Ever looked at something and wondered how it works? To be honest, if you work in the manufacturing industry, that’s probably all you do all day! It’s this fascination about how stuff works that drives innovation, after all. This is also why reverse engineering is so important. In manufacturing, it’s capable of helping brands not only unpick existing products, but also discover how to make even better solutions for the future. How do you think...
We spend an average of 40 hours a week in the workplace. That’s about one third of our waking hours. So, making our work environment pleasant can only be a good thing. Whether you’re working in an office, a factory or a production environment, there’s one easy way to make it feel a little less sterile and characterless – bring in some attractive greenery. Psychological studies have shown that humans benefit from time spent in...
There’s recently been an influx of stories, reports, and blogging activity surrounding the popularity of a four-day working week. That’s no surprise, really, is it? A four-day work week sounds like heaven for most of us. But it also sounds entirely unrealistic to most of us! While Brits tend to work the longest hours in Europe, it’s become evident that busy schedules often produce nothing more than miserable workers and undue stress. If you’ve ever...
There’s a dramatic shift taking place in the manufacturing industry - especially in the US - where manufacturing companies are beginning to focus their efforts on reshoring their business. Reshoring is also known as onshoring, inshoring, or backshoring, and, as you’d imagine, it’s the opposite of offshoring. Many manufacturers are re-evaluating their production and sourcing locations and are taking a closer look at the benefits of reshoring. This results in their manufacturing operation being moved...
You’ll hear the word ‘sustainability’ used regularly in manufacturing circles. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s thought that around 76% of millennials are concerned about the state of the environment, and manufacturing has a huge part to play in creating a greener, more sustainable world. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Manufacturing is one of the oldest industries in the world and, as such, relies on tools, techniques, and processes that are inherently...
It often creeps up on you, completely unawares. You know something isn't quite right with your manufacturing process, but you can't put your finger on what it is. This is a common problem in this sector, and one you're absolutely not alone in losing sleep over. Why is it suddenly taking longer to get products off the production line? Why is the team becoming increasingly frustrated? There are lots of factors that can slow your...