Articles & Resources

What are the Top Challenges Facing Manufacturing Companies & What Issues are Most Interesting to You?

We were extremely impressed by the thoughtful responses to our March poll questions - and we extend our thanks and appreciation to all who participated.

Although the respondent group was small (preventing us from claiming anything statistically definitive), we gained much insight about the challenges our readership is facing, as well as about which manufacturing-related issues we want to explore further.

As promised, here is a summary of the results from last month's 5-question poll...

We're always interested in what our community, clients and colleagues have to say.

So, this month, instead of our regular article, we're inviting you to take part in a VERY SHORT 5-question poll.

Specifically, we'd like to know what you think are the most important challenges facing your organization, as well as the issues and topics you're most interested in.

We'll also share the results with you afterwards (no names, of course!). In that way, we can all deepen our understanding of what matters most to those of us in manufacturing and related fields.

In our November 2012 article, Navigating Uncertainty: Planning for Growth and Success in 2013, we provided seven tips for making plans in turbulent times. Now that the New Year is in full force, we’re going to examine one critical aspect of achieving success once annual plans are developed and adopted. Specifically, responding to change.

Manufacturers are certainly no strangers to the need for agility, flexibility and speed. Since the onset of mass customization, industries have had to find ways to address the demand for variety along with the assumption of timely fulfillment – no matter what. This pressure-cooker equation requires business processes, such as planning and scheduling, to be capable of extremely short lead times. In fact, the goal is an almost real-time response.

It’s not news that Maryland has a solid infrastructure in support of industry. In fact, many nationally recognized manufacturing companies, such as Philips Seafood, Under Armour and Domino Sugar, are based right here. So, why is Maryland ranked only 31st out of 50 states in CNBC’s 2012 America’s Top States for Business? Why is our neighbor to the north, Pennsylvania, on the list of the top states for manufacturing jobs and Maryland isn’t? Most importantly, why is manufacturing in Maryland nowhere near as healthy as it could be, and what needs to change to earn a higher spot in the national rankings?

To explore these questions, we first looked at the criteria used to determine if a state is generally business-friendly.

In CNBC’s ranking, for example, all 50 states were scored on 51 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness, as well as with input from the states themselves. States then received points based on their rankings in each metric.

We’re honored to have been interviewed by the Baltimore Business Journal for the magazine’s popular “How I Got Started” column. Thanks to the BBJ for the wonderful opportunity to discuss our core philosophy and share our perspective on manufacturing in Maryland.

For more on the topics we touched on with the BBJ, and to share your opinion about manufacturing in Maryland, check out: Is Maryland Industry-Friendly? Attracting and Keeping Industry, Jobs and Skilled Workers in the State.