Leading Edge Is An
Exclusive Thought Leadership Programthat brings executives from companies of all sizes together with leading business luminaries to focus on emerging business issues and trends critical in today’s manufacturing landscape. Hear from notable industry leaders and subject matter experts as they deliver the latest perspectives on mission-critical topics impacting manufacturing operations and business.
Be part of a discussion that could deliver transformational insights and solutions for your business and stay on the leading edge of manufacturing.
Topics
Resources
HBR Article: A Manager's Guide to Augmented Reality
Aug 7, 2018How IIoT changes the idea of ownership
May 22, 2017PTC: PPT of How Smart, Connected Products are Transforming Competition and Companies
Aug 15, 2018Connected Service Equipment Knowledge as Competitive Power
Mar 19, 2017Leading by Example: Technology Companies Help Save Scarce Water Resources
Jul 5, 2017Why Manufacturers Need to Rethink How They Value Water
Mar 28, 2017Benefits of Creating a Corporate Water Strategy – and Tips for Ensuring Success
Mar 18, 20175 Ideas for Improving Energy Use
Aug 16, 2018Powering Innovation in Manufacturing
Thoughts are often false. A feeling's always real. Not true, just real.
Susan Choi, writer
Manufacturing Institute: 2023 Women MAKE America Awards
The Manufacturing Institute is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Women MAKE America Awards (formerly STEP Ahead Awards), which will recognize 100 distinguished women leaders and 30 rising female stars in the manufacturing industry. Now entering its 11th year, the awards have celebrated and elevated more than 1,200 women who have made significant contributions to their companies, communities, and the next generation of female manufacturers. We encourage you to work with your company to nominate your female colleagues and peers who exemplify leadership and mentorship. View our nomination guide for more details on eligibility, selection process and key dates, and submit your nominations before the Oct. 7 deadline.
Students in the Workplace program to launch in Pa.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has announced additional funding through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Program that will go to the Challenge Program Inc. The funds are intended to help students learn about careers in manufacturing through a program called Students in the Workplace. WTAJ-TV (Altoona, Pa.) (8/16)
Boom promises sustainable supersonic passenger flight
Boom Technology has pledged to operate at net zero carbon emissions by 2025 by using sustainable aviation fuel to develop its Overture supersonic airliner. "With no afterburners and buzz-free engines, Overture's takeoffs will blend in with existing long-haul fleets, resulting in a quieter experience for both passengers and airport communities," the company says. International Business Times (8/15)
How e-commerce manufacturing benefits supply chains
An end-to-end "digital thread" that enables seamless, on-demand manufacturing for e-commerce can be a boon to supply chains beyond the speed and ease of use it offers, writes Mark Flannery, global product director for e-commerce at Protolabs. Other benefits include transparency, design and manufacturing feedback, and consistency, Flannery writes. Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine (free registration) (8/14)
Supply chains should combine just-in-time, just-in-case
Planning ahead with nearshoring, alternative transportation routes and other strategies is part of the shift back to just-in-time supply chain management from just-in-case, but companies shouldn't lose sight of the financial benefits of just-in-time solutions, CommerceIQ President Kal Raman writes. A "renewed focus on data and real-time tracking technology" can help companies adopt a hybrid supply chain approach that uses both strategies, Raman writes. Fortune (tiered subscription model) (8/15)
Read this before making generic supply chain tweaks
Sophisticated, industry-specific models are the best approach to adjusting supply networks, as the wrong approach can turn your network from a sail into an anchor, four McKinsey analysts write. Models for consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and apparel show how the various trade-offs work best for different industries. McKinsey (8/17)
Survey shows manufacturer optimism, wage increases
Ninety-five percent of manufacturers are optimistic about 2022 revenues, believing they will meet or exceed 2021's, according to respondents of the 2022 Marcum National Manufacturing Survey. Finding enough skilled workers to replace those lost during the Great Resignation is the largest worry, affecting 83% of respondents, and 77% plan to hire more people within the next year, with 86% planning to raise wages. Connecticut Business & Industry Association (8/16)
3D printing is core of a US supply chain solution
Northrop Grumman and Boeing are among large companies committing to increase the number of small- and medium-size suppliers they use in the US and train them on additive technologies. It's part of the Additive Manufacturing Forward program, promoted by the White House and the nonprofit Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America, that views 3D printing as a manufacturing inflection point for easing supply chain logjams, enhancing output and creating jobs. Reuters (8/17)