I’ve been an advocate of manufacturing all my life. Growing up in manufacturing and maintenance, educated in and then teaching tooling and machine design, and spending nearly four decades consulting on and writing articles about the people side of
manufacturing-reliability improvement has made me a believer in the value of a robust manufacturing economy.
Every now and then I come across like-minded thinkers and
reports. Well, it happened again, a few days ago, thanks to a new message in my inbox that shouted, “you need to share this.” I'm doing that here, or, at least, sharing my synopsis of the, 53-pg. report, “MAKE IT BETTER - A Blueprint for Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio, June 2021.” The document was compiled and published, based on extensive research and interviews in Northeast (NE) Ohio, by the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET) a nonprofit operating since 1984.
(www.manufacturingsuccess.org)
As the authors explain, “This report shares the best
insights and stories. This is not another initiative. It is a vision for the future, supported by practical advice, expertise, and inspiration from companies at the leading edge.” In my attempt to summarize this powerful document and encourage those in the RAM community to read it, I've pulled the following quotes and suggested strategies from its major sections:
We Make Our Region Better. This section recaps the history of manufacturing in NE Ohio. “As an industry we face a powerful moment of truth. We can simply rebuild and bounce back to the way we were. Or we can use the accelerating forces of this unique time to leap forward.”
The supply chain is broken. “The (COVID-19) pandemic was a
stark reminder of the need to reestablish local supply chains. It has reignited a desire to buy American and bring home jobs from overseas. Now is the time to transform our factories, train a new generation of high-tech talent, and innovate to make things that haven’t been made here in decades. Now is the time to reinvent our industry and fuel a true manufacturing revival.”
“Why do we believe we can do this? Because we’ve done it
before. We are masters of the comeback. We’ve been reinventing ourselves since the advent of our industry. We just have to do what we do best: Make It Better.”
Talent. This section notes that, “Manufacturing doesn’t run on machines. It runs on people.” It goes on to discuss how the manufacturing-talent pipeline is broken and offers 10 ways to fix it.
Technology Transformation. This section explains the concept of “Using Industry 4.0 Technologies to Unlock Advantage,” and introduces eight ways to transform the future.
Innovation. This section points out that, “Manufacturing growth will only come through innovation; without it, the industry will inevitably shrink.”
Leadership. This section addresses a crucial challenge/requirement: “We need bold leadership at every level to lead the world in smart manufacturing. There is no single voice, no single leader at the helm. This is something we can only achieve as a team.”
The Path Forward. This section lays out a sound "how to" approach: “Doing the Work;
Bringing the Blueprint to Life; Our Vision for Success.”
I am urging RAM professionals everywhere to access,
digest, and share this document with others. We all play a powerful role in making manufacturing better.
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