s not enough to just automate. To succeed in today’s environment, manufacturers need to hyperautomate.

Manufacturers see the potential for big payoffs, but attaining them requires a disciplined approach. 

Semiconductor Market Trends   The semiconductor industry has been growing at a rapid pace for the past few years. Market research firm IDC estimates that  the semiconductor industry grew at a rate of 10.8% in 2020 and will grow at 12.5%…

This guide, developed by the National Occupational Research Agenda Manufacturing Sector Council’s COVID Workgroup, can help small businesses understand the difference between face coverings and respirators as part of deploying a respiratory protection program. This document explains the differences between…

Nexteer Automotive is on a mission to make driving a car safer, more fuel-efficient, and future-focused through its production of steering and driveline safety-critical car and truck electronic and hydraulic power products. In addition to electric and hydraulic power steering…

Having access to a lot of data might make an organization smart, but extracting insights from that data and applying it to business decisions will make an organization truly intelligent.

Manufacturers see data’s massive potential to improve operations, predict disruptions, and bring about new revenue streams, but realizing that promise continues to be a work in progress.

Manufacturers willing to change how they approach workforce development have an opportunity to stand apart from the competition.

To truly harness data, we need to capture it, control it, understand it, and convert it to action.

In 1991, Geoffrey Moore published his seminal book on high tech marketing called “Crossing the Chasm”. Moore’s thesis was that there is a gap, or chasm, between early adopters of a high technology product and the mainstream early majority.

Data strategies and next-generation tactics will help organizations embrace the new decision-making framework they need to fully operationalize data insights.   

Devising a methodology to manage, store, and leverage data is now the principal challenge for manufacturers in the digital age.   

Many manufacturers find that collecting data is no great challenge, but an improper foundation of architecture, governance, and analytics can make it hard to put that data to use.   

OT cybersecurity has new importance for the future, believes Dragos VP, Peter Vescuso.   

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of Dr. Rebecca Teeters, senior vice president of fluorochemical stewardship at 3M, to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC is…

Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) is undergoing a digital transformation, and it’s doing it without an army of data scientists and data engineers, revealed IPG’s Vice President of Business Transformation, Jai Sundararaman, during the MLC’s 2021 Rethink Summit this week. Instead,…

“We are in the midst of great change,” declared David R. Brousell, Co-Founder, Vice President, and Executive Director of the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC) in his opening speech at the MLC’s 2021 Virtual Rethink Summit today. “It requires us all to…

Schneider Electric’s Lexington, KY, plant is one of only a handful of manufacturing facilities in the U.S. that enjoys the coveted status of being a World Economic Forum-designated “Lighthouse” factory. To achieve that distinction, the Lexington plant, built in 1957,…

What draws the next generation of leaders to a career in manufacturing? While the specifics may vary from person to person, it’s the challenge, and the satisfaction, of seeing a product through from design to being in the hands of…

Manufacturers are generating more data, faster, and from more aspects of their operations than ever before. The key to harnessing all that data to produce higher quality products more quickly and efficiently, and to speed up the decision-making process, is…

“Augmented Reality is definitely cool, it’s relatively easy to use, and it can have a big impact on productivity and quality,” argued Jim Heppelmann, Chief Executive Officer of PTC in an exclusive Executive Dialogue session during the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s…

Since its founding in 2018, the World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Factory Network has served as a collection of role models for what is possible in advanced manufacturing. With 69 Lighthouse locations designated worldwide, the factories that have earned this distinction…

“The next 60 years will usher in an era where robots will become useful team-mates for people, helping them in both physical and cognitive tasks,” predicted the MIT’s Dr. Daniela Rus during her keynote session on the final day of…

“Manufacturers do not accept that anything is impossible.” In his opening speech for Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Summit, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons reflected on the world’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic and how digital technologies…

  When it comes to making a digital transition and realizing ambitious business outcomes, Shell believes that technology might be the least important element. During his session at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, Peter Westerink, General Manager of Digitalization…

With the world slowly recovering from the pandemic, digital technologies can helBy Paul Feeko and Roselyn Feinsodp manufacturers prioritize employee health and safety in the ‘new’ workplace.

