By Steve Bieszczat, chief marketing officer, DELMIAWorks Running a plastics processing operation – with its constant flow of materials, people, machinery and information – is one of the most demanding management jobs in the world. Without proper supervision and control, the operation can slip into inefficiencies and delays that drive up costs while lowering customer … [Read more...] about Strengthening Plastics Manufacturing Performance via Management by Exception
Articles
Best Practices for New Program Start-Up: The Supplier Perspective
By Lindsey Munson, editor, Plastics Business Molders and OEMs are accustomed to the industry’s pressures when it comes to onboarding suppliers, mold production cycles, meeting customer demands, implementing new protocols, and the list goes on – but, what about the pressure that comes with a new program start-up? Of course, most, if not all molders and OEMs have a strategy … [Read more...] about Best Practices for New Program Start-Up: The Supplier Perspective
Booklist: Step Back to Let Others Lead
By Dianna Brodine, vice president, editorial, Plastics Business A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a three-day leadership experience at the Kansas Leadership Institute. It was a mentally exhausting examination of what I believed about leadership, how my personal style helped or hindered the people around me, and the ways in which I could thoughtfully change the … [Read more...] about Booklist: Step Back to Let Others Lead
A Collision of the Global Supply Chain: Politics, Inflation and Alternative Sources
By Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence Not that manufacturing has avoided talking about international issues in the past, but there have been new developments that have been pushing these issues to the forefront – especially for the plastics industry. There is an old adage that asserts, “When elephants fight it is the mice that suffer.” The US and … [Read more...] about A Collision of the Global Supply Chain: Politics, Inflation and Alternative Sources
Plastics Executives Report Encouraging Outlook for Automation
By Andrew Carlsgaard, business relations manager/analytics director, MAPP Based on feedback from 86 processing executives, MAPP’s 2023 Automation Report outlook for automation in the US plastics industry generally is positive, with increasing interest in adopting automation technologies to improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. Like many other manufacturing … [Read more...] about Plastics Executives Report Encouraging Outlook for Automation