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A ‘satisfaction guaranteed’ promise holds you hostage to another’s…
Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWe recently discussed the real hazards of stamping "lifetime warranty" on your products. A close corollary to that is promising "satisfaction guaranteed" on your professional services. You might make that offer because you are proud of the quality of your services — so confident that your work will be above reproach that you are implicitly claiming that you’ll redo the work or refund to make the customer happy. Think about that outrageous promise. How can you possibly guarantee another’s happiness? Why hold yourself hostage to that?
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Survey: Skills shortage forces 31% of organizations to prioritize investment…
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe pandemic has forced many organizations to reconsider their projects for the rest of the year — and beyond. While a lot of plans have been put on hold, some companies have elevated IT training to a priority project. According to the 2020 Netwrix IT Trends Report, 38% of CIOs and IT directors now plan to invest in the education of IT staff, compared to 20% who had it on their top five list before the pandemic. We asked Ilia Sotnikov, VP of product management at Netwrix, to discuss this and some of the other IT trends revealed in the report.
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US payrolls add 661,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 7.9%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAmerican employers created 661,000 nonfarm jobs in September after hiring 1.4 million workers in August, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. September’s jobless rate dropped to 7.9% from 8.4% in August. The jobs numbers reflect in part the easing of social restrictions and reopening of businesses to stem the spread of COVID-19. However, government employment, mainly in public education at the state and local levels, dropped in September from August.
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Can digital manufacturing change the future?
Bambi Majumdar ManufacturingThe recent unveiling of Alibaba's new digital factory is making waves in the manufacturing world. Data and insights form the core of its operations. The factory's debut has come at an opportune time, as manufacturers are describing digitizing as an essential element for growth. Over the last 10 years, the sector has adopted a collection of disruptive technologies, though adoption hasn't been uniform or as widespread as needed. These include robotics, the Internet of Things, machine learning, artificial intelligence and 3D printing, among others.
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Report: Was there enough oversight for federal virus aid?
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentA new report on recipients of federal pandemic aid from the CARES Act asks if there was adequate congressional oversight before tax dollars went out the door as the economy closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in March. "The revelation that tens of thousands of CARES Act recipients have records of misconduct — including some cases of a criminal nature — raises the question of whether the eligibility criteria for the grant and loan programs were strict enough," according to Philip Mattera, research director at Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group.
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US payrolls add 1.4 million jobs; unemployment rate drops to 8.4%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementEmployers added 1.4 million nonfarm new hires in August, down from the creation of 1.8 million jobs in July, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. August’s rate of unemployment fell to 8.4% from July’s 10.2%. Driving such improvements were economic reopening and Census 2020 hiring. The number of unemployed workers on temporary layoff dropped to 6.2 million in August compared with July’s 9.2 million, according to the BLS.
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Why blended machines meet Six Sigma and Kaizen standards better than batching…
Michelle Pudlo ManufacturingOptimizing a business to be efficient is a never-ending race. There are two concepts that business organizations rely on when working on optimization — the Six Sigma and Kaizen. Six Sigma is focused on 99.99966% of produced product features without any defects. Kaizen is a broad concept of improvement and development of every person in a company. We’re here to discuss how blended machines fit these concepts better than the classic batching machines used in fluid manufacturing, packaging, and storage.
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How manufacturers are keeping their employees safe
Bambi Majumdar ManufacturingThe disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused has been felt across the world of manufacturing. Manufacturers have been some of those companies on the front lines to lead the country through recovery and renewal. Unlike many industries that quickly pivoted to remote work, factories cannot function with a fully remote workforce. At the same time, they must ensure the safety of the employees on the job.
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How small businesses can manage hazardous waste: A guide
Amanda Wilson Waste Management & EnvironmentalMany small businesses are not even aware that they generate hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is any solid, liquid or gas that is either chemically or biologically treated, burned, incinerated, or recycled. Some companies dispose this waste directly into barren landmasses, rivers, and streams, which can cause serious environmental and health implications.
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New Economic Policy Institute report looks at the effects of COVID-19 on…
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementCOVID-19 has revealed the economic and health crises facing Latinx workers. The stark details are in a new report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. According to the report authors, the distress of Latinx workers exceeds that of their white counterparts. In the 35-44 age group, for example, Latinx workers are nearly nine times as likely to die from COVID-19 as whites are.
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