With the world slowly recovering from the pandemic, digital technologies can help manufacturers prioritize employee health and safety in the ‘new’ workplace.

Improved experiences are key to employee retention and engagement, but manufacturers must prioritize deploying new digital tools.

To realize the full value of M4.0, companies must elevate their approaches for managing and deploying skills aligned with new technology.

Relying on outside expertise can be a starting point, but lasting results happen when manufacturers develop their own digital bench strength.

Will the collaborative organizational model finally take hold?

To realize the full value of M4.0, companies must elevate their approaches for managing and deploying skills aligned with new technology.

The World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Network is pointing the way to enterprise-wide transformation, business model change, and economic growth, believes the WEF’s Head of Advanced Manufacturing, Francisco Betti.

I’ve been working in the manufacturing industry for 23 years. All during this time, and likely before, manufacturers have had difficulty finding skilled workers and filling open jobs.

COVID has instigated a host of strategic and tactical changes in manufacturing which will be permanent features of the industrial landscape for years to come, rewriting leadership’s playbook and redefining the rules of competition.

The disruptive impact of the pandemic has highlighted the importance of more flexible, demand-driven approaches that can adapt to sudden change, believes Goodyear VP of Global Operations Bruce Beach.

IBM’s digital journey is keenly focused on building a cognitive enterprise that embraces an agile culture of innovation, combined with a client focus that leverages exponential technologies to deliver greater value. IBM executives on the MLC’s recent virtual tour of…

he idea of corporate or organizational culture encompasses many things. Culture includes the collective values, beliefs, …

The pandemic has spurred a paradigm shift in cultural transformation as manufacturing companies have leveraged M4.0 to accelerate digital adoption, collaboration, innovation, and integration across their enterprises, reveals the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s latest M4.0 Cultures survey.

Digital technology can be a vital tool for workers at all levels, but demonstrating its value is crucial to its acceptance.

Lean principles led to standardized performance, but digital performance systems are their high-powered successor.

Accelerated innovation driven by digital transformation can solve some of the world’s greatest challenges, believes retiring MLC Board Member & Protolabs CEO, Vicki Holt.

To successfully adapt to change, including big disruptions like the pandemic, manufacturers need to embrace a set of technologies that enable changes to business operations quickly and to innovate for changing times.

Fostering a culture of collaboration, partnership, and agility is key to leadership success, believes ALOM Technologies’ CEO Hannah Kain.

COVID-19 has provided an extraordinary impetus to the transformation of M4.0 cultures.

It’s time manufacturing companies rethink how they create a learning culture to develop, manage, and support their workers in the digital age.

Deliberately shifting culture through practical behavior changes is the key to more agile and sustainable manufacturing.

As manufacturers accelerate the deployment of digital technologies to modernize and interconnect their facilities and supply chains, they also open up new risks for cyber-attacks, stressed Chandra Brown, CEO of MxD, during a recent virtual plant tour for Manufacturing Leadership…

What ventilation practices can manufacturers put in place to create a safer workplace in the era of COVID-19? The National Occupational Research Agenda Manufacturing Sector Council’s COVID-19 workgroup has developed an online document that can assist manufacturers in this area.…

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of Mary Beth Heydrick, vice president of operations for Dow’s performance materials and coatings business segment and operations in North America…

There is nothing like an existential crisis to spur change. And the manufacturing industry seems determined not to waste the opportunity.

The COVID pandemic has triggered a surge in M4.0 adoption across almost every function of manufacturing production that promises to rapidly transform the way factories are designed, operated, and managed in the next decade, reveals the MLC’s latest Factories of…

Trade tensions and the global pandemic’s effect on supply chains have compelled manufacturers to rethink their strategies in China. But pulling up stakes in China is far from simple and may not be in a manufacturer’s long-term interest.

Lean principles led to standardized performance, but digital performance systems are their high-powered successor.

Factories of the future cannot be powered by the workforce of the past.

Digital acceleration may also speed up the race to net zero.

Digital transformation provides a powerful opportunity for manufacturers to shape increasingly sustainable business and operational models for the decade ahead.

