Cheap versus experienced workers
Manager's Desk: Don't assume that experienced, well-paid employees will cost you more money in the long run.
Magazine Column
Shop Operations
You may have untapped talent
When filling critical shop positions, the best candidates might be right under your nose.
Machined parts shop’s formula for success
For TNT Custom Equipment Inc., adding machining to mix became a business necessity.
For this shop, it’s about more than making parts
Western Precision Products backs up its commitment to high-quality service and a top-notch customer experience by investing in the equipment and technology to get the job done.
Get the word out on your shop
Are you positioned to be found when someone urgently needs a shop? If not, positioning your shop to be found is what's important
Working less can boost productivity
With fewer employees handling more duties, workplace stress can take a toll on productivity. Keith Jennings finds a simple solution.
Do you tap or thread-mill?
For many in the machining community, tapping is the preferred method of threadmaking on a CNC machining center. Yet others contend that thread milling is better. Kip Hanson breaks down the long-running argument.
When not to listen
Repeat work is great, but shops have to guard against the comfortable complacency that such work can generate at the expense of diversifying its customer base. Said diversification is essential to a shop's growth.
Part-to-part consistency key to shop’s success
When prompted by requests from customers for products that their existing manufacturing supply chains were not producing, Dan Olsen made the leap into manufacturing.
Show vendors some love
Finding ways to meet, interface with and show appreciation for customers and vendors can help any business. With Spring, and the hope of nicer weather upon us, CTE Manager's Desk columnist Keith Jennings is eager to leverage the season for promotional and "we appreciate you" events, such as luncheons and open houses.
Don’t hack away at chatter problems
When chatter rears its ugly head, it's a good idea to look at your cutting tools. Selecting material-specific cutting tools is certainly part of the solution.
Protect proprietary company information
Complying with sensitive information requests may be necessary in some circumstances, but it's possible to provide too much information, which might expose proprietary processes and technology and put a company at a competitive disadvantage.