Internet speeds have improved dramatically over the past decade. At the same time, computer technology has grown more powerful, enabling people to access the web from even small mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. As such, many businesses have been taking advantage of the internet and new technologies to revolutionize the way they operate.
Continue reading »“Best of breed,” “value-added,” “synergy,” “seamless,” “sustainability” – what do all these terms have in common? They are all popular buzzwords that fly from businessman to businessman at boardroom meetings like mosquitos on a hot day. The problem with buzzwords is that they sound good when spoken, so they are constantly overused in business settings
Continue reading »Colfax Corporation, a company that specializes in developing fluid-handling solutions for a variety of industries, recently released its fourth quarter earnings report. Although it fell short of established targets, the firm was able to make substantial progress toward improvement plans and growth initiatives. In a conference call with investors, the company's chief executive officer Steven
Continue reading »Too often, people view titles such “executive” or “manager” as milestones they hope to achieve at the end of a long career, when in actuality these jobs are a core part of business strategy. Upper management is expected to lead people, and those titles aren't just goals to strive for. Leadership is a strategic value
Continue reading »Companies live and die based on the investments they make. Invest in the right people, programs, practices and equipment and the business will likely succeed. On the flip side, investing poorly can lead an organization to failure. This is especially true in today's economy, where budget is a real issue and companies can't afford to
Continue reading »Great leaders are often the most visible people within a company, and many of a business' accomplishments are accredited to these individuals. However, in a number of those situations, these people aren't entrepreneurial masterminds who are capable of doing things that no one else can. In general, outsiders looking in are much too quick to
Continue reading »Boyd Coatings Research, a company that applies high-performance coatings to specialized medical, industrial and aerospace products, recently received a Workforce Training Fund Grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The grant gives companies funding to launch in-depth training programs that will help them improve operations. The coatings application business has decided to use the grant to
Continue reading »Manufacturing and retail are two closely related industries that depend on each other to succeed. Retail decides which products to buy from manufacturers, while manufacturers need to produce goods that retailers can sell to customers. If there is a holdup from one party, it can affect the productivity and profitability of the other. With both
Continue reading »At big companies, it's often hard to pinpoint the root cause of problems. Systems of complex policies and processes obfuscate what is actually happening – for example, when a manufacturer is shipping and storing a ton of inventory, it can be difficult to track everything and really discover where things are going wrong because of everything
Continue reading »Much of the most time-consuming work conducted in operating rooms occurs not during the actual procedure, but in the turnover period from one surgical case to the next. This problem is even more evident in smaller clinics, where the number of available rooms is limited and thus the changeover is necessary between cases. Fortunately, turnover
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