Digital will drive manufacturing’s transformation, but only if it goes with a people-first approach

Gerald Johnson, EVP of Global Manufacturing, believes that technology-powered production agility holds the key to a rapid realization of the company’s “Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion” vision.

Supply chain resiliency and agility are manufacturing’s highest priorities in a world where disruption will become the new business normal, believes ResMed VP Brendan Mullins.

The road(map) to Manufacturing 4.0 is paved with good data.

The road to recovery and resilience begins with great ideas paired with great technology to create and implement a strong risk-reduction strategy that will continue to protect your organization and its people for years to come.

Data analytics are being employed at the heart of the battle against COVID-19. Tracing the outbreak and modeling data to predict outcomes is critical in this crisis. Businesses and governments around the world are starting to apply a wide range…

Manufacturing Leadership Council members recently took a virtual tour around MxD’s Innovation Center in Chicago to learn how to integrate digital manufacturing technologies using existing legacy equipment in ways that can help increase agility without breaking the bank or getting…

As COVID-19 vaccines such as those from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna begin to become available, manufacturers have a lot of questions about vaccination in relation to their workforces. To provide as many answers as possible at this point in the vaccination…

To stay in business and remain competitive, manufacturers must anticipate and respond to both foreseen and unforeseen changes. What’s the key to this responsiveness? Manufacturing resiliency. And the driver behind this resiliency is data-driven production execution supported by digital technologies.

It’s time for the industry to use the opportunity presented by the COVID crisis to build the safe, agile, and resilient workplaces it will need for the future.

Today’s version of artificial intelligence is at risk of undercutting the power of knowledge.To free this important technology, here are 10 recommendations that will enable AI in manufacturing operations to prosper.

The future state of manufacturing is envisioned as a highly efficient, high-tech engine of mass customization. But competitive advantage will flow only to those companies that master the use of advanced technologies and orchestrate change well.

Customized manufacturing is what customers demand, but getting there requires building a connected end-to-end value chain.

Prepared for a cyber war? As cybercrime targets proliferate, manufacturers will need an army of cybersecurity experts to repel the hackers. MxD has identified 247 cyber roles that manufacturers need to consider.

What new skills, roles, teams, or new internal functions will manufacturers need in 2030?

Customized, autonomous, micro-networked, localized, AI-rich, modular, and more sustainable? What will global manufacturing look like in the decade to come? Members of the MLC’s Board of Governors share their unique perspectives on the future of manufacturing in 2030.

Consumers have more choice now than ever. Why wouldn’t you use readily available data from today’s increasingly connected customer to anticipate their needs, drive innovation, and earn their loyalty?

By 2030, spatial computing applications that precisely locate and map 3D movements to improve operations and maximize the multiple interactions between humans, machines, objects, and working environments will become ubiquitous.

The reality is that end-market disruption is only going to increase. If you want to play a pivotal role in shaping the American economy for the next decade, you need to consider how to face that disruption with strengthened innovation…

Middle managers have been a part of organizational hierarchy since humans started working together. But that role must change as traditional manufacturing transforms to a data-driven digital engineering model.

Manufacturers must prepare the human workforce now to work alongside increasingly collaborative, even sentient, robots.

Tomorrow’s manufacturing will require faster innovation, along with more complex models and operational processes.

Targeted automation projects harnessing predictive analytics will help manufacturers become more efficient, agile, and flexible while maintaining great quality, believes Haemonetics SVP Josep Llorens.

Spurred by the need for agility and flexibility in a time of crisis, manufacturers appear determined to accelerate their investments in digital technologies.

Novelis VP Bea Landa believes manufacturing is at a turning point in creating a sustainable circular industrial economy for the future.

Artificial intelligence is a major component in manufacturing transformation projects, but using the technology to invent new digital capabilities that will create competitive advantages requires a disciplined use case approach.

This year, the omnipresence of the COVID-19 virus has affected nearly every dimension and aspect…

Manufacturing resilience and the power of technology.

As companies advance along their journey to smart manufacturing, 5G communication technology promises to overcome the current networking constraints hindering the creation of more effective real-time, high-volume, and secure data-driven applications.

