Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/180153
Wisconsin Leadership Wisconsin is the number one manufacturing state in the nation with more than 19% of the workforce directly involved in manufacturing. Manufacturing is essential to a healthy economy—a typical manufacturing facility that employs 100 people actually supports 158 jobs, 100 directly and 58 through employment at suppliers. As factories get "smarter" and more advanced, the multiplier increases significantly. Since 1996, the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) has been helping Wisconsin manufacturing grow and thrive, providing new services to give manufacturers the guidance and assistance they need to drive a healthy economy. Next Generation Manufacturing The WMEP designed Next Generation Manufacturing services to help manufacturers become more efficient, more sustainable, innovative and globally competitive. Over the past five years, a shift in how manufacturers view sustainability, exporting, and workforce development has been documented in the Next Generation Manufacturing Study (NGM) first published in 2008. Results of the 2011 NGM Study found that sustainability awareness has increased dramatically, focus on innovation is strengthening and awareness of the need for global engagement has increased. A new study is underway, and we'll share those results soon! In the past year, the WMEP has introduced and enhanced services based on the needs of Wisconsin manufacturers, including the Profitable Sustainability Initiative™, ExporTech™, Rapid Innovation and preparation for Food Manufacturing Certification; more services are under development. To help manufacturers succeed in the increasingly competitive global market, the WMEP focuses on the six attributes of Next Generation Manufacturing: ``Systemic Continuous Improvement ``Customer-Focused Innovation ``Sustainable Products & Process Development ``Global Engagement ``Extended Enterprise Management ``Advanced Talent Management Click for Video James Mathews tests a robotic welder at J & R Machine, Inc., a WMEP client that has seen dramatic growth since 2004. The press lead completes first piece inspection at Gordon Aluminum Industries, Inc. in Schofield. The six attributes of Next Generation Manufacturing: Systemic Continuous Improvement Engage employees at every level to reduce lead times, eliminate waste, and improve quality. Customer-Focused Innovation Create an ongoing process for innovation by building a creative mindset and culture. Sustainable Products & Process Development Take a 360° view to find savings through reduced energy use, process & logistics improvements. Global Engagement Develop a results-based export strategy that grows business and drops dollars to the bottom line. Extended Enterprise Management Optimize supply-chain performance with metric-driven process improvements. Advanced Talent Management Develop a long-term strategy to attract, develop, engage and retain the employees needed for growth.