Blog
Performance Management Approach That Supports Performance
Have you ever been in a company that had a yearly performance management review, perhaps a set of numbers to rate your performance based on a set of five or so objectives? Did that system help you perform better and motivate you based on the feedback? Did your yearly number help with your development? Research […]
Sourcing Talent Pools Is Critical and Often Overlooked
Many times in my career when I was in or associated with HR, we talked about recruitment. Seldom did that discussion ever cover the activity and approach of sourcing. What is Sourcing? Sourcing is the identification of the total pool of talent that may be able either immediately or with structured training to fill the […]
Manufacturing Day (MFG Day/ Month) 2022 is almost here!
What is it about? The goal of MFG Day/ Month is to spread the word about the importance of manufacturing, its benefits to our economy, and the many career opportunities that exist within the industry. When does it start and how long does it run? October 7, 2022 is the “official” MFG Day, but many states–including […]
Are You Ready for a Revolution?
The term “Industrial Revolution” often recalls images of 19th century factories, steam engines, and the shift from an agricultural economy to the manufacturing focus that shaped the last 150 years, especially here in the northeast. Today, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is already underway, and it has the potential to fundamentally change the way we work, […]
Cybersecurity – Viruses, Ransomware, Phishing…Oh My! Let us help you fight back!
Small-to-mid-sized manufacturers face a long list of challenges. From supply chain snarls to the rising cost of raw materials, there is no shortage of things to keep business owners up at night. Perhaps the most worrisome, though, is the growing frequency of cyber attacks. The FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report puts the cost of domestic […]
Four Key Stages Business Leaders Must Overcome to Change Results
The following blog post is reprinted with permission from CONNSTEP, VMEC’s Connecticut sister MEP Center. Many small to mid-sized manufacturers, as well as other businesses, simply plod along from year to year. Revenues hover around the same level while wrestling with recurring operational challenges and not managing to “crack the code” for what it takes […]
Broken Supply Chains Call for New Strategies
When offshoring became a necessity a few decades ago, primarily as a way to achieve the cost reductions demanded by big box stores and others, few people considered how fragile the resulting supply chain might become. Now it’s on everyone’s lips. You might be able to Zoom in real time with your Asian supplier, but […]
TWI Explained
As Vermont manufacturers work to adjust to the new normal, business leaders are finding value in improved employee relationships as we return to work, along with the ever-present need for standardized training and instruction. VMEC’s Training Within Industry (TWI) programs offer opportunities to expand supervisor knowledge in the areas of Job Instruction (JI) and Job […]
Small Technical Assistance Grants Yield Big Impacts
In September 2020, the Vermont Legislature allocated $2.5 million of federal CARES Act funding for small business technical support in Act 137. Governor Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development announced that the RDCs of Vermont (Regional Development Corporations) would be tasked with deploying $1,400,000 in technical assistance funding for small businesses across […]
Partnerships Create Rapid Innovation During COVID-19 Crisis
Like their counterparts around the country, Vermont manufacturers found themselves facing a long list of challenges as Coronavirus-related shutdowns pushed clients and suppliers into dramatically different new modes of operation last year. Many turned to new product and service offerings, leveraging their capabilities in creative ways to offset the many and varied challenges that presented […]