CMTC Manufacturing Blog

Manufacturing Jobs in CA and the US are Booming

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Written by: Emily Carter

The manufacturing sector is weathering the economic recovery and remains one of the most important industries in our economy. Employment in our sector has a large impact on our nation's overall economic improvement. The news has been reporting some positive trends for the manufacturing community lately. Is a job boom in American manufacturing for real? Statistics are showing it could very well be.

In California, the demand for employees in skilled manufacturing positions is high. In fact, California ranks in the top five states (along with Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Illinois and Indiana) where the demand is highest for skilled workers. California has the highest number of manufacturing employment in the entire United States. 

Manufacturing employers range from small parts makers to mid-sized and large assemblers for the automotive, aerospace and industrial metals sectors. The most sought-after employees are machinists, tool and die makers, computer aided machine operators and similar job specialties.

Manufacturing jobs are also highly represented in the Southern California region. In Orange County, manufacturing was the largest employer in 2010, employing 142,000 workers. This sector was ahead of food services, health care and retail – all of which fall under the pay range that manufacturing jobs offer.

Nationwide, manufacturing jobs are booming. Manufacturing was the fourth-largest employer in the US, employing 10.9 million workers. As of March 2010, there were 10.9 million manufacturing employees in the nation.

Employment in the manufacturing industry is viable and in demand. The average US manufacturing worker received $77,186 annually, including pay and benefits. Also, 27.4% of manufacturing employees 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

US manufacturing workers are the most productive in the world, and the employees working in the manufacturing sector contribute to the nation’s higher wages, living standards and demand for housing.

Still, the challenge of finding adequate talent can be a barrier to manufacturers who want to grow their business.  CMTC is conducting a survey to identify the “skills gap” in the manufacturing industry in Southern California and needs your insight on the specifics of this gap for future training needs.  If you wish to receive a copy of the final results, please provide your name and email address at the end of the survey.

CMTC can help close the “skills gap” by locating hard to find skilled workers and provide classroom and hands on training for executives, managers and line workers to build the foundation for a high performing team. For more information on Workforce Development, click here.

Continuous Improvement: Six Sigma and the DMAIC Process (Part 2)

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Written by: Jim Gilbert, Senior Consultant

Our last blog post ended with the promise to look at some 6 Ϭ projects and determine if the reader has an interest in learning more about 6 Ϭ. 

I will walk you through two of my 6 Ϭ projects.   The first case is a manufacturing project and the second case is an administrative project.  Both required the application of some 6 Ϭ tools to understand the excess variation and ultimately eliminate the problems that were causing the poor performance.

Process

We used the DMAIC process where we engaged in each of the following project phases:

• Define – Describe the problem to better understand it
• Measure – Measure appropriate features to better understand the excess variation
• Analyze – Determine what can be causing the excess variation
• Improve – Permanently eliminate the root causes of the excess variation
• Control – Develop a Control Plan to provide counter-measures if the process begins to experience excess variation

Projects

Case #1: A production shop was experiencing excessive cycle times for straightening some of the shafts that come out of heat treat.  This caused takt time problems downstream and required both a safety buffer to maintain production and some overtime to catch up.  It was originally suspected that the more run out in the center of the shaft the longer the straightening time.  However, the data did not support that.  The table displays the Coefficient of Determinations (R²) for the average run outs at the three locations on the shaft and reveals that the run out at the flange is much more influencing of the total straightening time.  This led us to understand that the shaft adjacent to the flange necks up to a larger diameter and is therefore more difficult to straighten.  Upon going to the work station it was observed that the shafts were coming out of an in-line induction heat treat coil warped.  Further investigation showed that the shaft turned inside the coil and that some of the shafts turned as an eccentric.  This meant that one side of the shaft was always closest to the coil surface and the opposite side of the shaft was always farthest away from the coil surface.  The surface of the shaft closest to the coil heated at a rate faster than the surface farthest from the coil and a bow was therefore being created in the heat treat process.  This was then traced to how the center holes were drilled.  Once center holes were properly drilled the problem disappeared. The problem was corrected, safety buffers were reduced and most overtime was eliminated.