Manufacturing resilience and the power of technology.

Manufacturers scramble to digitize in immediate response to pandemic strains, but the payoff could be greater down the road.

Manufacturers have trouble keeping up with new technologies but they still have faith in them.

Harnessing digital technologies to reimagine workspaces and the workforce, create more resilient operations, and refactor innovation across the enterprise will help determine which manufacturers thrive and survive in the post-COVID world.

To successfully navigate the journey to Manufacturing 4.0 and ensure talent retention, leaders must shift their management mindset from command and control to cultivate and monitor by creating an environment that fosters motivation and psychological safety.

Manufacturing’s path to post-pandemic success.

Countering disruption with resilience and agility COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption and pushed organizations to find new ways of staying competitive and relevant. Business leaders have realized the need to build resilience for the long haul as they come to…

Digital transformation has arrived for the first time in frontline work. Augmented reality technology has the power to boost frontline worker productivity by as much as 50% and reduce human errors by up to a whopping 90%. Transforming frontline work…

Only July 22, the Manufacturing Leadership Council hosted its first-ever virtual plant tour in conjunction with Protolabs, a manufacturer of custom prototypes and on-demand production parts. More than 300 attendees joined the tour, which “visited” six of Protolabs’ U.S. facilities…

The Connected Enterprise has been a priority for manufacturing companies in recent years but has experienced unprecedented acceleration due to COVID-19 in 2020. Manufacturing leaders from Lockheed Martin, VirTex Enterprises, and IBM discussed major drivers of this acceleration, including enablement…

The manufacturing sector faces a slew of challenges due to the pandemic. A recent survey by the U.S. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) found that nearly four out of five manufacturing companies expect a financial hit from COVID-19. More than half (53.1%)…

As manufacturers prepare for an explosion of data over the next few years, they will need to learn fast and embrace new analytical technologies, internal structures, and corporate cultures to turn that data into meaningful business-changing predictive insights, according to…

While pandemic disruption may dominate current supply chain strategies, the impact of data will deliver the greatest opportunities in the longer term, believes Jim Hooven at Standex International.

A lack of digital training could hinder future competitiveness.

With in-person training on hold during the pandemic, digital training can fill an important role and generate an ROI as high as 127%.

Manufacturers have expanded their expectations about the benefits of digital transformation, but issues around workforce skills, organizational silos, and skittishness about embracing disruption may be holding some back.

Manufacturing needs to tell a new story about M4.0 technology as an exciting and rewarding job-enhancer to attract the next generation of employees.

Getting the right technologies helps many companies improve, but success can only be maintained if the workforce has the digital acumen to support it.

Pilot and scale purgatory are two problems that limit manufacturers from realizing the benefits of I4.0. Here’s a five-step plan to overcome the obstacles.

To successfully navigate the journey to Manufacturing 4.0 and ensure talent retention, leaders must shift their management mindset from command and control to cultivate and monitor by creating an environment that fosters motivation and psychological safety.

Combining the idea of agile-based connected leadership with Delta Leadership’s Six Domains of Leadership Model can create a culture of leadership well suited to a time of disruption.

Cisco’s new SVP of Global Manufacturing & Logistics, Mike Coubrough, believes collaborative teamwork, digitization, and shared innovation can help manufacturing transform the future of supply network effectiveness.

Can leveraging digital technologies help manufacturers along the potentially long and difficult road to recovery over the next two years?

It’s been nearly four months since the COVID-19 pandemic initially sent manufacturers into a turmoil they had never experienced. A sudden onslaught in demand for ventilators, PPE, and other medical equipment was unprecedented in its scope and urgency. Supply chains…

Whether your manufacturing activity ramped up for relief and recovery efforts, completely shut down, or remained open in limited capacity, the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way many manufacturing organizations will function moving forward. Beyond physical cleaning,…

In the 12th town hall meeting of Manufacturing Leadership Council members, Don Lanke, Director of Engineering at Pella Corporation discussed how the window and door manufacturer is leveraging augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and remote assistance technology in response…

In the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s 12th town hall since COVID-19 began, two leaders from leading tape manufacturer, IPG, shared details of their company’s response plan. Council members tuned in to hear Jai Sundararaman and JK Perumal, both of IPG’s Business…

Will cloud adoption accelerate as a result of COVID-19?

