Comments on: For once, the New York Times gets it right http://www.manufacturethis.org/2008/05/09/for-once-the-new-york-times-gets-it-right/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:46:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Joanne Rainey http://www.manufacturethis.org/2008/05/09/for-once-the-new-york-times-gets-it-right/#comment-27780 Joanne Rainey Mon, 19 May 2008 19:27:34 +0000 http://www.manufacturethis.org/2008/05/09/for-once-the-new-york-times-gets-it-right/#comment-27780 The World is Flat, and American Manufacturing is Falling off the Edge. I am a Supply Chain consultant for small to mid-sized manufacturing companies. I used to be a Sr. Commodity Manager for a Fortune 100 company, and 6 years ago I left as I saw the writing on the wall for global outsourcing to low cost countries. I wanted to be a part of keeping manufacturing in American, not moving it out. I wanted to help the small to mid-sized companies improve their supply chain and production operations so they would be better able to compete against outsourcing by being more efficient. And they had room for lots of improvement; I saw it every day managing these suppliers. Surprise, no one seemed to care! Many companies thought they were doing a good enough job even though their technology and processes resembled something from the 1970’s. God helps those who help themselves, but I guess we forgot that and now everyone wants the government to step in and protect their right to do business the same way they have been doing it for the past 30 years. Forget investing in continuous process improvement, forget improving and educating their labor resource skills, and forget capitalism allowing for survival of the fittest. That all costs money, time, and effort! And worst of all, that requires CHANGE! If the government protects our way of doing business without forcing drastic and immediate change, it will be the kiss of death for our manufacturing. Not only will WE not be able to afford our Made in the USA products, neither will the rest of the world. If our companies are not eager and willing to change, they will not be here anymore, and they don't deserve to be. We have the best workforce in the world, but we feel entitled and have given up the passion behind why we do business. If you are a manufacturing company, and you do not have a working ERP system, Lean Manufacturing processes, skilled supply chain and production operations employees, and either a partner or a sister division in Mexico, Asia, or the Eastern Block to give you a global footprint, you will die. These are hard words, but it is time hard times. There is no more time left. And I don’t see anyone talking about our own accountability and what we need to do to step up to the plate. I know this is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is an important piece. The first presidential candidate that stops talking about “protecting” American manufacturing jobs and starts talking about using our tax dollars to subsidize the improvement of American companies through technology and education is getting my vote, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican. In the meantime, in the words of Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat): Change or die. If you don’t know how, get help now. How you did business yesterday will not keep you in business tomorrow. We cannot (and should not) subsidize your inefficiencies. It is time to stand up and fight back, not by knocking down what others are doing better than us but by improving ourselves. Who’s up for the challenge? The Supply Chain Gal The World is Flat, and American Manufacturing is Falling off the Edge.

I am a Supply Chain consultant for small to mid-sized manufacturing companies. I used to be a Sr. Commodity Manager for a Fortune 100 company, and 6 years ago I left as I saw the writing on the wall for global outsourcing to low cost countries. I wanted to be a part of keeping manufacturing in American, not moving it out. I wanted to help the small to mid-sized companies improve their supply chain and production operations so they would be better able to compete against outsourcing by being more efficient. And they had room for lots of improvement; I saw it every day managing these suppliers.

Surprise, no one seemed to care! Many companies thought they were doing a good enough job even though their technology and processes resembled something from the 1970’s. God helps those who help themselves, but I guess we forgot that and now everyone wants the government to step in and protect their right to do business the same way they have been doing it for the past 30 years. Forget investing in continuous process improvement, forget improving and educating their labor resource skills, and forget capitalism allowing for survival of the fittest. That all costs money, time, and effort! And worst of all, that requires CHANGE! If the government protects our way of doing business without forcing drastic and immediate change, it will be the kiss of death for our manufacturing. Not only will WE not be able to afford our Made in the USA products, neither will the rest of the world.

If our companies are not eager and willing to change, they will not be here anymore, and they don’t deserve to be. We have the best workforce in the world, but we feel entitled and have given up the passion behind why we do business. If you are a manufacturing company, and you do not have a working ERP system, Lean Manufacturing processes, skilled supply chain and production operations employees, and either a partner or a sister division in Mexico, Asia, or the Eastern Block to give you a global footprint, you will die. These are hard words, but it is time hard times. There is no more time left. And I don’t see anyone talking about our own accountability and what we need to do to step up to the plate.

I know this is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is an important piece. The first presidential candidate that stops talking about “protecting” American manufacturing jobs and starts talking about using our tax dollars to subsidize the improvement of American companies through technology and education is getting my vote, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican.

In the meantime, in the words of Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat): Change or die. If you don’t know how, get help now. How you did business yesterday will not keep you in business tomorrow. We cannot (and should not) subsidize your inefficiencies. It is time to stand up and fight back, not by knocking down what others are doing better than us but by improving ourselves. Who’s up for the challenge?
The Supply Chain Gal

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