Case #2: A Defense Contractor required to submit an Earned Value Report each week to a Prime Contractor was consistently unable to do so during the beginning of the probationary period of the contract.  Analysis of the process revealed 26 consecutive steps with no concurrent work being performed.  Thus, if a mistake was made the process would have to start over.  It was also found that 69% of data entry errors were due to three errors that could be poka yoked (mistake proofed) by re-programming the entry screens.  The process was redesigned to produce results in table. Project saved direct costs over the first year and protected a $4,000,000 award bonus for perfect performance. Contractor controller calculated overall first-year savings at $695,200.

Conclusion

These two processes, while very different, were dramatically improved using the 6 Ϭ methodology and some of its tools.  It is highly unlikely that these improvements could have been made without this approach.

In our next blog, we will elaborate on the DMAIC process and discuss what Capable and Control means.  If a process is Capable and in Control, you will, by definition, get the outcome that the process was designed to produce.  Once we understand this we can discuss some of the tools that enable us to achieve this condition.

Top 10 Policies to Improve US Manufacturing Competitiveness

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Written by: Michele Nash-Hoff, CMTC Guest Blogger

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) recently released a  report titled, "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Competitiveness Woes Behind: A National Traded Sector Competitiveness Strategy," by Stephen Ezell and Robert Atkinson in which they stated, "A comprehensive strategy aimed at strengthening U.S. establishments competing in global markets is needed for the United States to boost short-term recovery and long-term prosperity..."

"The United States is increasingly isolated in its belief that countries don't compete with one another and that only firms compete" said ITIF Senior Analyst Stephen Ezell, co-author of the report. "Our traded sector establishments are up against competitors that are aided in countless ways by their governments. It's time to level the playing field."   

While the authors believe all 50 recommendations are needed, they believe the 10 most critical recommendations are:

1. Create a network of 25 "Engineering and Manufacturing Institutes" performing applied R&D across a range of advanced technologies.
2. Support the designation of at least 20 U.S. "manufacturing universities."
3. Increase funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).
4. Increase R&D tax credit generosity and make the R&D tax credit permanent.
5. Institute an investment tax credit on purchases of new capital equipment and software.
6. Develop a national trade strategy and increase funding for U.S. trade policymaking and enforcement agencies.
7. Fully fund a nationwide manufacturing skills standards initiative.
8. Expand high-skill immigration, particularly which focuses on the traded sector.
9. Transform Fannie Mae into an industrial bank.
10. Require the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to incorporate a "competitiveness screen" in its review of federal regulations.

The report, presents 50 federal-level policy recommendations to help restore U.S. traded sector competitiveness, along with 13 state-level recommendations. The recommendations are organized around federal policies regarding the "4Ts" of technology, tax, trade, and talent, as well as policies to increase access to capital, reform regulations, and better assess U.S. traded sector competitiveness.

A nation's traded sector includes industries such as manufacturing, software, engineering and design services, music, movies, video games, farming, and mining, which compete in international marketplaces and whose output is sold at least in part to nonresidents of the nation. They are the core engine of U.S. economic growth and face unique challenges.

Because these industries face competition in the global market that non-traded, local-serving industries (retail trade or personal services) do not, their success is riskier. "The health of U.S. traded sector enterprises in industries such as semiconductors, software, machine tools, or automobiles-all far more exposed to global competition than local-serving firms and industries-cannot be taken for granted."

Ezell and Atkinson corroborate what I have written previously ─ "every lost manufacturing job has meant the loss of an additional two to three jobs throughout the rest of the economy...”

The reasons why the authors emphasize the importance of manufacturing as a "traded sector" are:  

• It will be difficult for the U. S. to balance its foreign trade without a robust manufacturing sector because manufacturing accounts for 86 percent of U.S. goods exports and 60 percent of total U.S. exports.
• Manufacturing remains a key source of jobs that both pay well.
• Each manufacturing job supports as an average of 2.9 other jobs in the economy.
• The average wages in U.S. high technology are 86 percent higher than the average of other private sector wages.
• Manufacturing, R&D, and innovation go hand-in-hand.
• The manufacturing sector accounts for 72 percent of all private sector R&D spending.
• Manufacturing employs 63 percent of domestic scientists and engineers.
• U.S. manufacturing firms demonstrate almost three times the rate of innovation as U.S. services firms.
• Manufacturing is vital to U.S. national security and defense.  