Recovery is coming for manufacturers, but there will never be the same normal.

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

Manufacturers from nearly every sector of the industry stepped up to the front lines of the crisis, adapting and pivoting production to meet the health and safety needs of Americans. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Adaptation to technology can mean succeeding in a short-term crisis and a long-term business plan. We can no longer operate our business in the way that we used to do it. It is necessary to face and accept that reality.…

Wheel manufacturer Maxion partners with high school robotics team to meet local needs for PPE. Maxion Wheels, a global manufacturer of light and commercial vehicle wheels, has been producing car steel wheels in Sedalia, Missouri, for more than 40 years.…

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

MxD, a partnership with the Department of Defense, addressed the urgent need for face shields by employing digital manufacturing techniques, crowdsourcing, and its manufacturing ecosystem. When people hear the term digital manufacturing, several concepts like Industry 4.0, IIOT, and data…

The Hershey Company is collaborating with a host of industry, technology, community, and global partners to respond to the COVID crisis. In late April, leading food manufacturer The Hershey Company announced an entirely new $1 million production line dedicated to…

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

The Manufacturing Leadership Council has extended its 2020 Critical Issues Agenda to help manufacturing companies navigate the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on much of the industry so far this year, but manufacturers see a host of operational, supply chain, and cultural improvement opportunities emerging from the crisis.

the 20th century, two of the most important disciplines that manufacturers embraced were lean manufacturing and safety…

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

In the 11th town hall meeting since COVID-19 began, members of the Manufacturing Leadership Council discussed the latest strategies and burning questions as states are starting to reopen and companies are facing tough decisions when it comes to facilities, employees…

In the 10th town hall meeting since COVID-19 began, the Manufacturing Leadership Council welcomed two of its members from automotive manufacturers to share how they’ve been planning return to work policies and procedures. Britt Autry, Vice President of Manufacturing at…

As manufacturing leaders continue to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, the topic of the latest Manufacturing Leadership Council Critical Issues webinar – Digital Acumen: Does Your Leadership Team Have What It Takes? — was especially timely. Three panelists discussed the…

During their 9th town hall meeting since COVID-19 began, members of the Manufacturing Leadership Council gathered once again to discuss the latest strategies for dealing with the crisis. Two manufacturers, The Bradbury Group and Greene, Tweed, joined to share their…

Manufacturing Leadership Council members gathered this week for their 8th town hall meeting since the COVID-19 crisis began. Leaders joined the conversation to discuss, several months in, how their companies are handling the pandemic and how it’s impacting their businesses,…

The coronavirus pandemic has tested manufacturers’ resilience in unprecedented ways, straining supply networks, shuttering factories, and pushing some industry sectors to the brink. Now more than ever, the times call for an agile, adaptable, and responsive workforce. Manufacturers are continuing…

In these particularly challenging times, business operations are being disrupted in unprecedented ways. Amid extreme and sudden changes in supply and demand, manufacturers are putting together action plans and recovery initiatives to manage the current pandemic crisis, and they’re looking…

Chip Hilarides is helping to lead a corporate-wide initiative at Koch Industries to accelerate the adoption of transformative cultures, strategies, methods and technologies across its global operations.

As the equipment maker takes advantage of digital instructions, the IoT, and 3D printing, a step-by-step approach, flexibility, and careful employee engagement underpin its Manufacturing 4.0 strategy.

First-mover advantages are now being enjoyed by leaders in digital manufacturing

Revolutionary new technologies are finding their way

Prioritizing digital projects to make early gains can

To fully embrace Manufacturing 4.0, companies need to prioritize a data strategy that’s focused on change and how to handle it.

The influx of data from new technologies is not just impacting the shop floor – it’s creating new

Manufacturers have more data than ever, but leveraging it is a continuing struggle.

