Providing Systems and Solutions to help  Vermont Manufacturers  Innovate, Plan, Perform and Grow
____________________________________________

VMEC E-NEWS BRIEFS - ISSUE 27 - JUNE 2017

BUSINESS OWNER/ CEO CORNER 

Cyber security Requirements Looming for Manufacturers with U.S. Dept. of Defense (DoD) Contracts   By  December 31, 2017 ,  manufacturers holding contracts with DoD and process Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) must be compliant with defined cyber security requirements or they risk losing their business.   Read how we can help!

Meet Jon Bates, VMEC's newest Staff Member  VMEC adds Professional Manufacturing and Business Growth Advisor to its team! 

34th annual VT Corporate Cup Challenge T his annual event is geared to promote physical fitness within the workplace and at home by bringing employees together to enjoy and experience the benefits of fitness. 

(L to R: VMEC's Karl Swanke, Lisa Henderson, Patricia Giavara participate in this year's Challenge, May 11; photo taken on Statehouse lawn, VT state capitol building, Montpelier)

INNOVATION, GROWTH and  TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION 

Fail Fast, Fail Cheap in practice at large VT manufacturer Vermont and VMEC boast we have ten new certified Innovation Engineering Blue Belts in the Green Mtn. State.  Read below how an Engineering and Maintenance Manager of one of the largest private employers in the state applied the Innovation Engineering mindset at his organization....
"A key piece of learning from the Innovation Engineering Quick Start course is "try stuff out"! Try conceptual or functional prototypes - get input, see how they work. Our team can be reluctant to try things that might not pan out the first time (fear of failure?).  I've been challenging them to list the minimum set of preconditions that must be met before trying something - these get distilled quickly into a short list of items that protect health, safety, and the environment. A project that I'm working on had been scheduled to run the first functional prototypes in July; the team has worked out a plan to complete the run by May 15 instead.  It took a fresh challenge "let's think of ideas to do this in three weeks instead of 12" and create sessions using stimulus and diversity to work things out, but we're now on track to do it 9 weeks earlier than originally planned."     
Congratulations to the newly certified Innovation Engineering Blue Belts! If you're interested in learning more about what VMEC can do for you and your team in getting Innovation started in your organization, see this link here or contact Patricia Giavara at [email protected] or (802) 279-6103 or Lisa Henderson at [email protected] or (802) 299-1456. 

Survey Results - What is the biggest problem you face RIGHT NOW?  Bottom Line - ALIGNMENT - SYSTEMS - COOPERATION are the root causes of most stress and frustration in the workplace.  Learn more about this survey of Vermont business leaders. 

Casting a Wide Innovation Net For companies in industries undergoing technology-driven evolution or disruption, innovation analytics can provide a critical means of staying abreast of changes and determining which new technologies to apply to their own innovation efforts.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE and CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 

How is your MFG DAY/ MONTH planning going?   Don't wait until the last minute  to plan your organization's open house for this important national event.  Several VT companies have participated in past year's MFG DAY events... why not you and why not NOW?  We can help and the earlier the better in the planning phase will make your day, week, month go that much smoother.  If you're curious about what your options are for hosting an event, how to get people to your event or how you can make MFG DAY work for your company, check out this recent "How to Host" webinar  pdf   of the presentation and audio files.   Also, the MFG DAY site is an excellent resource for hosts; see a recent blog post here on how to get started. Questions?  Please contact 2017 National Manufacturing Day at this link or Robynn Albert, VMEC Marketing and Training Manager, (802) 793-2078 or [email protected]. 

Four More Marketing Action Items for Manufacturers Find out how to leverage your marketing efforts to their fullest potential! 
WORKFORCE STRATEGIES and TALENT DEVELOPMENT 

Upcoming Training   Highlights include: 
  • Lean Measures and Decision Making (aka Accounting for Lean)  Only a few seats remain for this training...register soon!  July 20 & 21, Colchester. This workshop is designed for manufacturing leaders AND their financial counterparts to encourage a greater level of alignment between Lean operations and accounting. 
4 Carrot Sticks to Help Attract Millennials to Manufacturing Jobs  Read what the next generation needs from the current workforce and how these tips  might help bridge the gap and bring millennials to your factory floor.

RESOURCES for VERMONT MANUFACTURERS 

Vermont Consumer Assistance Program  Vermont's Attorney General TJ Donovan has launched a new initiative to help small businesses understand and comply with Vermont law, solve problems and connect to resources and navigate State government. 

Wire Fraud Read how you can stop wire transfer fraud in its tracks. 

Export Management Compliance Program (EMCP)  - June 20, South Burlington  Anyone involved with exports, sales, customer service - this is for YOU!  This program will give you the tools to create your own EMCP.

Women's Economic Opportunity Conference  - September 16, Randolph Center  Hundreds of women from around Vermont will gather at this 21st anniversary of Senator Leahy's Women's Economic Opportunity Conference. 

Manufactured in Vermont - September 27, Essex Junction  Don't miss the opportunity to exhibit and attend the 2017 Manufactured in Vermont trade show, focused on advanced manufacturing. This B2B Supply Chain Conference and Trade Show is geared for manufacturers, OEMs and sub-contractors for contacts and to develop business opportunities.