They contend that "the engines of a nation's competitiveness are in fact not mom and pop small businesses, but rather firms in traded sectors, high-growth entrepreneurial companies, and U.S.-headquartered multinational corporations. Although such firms comprise far less than 1 percent of U.S. companies, they account for about 19 percent of private-sector jobs, 25 percent of private-sector wages, 48 percent of goods exports, and 74 percent of nonpublic R&D investment. And, since 1990, they have been responsible for 41 percent of the nation's increase in private labor productivity."

The report notes that "traded sector businesses improve the local economy in three ways:

1. Traded sector businesses bring money into a region by selling to people and businesses outside the region.
2. They help keep local money at home through import substitution, which occurs when local residents and businesses purchase locally produced products instead of importing goods and services.
3. They improve economic equity since "their productivity and market size tends to lead them to offer higher wage levels" and "jobs at traded sector companies help anchor a region's middle class employment base by providing stable, living wage jobs for residents."

Manufacturing is vital to U.S. competitiveness. I highly recommend reading all of this comprehensive, well-researched, well-documented report to be able to evaluate all of their recommendations and benefit from the details that are the basis for each recommendation.

Read more on Michele-Nash Hoff’s recommendations in her book.

Continuous Improvement: The 3 Key Elements of Six Sigma (Part 1)

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Written by: Jim Gilbert, CMTC Senior Consultant

This is the first in a series of postings about Six Sigma (6 Ϭ).  I have found that there is some misunderstanding generally regarding 6 Ϭ and so I will share my understandings and my reasons for them.

6 Ϭ is usually understood to refer to three distinct elements:

• 6 Ϭ is a Philosophy (Continuous Improvement)
• 6 Ϭ is a Toolkit of Statistical Tools that are applicable to variation in manufacturing and, it turns out, any process.
• 6 Ϭ is a Measure of Quality

Philosophy

Generally speaking there are two approaches to process improvement:

1. Radical Change:  A paradigm change where the process is completely redesigned.  Often new technologies are introduced that significantly change the labor percentage per unit produced and the equipment percentage per unit produced.
2. Small incremental changes where the process is gradually improved. 
   

Improvement, by definition, means that one or more of the following are improved:

• Safety
• Quality
• Cycle Time
• Workability of the Cell (Workplace)
• Cost

6 Ϭ supports the gradual incremental approach.  We will discuss later how the six sigma tools help us better understand the variation in processes and how they are used to develop strategies to reduce this variation.

Many readers will be familiar with the term Lean Manufacturing or the Toyota Production System.  Lean is “another” approach to improve processes.  I put the word another in quotations because I do not view Lean and 6 Ϭ as different.  My reason is the following:

In Lean there are seven traditional categories of waste:

• Overproduction
• Excess Inventory
• Over Processing
• Excess Motion
• Waiting
• Transportation
• Defects

Let’s focus on the waste of Defects.  Defects can be either Scrap or Rework.  If you think about it all a defect is is an item that contains excess variation.  On manufactured parts there are specifications with upper and lower limits that define a good part.  If a part is manufactured that does not fall within the specification range it is deemed to be a bad part.  It is either oversized or undersized.  Again, the part has too much variation to measure within the specification range.

6 Ϭ is a statistical toolkit that enables us to understand this variation and help us identify its root cause(s).  

Also, the only way to effectively solve a problem is to permanently eliminate its root cause(s). 

Therefore, I understand 6 Ϭ to be part of Lean Manufacturing since it is directly involved in reducing the Lean Manufacturing waste of defects.  Some will disagree and some take the position that 6 Ϭ is the overarching discipline and Lean is subordinate to it.  In the big picture I am not sure that it really matters.

If you know how to apply Lean Manufacturing, 6 Ϭ and Theory of Constraints appropriately and well, you should get the desired outcome.

Statistical Tools

Our next post will be dedicated to some of the underlying principles for the statistical tools and why we can reasonably use them to predict results or outcomes.  We will also identify specific tools and how they can be used.  One of the more well known statistical tools is Statistical Process Control, also known as (SPC). 

Measure of Quality

The term 6 Ϭ is also a measurement.  A random sample that has a measurement of its overall variation of 6 Ϭ is considered to be performing at a level of “Perfect Production.”  This is because Sigma (Ϭ) is a measure of variation and 6 Ϭ is equivalent to 3.4 defects out of one million opportunities.

