Reed Switch Developments Corp. (RSD), a woman-owned manufacturer in Racine, WI, specializes in magnetic reed switches and sensors. Recognized as last year’s Quality Plant of the Year, RSD has achieved a 25% increase in sales year-to-date, leveraging in-house technical expertise and automation to manage growth amid rising costs and economic uncertainty.

Today’s manufacturing environment demands greater product variety, shorter lead times, and higher customer expectations. To meet these challenges, manufacturers need agile and efficient intralogistics solutions, specifically scalable, modular systems that adapt to production changes and optimize resources while ensuring high quality.

Many continuous improvement (CI) champions encounter resistance to adopting the necessary mindset, often perceiving individuals as closed-minded or too comfortable. Unlearning long-held beliefs can be stressful, especially for those whose careers depend on them, and psychologists note this process can often be harder than learning new skills—particularly for the most successful individuals.

Daniel Zrymiak highlights key threats to quality culture from his experience. Organizations must continuously check for these threats in operations and discussions, ready to respond appropriately.

Global challenges and industrial competitiveness are having an impact on the training and continuous education of skilled workers and students.

The main difference between projects and programs is their scope and focus. Project management focuses on efficiently executing specific projects, while program management aligns multiple projects with overarching strategic goals.

Front-office operations offer strategic opportunities for continuous improvement. Automating tasks can maximize effectiveness, free up senior employees, and lead to significant improvements in productivity and profitability.

Mass customization (MC) aims to meet individual customer needs while controlling costs and maintaining quality. The paper explores the connection between kaizen, a continuous improvement tool, and mass customization practices.

Ensuring high quality in medical device manufacturing requires operational excellence, which optimizes efficiency and enhances product quality and compliance. Let’s explore some of the key elements and best practices.

Minitab Engage is a designed CI tool for initiating, monitoring, managing, and sharing innovation and initiatives from idea generation to execution.