On a recent conference call held by the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC) and its parent, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), leaders from Premio Foods and Trane Technologies discussed tips and tactics for safeguarding workers and strengthening  operations throughout the…

What types of changes are you making to employee leave policies? How do you accommodate employees who suddenly need to be home with children? Are you putting measures in place to discourage sick employees from reporting to work, or employees…

How frequently are you communicating with employees, and through what means? What can be done to reassure workers during an anxious time? What types of resources are you providing for employees who want more information about coronavirus?

Are corporate travel restrictions causing a slowdown in operations? Have you limited or banned employee personal travel? What is your policy for any employee who has visited a high-risk area? What guidance are you using to determine when it will…

How has your IT team responded to setting up remote operations for those who can work from home? What challenges have they encountered? Have you created a formalized work-from-home policy for employees? What types of training have you offered to…

Are you taking employees’ temperatures on the work site, and what types of protocols do you follow for this process? Are employees permitted to monitor and log their own symptoms? If an employee presents symptoms, what is protocol for removing…

Are you continuing to allow visitors on your work site? What types of restrictions or limits are in place for visitors or workers from other companies (i.e. vendors) at your plant? If you employ contract technical or mechanical staff, are…

Are you enacting social distancing measures? How are they enforced? Have you staggered shifts or breaks to allow more personal space? Have you enacted new cleaning or PPE protocols? Have you limited on-site meetings between employees? How do you handle…

Has an employee in your facility tested positive? What are your protocols after a reported illness? Do you have measures in place to track who may have been in contact with an infected employee? What are your requirements for allowing…

Do you feel the emergency planning your company had in place has been adequate for this crisis so far? What are the best practices for creating a business continuity plan? Have you created special task forces or committees at your…

Are you prepared to deal with disruptions from factory floor absenteeism? How can you minimize the impact?

How are you working to keep your supply chain intact? What types of discussions are you having with your current suppliers? What specific disruptions are threatening your business continuity?

The Manufacturing Leadership Council hosted an open forum for its membership to discuss their operational status at the emergence of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Topics covered included adjustments to leave policy, on-site temperature checks, and setting up…

Visit nam.org/coronavirus for the NAM’s comprehensive COVID-19 Policy Action Plan and the latest resources and information.

What measures are manufacturers taking to protect their workers and production environment from coronavirus? Experts from Trane Technologies and Premio Foods share insights on their companies’ current practices for sanitation and cleanliness measures, leave policies, setting up employees for remote…

“Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” While that old saying might be a maxim for household budgeting, it also could describe Intertape Polymer Group Inc.’s (IPG) approach to developing an award-winning energy management program. Its…

Yesterday the Manufacturing Leadership Council and the NAM hosted an informational call about how manufacturers can protect their workers and strengthen their operations during the coronavirus outbreak. You can listen to the recording here. The call features Trane Tech’s Director of…

First-mover advantages are now being enjoyed by leaders in digital manufacturing

Manufacturing needs to invest more in workforce knowledge and skills to bridge the gap between the needs of the business and its ability to execute in a digital world, believes John Schultz at Allied Reliability.

n January of 2012, the Manufacturing Leadership Council published its first study on the subject of future factories…

Focusing on purpose, practice, pursuit, and perfection can help organizations shape and deliver

Manufacturing’s OT software legacy and its prevailing operations-centric approach to cybersecurity

To move beyond the pilot stage and achieve scale with Industry 4.0, manufacturers must adopt a financial-impact first approach that can yield double-digit improvements in cost savings, capacity, and asset efficiency.

Data is fueling the Manufacturing 4.0 transformation, but manufacturers find that incohesive

A focus on workforce, assets, processes and customer experience can help manufacturers succeed

The digital revolution brings new opportunities but also added challenges in a borderless world

Success in the fourth industrial revolution requires a process framework to understand and enable

the 20th century, two of the most important disciplines that manufacturers embraced were lean manufacturing and safety…

Manufacturing’s new mandate is to innovate for a more sustainable future.

Manufacturers continue to lead the charge in protecting the environment. And the NAM’s partnership programs with the Department…

The transition from atoms to bits in manufacturing reduces waste in time, energy, and materials

Consumer buying decisions increasingly hinge on where goods come from and how they are made.

Marc Gombeer, Volvo’s VP of Manufacturing Americas, believes sustainability will become a critical factor for success in the global auto industry.