The next blog post will summarize some 6 Ϭ projects and their benefits to aid the reader in deciding whether 6 Ϭ is worth learning more about.  If you have questions about Six Sigma, please contact me, Jim Gilbert, at gilbert@cmtc.com or 661-803-3015.

Manufacturers: This Is Your Day

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

This article, originally posted on NIST MEP's Manufacturing Innovation Blog and written by Roger Kilmer, highlights the benefits of Manufacturing Day which will be observed on October 5th, 2012

In the spirit of less talk, more results, Manufacturing Day has been launched and is being championed by dozens of organizations.  It will be celebrated on October 5^th with plant tours and open houses at as many manufacturers as possible across the country.

Why do we need a national day dedicated to manufacturing?  Studies by the nonprofit Manufacturing Institute and others show that almost 80% of Americans believe manufacturing is important to our economic prosperity, standard of living and national security. Yet only 30% would encourage their children to go into manufacturing as a career.  And, according to Ed Youdell, president and CEO of the Fabricators and Manufacturing Association (FMA), “October 5th is dedicated to celebrating the great work and innovation of the 12 million men and women who make the United States the world’s largest manufacturing economy.”

Now is our chance to do something collectively to make a difference for this industry.  High schools, colleges, local chambers of commerce, unions, trade associations, government entities, and manufacturers can work together to propel U.S. manufacturing to the next level.  Through individual open houses and plant tours that will take place in cities and towns across the nation, we can show the public what manufacturing really looks like.   We can do something to teach young people about interesting, challenging, well-paying jobs they could train for in manufacturing.   We can help provide a stream of good, qualified workers our manufacturers so desperately need and help keep more things “Made in America.”  We can do something to rally together in support of what has been, and what can always be, the driver of economic vitality and strength in the U.S.  Be a part of this effort and sign up by Labor Day to host an open house/plant tour for Manufacturing Day and tell your manufacturing contacts about this great opportunity too.

The following California manufacturers will be participating in Manufacturing Day.  Click on the company name for details on their facility tour:

Energy and Environmental Solutions Save You Money

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Written by: Carrie Pittman

A friend of mine who is an artisan in Venice, California manufactures hand blown glass decanters and vases for retail stores nationwide.  He just moved to a new facility and upgraded the electricity.  Still, the electric oven for heating glass would not maintain power consistently.  After three months of wasted time and energy, it was discovered that the oven's electrical cable was corroded. It turned out to be a simple, inexpensive fix that not only saved energy, but saved him thousands of dollars in a month's time.  

But in order to save, you need to know where the money is being spent.  An energy and recycling audit can help you identify cost effective ways to reduce energy usage and increase recycling.

• Improve Equipment Efficiency: Make smart decisions on how you use, schedule and maintain your facility's equipment to improve manufacturing productivity and reduce waste
• Increase Facility's Energy Efficiency: Realize significant cost and energy savings by replacing or improving the control of your facility's heating, air conditioning, compressed air and lighting systems
• Develop Sustained GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Emissions: Know and understand your carbon footprint.  This will allow your company to establish emission goals, improve energy efficiencies to meet future federal, state and competitive requirements along with consumer preferences.
• Product Design: Reduce life-cycle product cost and increase the ability to recycle products and materials.

Manufacturers also have an environmental challenge. Between rising energy costs and strict local, state and federal regulations, manufacturers are being asked to use more eco-friendly practices - all at a presumed high price. A common misconception is that meeting environmental requirements means sacrificing productivity and profitability. While environmentally sound practices are important to everyone, adhering to them doesn't have to burden your company by calling on already limited resources without profitable benefits. An effective environmental process can actually translate into financial gains:

• Reduction in operating costs
• Improved employee productivity and morale
• More efficient use of resources
• Safer working environment
• Enhanced competitiveness
• Increased sales
• Improved image and brand identity

The Southern California Energy Summit in Palm Springs on October 4 & 5, 2012 will feature two full days of educational sessions, panel discussions and an exhibit hall of cutting edge energy efficient and sustainable technologies.  Since California is the leading industrial state, ranking first for nearly every general manufacturing category, we can also lead the movement to "go green" and increase profitable growth to boot.