A combination of advanced technologies and new design thinking approaches could help manufacturing companies create a more sustainable…

Sustainable manufacturing strategies are now critical to the industry’s ability to drive future competitiveness and growth, and improve corporate reputations, according to the latest Manufacturing Leadership Council survey. But a lack of appropriate funding, the right technologies, and clear employee…

Manufacturing Leadership Council members toured Clif Bar’s three-year old energy bar plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, and learned about the company’s 5 Aspirations business model.

In 1979, McDonald’s launched the Happy Meal, ESPN hit the airwaves for the first time, and Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” became the first Top 40 rap single. It was also a year when Amway undertook a massive hiring effort for…

Winner of the MLC’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, Jim Davis believes a deeper grasp of data context, better ways to combat complexity, and a more broadly embraced industrial culture of collaboration and innovation are essential to manufacturing’s future.

Advanced tech can be complex and confusing but inaction isn’t a cure. As Dr. Seuss wrote in The Lorax, “It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” Today, the good doctor’s thought could be applied…

Working with a consortium of multinational manufacturers, the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. is developing an assessment framework to help…

The digital transformation of manufacturing isn’t easy. But the right selection of technologies coupled with smart implementation strategies can enable manufacturers to realize the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Manufacturers can build on Ideas from Sherlock Holmes to derive value from data using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

Digital Human Capital Management platforms for managing and transforming your workforce are not always on the radar of manufacturing executives, but they’re critical to bringing your people along during your M4.0 journey.

The Manufacturing Leadership Council has released a new blueprint to guide manufacturers as they transition to the digital model of doing business. The blueprint, called the 2019/2020 Critical Issues Agenda, is the latest strategic guidance on digital transformation released by…

Oracle Corp. is widely recognized as one of the largest software companies in the world. Founded in 1977, Oracle has developed and sold database management programs, applications, and other software products for decades, amassing more than 147,000 customers in 175…

Sudhi Bangalore, VP of Industry 4.0 at Stanley Black & Decker, believes that scaling manufacturing transformation to the point of enterprise excellence is essential to the future of the industry.

The growing importance of data entrepreneurship and digital acumen, the need for…

How can middle market manufacturing enterprises accelerate the implementation of …

Tech deployment matters, but the real success for culture transformation lies with an engaged…

A successful transition to M4.0 will require moving on from the old employee management approaches of…

What defines culture in the era of Manufacturing 4.0? According to the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s latest survey

“It will be very difficult for the U.S. to grow competitively in the future without increasing the speed of M4.0 adoption,” warns MLC Board Chairman John Fleming at the 2019 ML Summit.

Data is manufacturing’s new gold, but much like any raw material, it only has value once it’s mined, refined, and polished to make it shine. Manufacturers generally have no problem collecting massive amounts of data, but leveraging it to its…

A vast array of technology advancements has quickly coalesced to create a smart and connected world. The advent of cutting edge digital technology including big data and analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, analytics and the cheap availability of bandwidth,…

Many manufacturers feel vulnerable in the Manufacturing 4.0 era.

Harnessing data’s power requires the right methodology and organizational alignment.

With three generations currently occupying the workforce, successful companies must draw on…

Digital acumen, collaboration, behavior change, and corporate restructuring will be vital to M4.0 leadership, says MLC Hannover panel.

MLC Delegation Explores the Latest Global Developments in M4.0

PPG Senior Vice President of Automotive Coatings, Rebecca Liebert, believes that achieving data-driven productivity across the industry will require leaders who learn continuously and are open to a host of new digital opportunities.

… or does investing in the digital revolution seem like jumping out of a perfectly good plane without a parachute? “Industry 4.0” refers to the fourth industrial revolution: the age of digital technologies such as the internet of things, artificial…

Diverse and disparate products and devices get connected over the Internet of Things (IoT). This is giving way to personalized consumer experiences, workforce empowerment, optimized operations and novel business models. In the past, customers were forced to buy a product…

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of Dan Dwight, president, CEO and director of Cooley Group, to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC’s mission is to help…

Now attuned to the fast-and-getting-faster world of e-commerce, consumers have come to expect a much shorter time window between when they click “buy” and when that item will show up at their door. That’s true of the average person who’s…

Benoit Nemery, a professor of toxicology at the Belgian university K.U. Leuven, has long been involved, together with researchers from the University of Lubumbashi, in investigating the “collateral damage” caused by mining activities in the copper-cobalt belt in the Democratic…

Today, Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things are monumental forces in manufacturing, transforming the way companies gather data and do business. But five years ago, it was a different world. Back then, Keith Jackson, the CTO of UK-based…

An education in manufacturing is not what it used to be. In years past, said Hossein Haj-Hariri, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina, aspiring manufacturers learned the fundamentals of mechanics, materials,…

When I think about artificial intelligence, particularly concerns about its effect on jobs, I’m reminded what Franklin D. Roosevelt said at the height of the Great Depression in his

AI allows a proactive approach to rising above ever-changing challenges

Success on the factory floor hinges on a measured, disciplined approach

Improvements in integration and deployment lead to greater flexibility, efficiency and quality

Hannover MLC Report Day 5 –– An hour’s drive outside Hannover, Germany, lies the city of Wolfsburg, home to Volkswagen’s massive showcase production facility, now Europe’s largest automotive factory, which produces an astounding 3,500 cars a day. That was the…

Hannover MLC Report Day 4 –– “Rethinking Manufacturing Leadership in a 4.0 World” was the title of a special panel session of MLC delegates in the Automation Forum during the group’s last day visiting the 2019 Hannover Fair. Moderated by…

Hannover Fair MLC Report Day 3 – One of the most significant challenges facing industrial companies as they proceed on their digital journeys is to determine how best to manage increasingly large volumes of data arising from pervasive connectivity. Tackling…

Hannover Fair MLC Report, Day 2 –– Interoperability, IoT, collaborative robotics, AI in the factory, and digitally-driven enterprise strategies dominated the MLC Delegation’s stand visits during the first full exhibition day at this year’s Hannover Fair in Germany. First stop…

Hannover Fair MLC Report, March 31, 2019 — The Hannover Fair, the world’s largest industrial exhibition, opened last night in Germany as political and industrial leaders, including a delegation of Manufacturing Leadership Council members, gathered in the Hannover Congress Centrum to…

Several months ago, a member of the Manufacturing Leadership Council from the automotive sector approached the MLC team with a proposition: What if they could host an IoT-themed workshop at their headquarters to discuss manufacturing digitization – and enlist the…

At the ABB Dodge plant in Marion, NC, the keys to success are integrated business teams that function on a foundation of collaboration and trust, as well as operations that concentrate on standardized processes and a top-grade safety culture. These…

Manufacturing Leadership Council members toured Harley-Davidson’s York, PA, plant and learned about the motorcycle company’s Continuous Improvement System.

Manufacturing Leadership Council members tour Dal-Tile’s 990,000-square foot plant in Dickson, TN, and learn how a combination of culture and operational techniques combine to create operational excellence.

The Manufacturing Leadership Council’s latest survey on Manufacturing 4.0-related technologies reveals that companies are expecting big things from IIoT, analytics, 3D printing and other new technologies. But few are approaching their adoption strategically.

Nominations Open for Program Honoring Companies Leading the Industry into the Manufacturing 4.0 Era Washington, D.C. – Reflecting significant industry trends, the 2019 Manufacturing Leadership (ML) Awards will add a new emphasis on recognizing emerging individual leaders under 30 years…

Manufacturing Leadership Council members gathered last week at car seat manufacturer Adient’s factory in West Point, GA, and learned about the company’s High Performance Teams program.

On May 21, Jeff Moad wrote an article entitled, Should Manufacturers Video Plant Floor Performance? In it, Jeff described the technology coming out of my company, Drishti, which uses video-based systems to observe human activities for automatic validation and measurement.…

For me, the most significant message that emerged from the recently-concluded 14th Annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit was this: More manufacturing leaders are moving beyond the early stages of Manufacturing 4.0 digital transformation—characterized by technology research and one-off proof-of-concept projects—and are…