Boosting Exporting = Profitability and Growth

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

This article, originally posted on NIST MEP's Manufacturing Innovation Blog and written by  Terry Culp, discusses the ExporTech program. The ExporTech Program provides companies with a systematic process for entering or expanding into global markets. 

Manufacturers looking to grow sales in today’s business environment are finding that increasing their international export sales is the answer to growth and profitability. OK, that sounds great and we all want that to happen, but having been a manufacturer myself, we had our share of challenges with exporting. It took some time to develop a process that minimized costly mistakes along the way. In addition, I now realize our process wasn’t very efficient either. However, now that I have experienced ExporTech, I realize that does not have to be the case anymore.

We ran our first ExporTech 3 years ago and I was amazed at how quickly the program “cut to the chase” regarding export issues as they related to each company in the program. The learning curve for a company to get truly savvy in exporting their products was a fraction of what it would take to try to do it on their own. In addition, costly mistakes and inefficiencies are eliminated.

So how does that happen in ExporTech? The program is brilliantly simple and takes 3 full days in about 2.5 months to develop a company export plan that can be implemented immediately. We bring in the true experts in export at a local, state and national level to focus on a company’s specific needs and objectives. The experts help the company put together the export guidelines that pertain specifically to them. Consequently, it’s cost effective and efficient. In addition, companies get to really know the experts for current and future export help.

For those companies that implement their new export plan right away they typically see 20-30% increase in export sales within 6 months! Continued export efforts mean even greater success. We have helped 18 companies to date, and I invite you to read about the export success of one of our clients, Axis International. Through NVIE’s ExporTech program, Axis is now poised for profitable growth with a plan to expedite sales to the global market.

Register for ExporTech to jump start growth and profitability for your company through exporting.  To learn more about the benefits of exporting, contact CMTC Export Advisor, Elizabeth Glynn eglynn@cmtc.com or 310-984-0728.

QSC Audio Products: Growth Through Strategic Innovation

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Innovation is increasingly important for California’s manufacturers whose main goal is to create profitable growth. When a manufacturer’s products or services are unique and meaningful, opportunities for profitability increase as well.

One of CMTC’s clients, QSC Audio Products, has focused on innovation within their organization’s strategic plan. QSC Audio Products is a globally recognized leader in the professional audio industry. The company has been in business for over 40 years, and their facility houses the manufacturing, warehousing, engineering, technical services and sales processes of the company.

QSC Audio Products has evolved over the years to meet their customers’ demands and technological advancements. The company’s biggest challenge while focusing on innovation was that they found it difficult to integrate the processes between their various departments. Their inventory was out of sync with sales demands, causing some inventory control of products. QSC Audio Products was in need of a more strategic and organizational plan to improve their efficiencies.

In November 2010, QSC Audio Products met with CMTC consultants each week. CMTC worked with the company in creating and implementing an operations improvement program. The goal of the program was to develop cohesiveness between departments and improve operations.

The Department Managers and CMTC would select an area to review each week, discuss specific challenges and how it impacted each department. Inefficiencies were identified and CMTC worked with the team to implement new procedures.  As a result, the organization worked to eliminate any issues with inventory.  This allowed QSC Audio Products to better serve the needs of its customers.  CMTC returned for sustainment visits in order to maintain the momentum gained from the program.  The process concluded in March, 2011.

The result of QSC Audio Products’ work with CMTC was $2.4 Million in retained sales. They also created one job and retained one job. The organization was able to sustain its innovative product lines and continue their growth trend.

Innovation in business is vital for diversification within the industry. However, having a strategic plan for innovation is important, so that your company can ensure a successful recipe for growth. To request assistance in your strategic growth initiatives, click here to request a consultation.

Manufacturing Day is October 5th - 5 Reasons You Should Participate

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

To highlight the importance of manufacturing to the nation's economy and draw attention to the many rewarding high-skill jobs available in manufacturing fields, a group of public and private organizations announced the launch of Manufacturing Day for October 5, 2012.

CMTC would like to invite manufacturers to hold open houses, public tours, career workshops and other events on October 5^th to introduce as many people as possible to the important role played by manufacturing both in local communities and for the nation. The grassroots events will also introduce manufacturers to business improvement resources and services delivered through the MEP's network of more than 400 affiliated centers across the country.

5 Reasons You Should Participate in Manufacturing Day:

• Support state and national economies which are rooted in the manufacturing industry
• Inspire younger generations - our workforce of tomorrow - to consider a career in the manufacturing industry where jobs pay 25-50 percent more than jobs in the non-manufacturing sector
• Increase product awareness and visibility for your company
• Discover valuable resources and services through the MEP - the U.S. Commerce Department's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership network
• Secure the future of our country by driving innovation and employment through advancing manufacturing, a vital sector to our nation's economy

Studies by the non-profit Manufacturing Institute and others show that almost 80 percent of Americans believe manufacturing is important to our economic prosperity, standard of living and national security. Yet only 30 percent would encourage their children to go into manufacturing as a career.

With the gap growing each year between the skills students learn in school and those they will need on the job, it is increasingly difficult for manufacturers to find and hire qualified employees. By promoting Manufacturing Day, manufacturing associations and other organizations led by NIST MEP centers and the FMA said they want to remove some of the myths surrounding manufacturing. For example, manufacturing is a solid, long-term career choice for qualified candidates—including the young people who will form the workforce of tomorrow, and it is a vital part of our economy.

To participate in Manufacturing Day, log on to http://www.mfgday.com/ or call 888-394-4362. Organizations that wish to become involved as official sponsors of this program should call 888-394-4362 or email info@mfgday.com.

About NIST MEP
Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) is a public/private partnership that works with small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers to help them create and retain jobs, increase profits, save time and money, develop new customers, and expand into new markets. Founded in 1988, the nationwide network provides a variety of services, from innovation strategies to process improvements to green manufacturing. MEP field staff includes more than 1,400 technical experts located in every state. For every dollar of federal investment, the MEP generates around $30 in new sales growth ($3.6 billion in new sales annually). For every $1,570 of federal investment, MEP creates or retains one manufacturing job. Visit www.nist.gov/mep or call 1-800-MEP-4MFG for more information.

Use Innovation for Profitable Growth

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

By Dr. Virginia Green, Manager, Innovation for Profitability & Growth

Innovation seems to be the new buzz word in manufacturing and business. But what is innovation? It can be defined a number of ways, but to put it simply, it is a process used to create opportunities for growth. However,  before innovation can occur, a company must be ready to change and “confront reality” as to where they are in the company’s business lifecycle. In recent years, due to the economic downturn, companies have been cost cutting, and yet, many companies are still in decline, and their survival is at stake! These are the companies that need to restart innovation and begin to grow.  

So how do you get started on an innovation journey? One answer is CMTC, where we partner with your company to create solutions. CMTC is the leader in providing manufacturers with a proven innovation system for profitable growth.  

 Here’s a brief overview of how CMTC works with manufacturers once they have made the commitment to innovate and grow. CMTC will:  

• Provide a System that Increases Innovation Speed & Decreases Risk - This is accomplished through teaching and installing a reliable system for how organizations create, communicate, and commercialize meaningfully unique ideas.

• Help Develop a Quantified Pipeline of Innovations - Organizations develop a quantified pipeline of innovations starting with the acceleration of existing ideas and moving to the definition and discovery of new ideas that address very important problems and opportunities.

• Assist in the Transformation of Cultural Attitudes about Innovation - Participating organizations see a transformation of employees’ cultural attitudes, acceptance and proactive involvement with innovation.  Every employee, every week, is thinking of ideas to help the company work smarter towards real profitable growth.

WHY NOW?
Today, there is a system that increases innovation speed while decreasing risk.    

WHY YOU?
The world is changing and you need to be changing faster than the marketplace if you want to stay ahead of the curve.  Your company’s readiness to innovate and move towards a path of profitable growth begins with your answers to the following questions:  

1. What has been the revenue trend of your company over the past three years?

2. In your opinion, where does your company fall on the “Confront Reality Chart?

3. What new services or products have you introduced in the past three years?

4. What percentage of your sales today are from services and products you didn't offer three years ago?

5. Do you think your profit margin is higher or lower than your competition?

6. What is the number of full-time employees you have now as compared to three years ago?

7. What is your strategy for business growth?

8. Do you have a process of developing innovations?

9. How long does it take you to deliver new innovations?

10. Would you buy your company if it was on the market today? How much would you pay for it?

To find out how your company’s readiness is and start on your path to innovation and growth, contact Virginia Green at 310-263-3060 or visit our Innovation Page.