MFGx Blog

How NOT To Blog

aj — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:36:20 GMT

I recently wrote about why manufacturers (and businesses, for the most part) don't blog.

I stumbled on and article this morning titled "12 Common Blogging Mistakes To Avoid" that gives some pretty good advice on do's and don'ts for the beginning bloggist.

Of course, that's you - if you want to be. Just register on MFGx, and you get your own blog for the manufacturing world to see.

The list of 12 mistakes deserves a read. Here are the titles of each item (with my comments in parenthesis):

Thinking (more) people will actually read (a) post [they won't)
Using full paragraph format (be brief)
Not using or numbering lists (see previous)
Trying to sell something in a blog post (the more commercial you are, the less credibility you earn)
Not including facts (support your findings)
Using improper titles (don't get cute - say what it's about)
Writing for pHds (keep it simple, when you can ... tough for manufacturers sometimes - it's the nature of the beast)
Making the post too long (again, be brief)
Repackaging existing information (and be sure to give proper credit)
No use of headings and subheadings
Highlight or bold important terms and concepts (helps readers scan - perfect for the Web)
Not using supporting images (a picture's worth a 1000 posts)

One other point from me: find your own voice. Following these nuggets of advice can get you started blogging on the right foot.

Why Don't You Blog?

aj — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:11:37 GMT

I found an interesting blog post this morning about the Common Excuses Companies Use For Not Having a Blog. It presents 4 of the most commonly heard excuses and some arguments in favor of companies blogging to their customer base.

The author, David Wallace, had discovered results from a survey conducted by Burson-Marsteller that found less than 15% of Fortune 500 companies communicate with customers via blogs.

The excuses David has heard from companies?

We Cannot Afford To Install a Blog
We Have Nothing To Say
We Have No One To Write For Us
We Are Afraid!

Both the survey and David conclude that there should be more. They're right.

And the survey found that the smaller the company, the less likely it is to blog. From the survey analysis:

Larger companies tend to control blogs in greater numbers than their smaller counterparts, according to the Burson study. Nearly one-third (32%) of the Fortune 50 maintain blogs, while 16% of the Fortune 201 through 250 have blogs. Only 2% of the Fortune 451 to 500 maintain blogs.

And here's what I know - in manufacturing, it's much worse. I'd venture to say that among manufacturing SMBs, you're about as likely to find a blog as oil for 19 Euros a barrel.

Blogs can be a brilliant channel for inspiration, to influence a company's strategies and products by drawing insight from its customers and prospects. But manufacturers don't see it, and I think there is one main reason why:

Manufacturers Aren't Communicators - It's not that manufacturers have nothing to say, it's that you're not often very good at saying it. It's just not how you're wired. It's the rarest of breeds that has great writing chops and strong programming, machining, or engineering skills. It's nothing to be ashamed of - it's just as unlikely that a marketing executive can program and run a Hardinge.

The answer? Practice. Writing a blog doesn't have to be long-winded - it can be brief. It doesn't have to be written to every day - just regularly. It should portray your organization as competent and allow for your prospects and customers to talk back to you.

All members of MFGx get a blog. It's free. Try it. Get your hands dirty. Have a little fun.

Who knows? This whole Internet thing just might take off.

Do Manufacturers Truly Understand Brand Development?

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:56:44 GMT

This is the title of a really good forum post on MFGx, and it's a great question that deserves to be debated.

In my opinion, the question posed is valid, because the vast majority of manufacturers don't understand branding at all. Marketing and promotion are "black arts" to manufacturers as much as feed rates, multi-axis machining techniques, and cellular manufacturing are to "marketers."

From my experience, the causes are easy to understand but complex to solve:

Branding by and to manufacturers is different - The elements of "branding" that are most obvious in our culture (logos, slogans, etc.) resonate really well with the consumer in us, but they don't work well to solicit strong behavioral response from manufacturers with precise, explicit, tangible needs. I mean, think about it: "Looking for high-tolerance, complex geometrical product solutions with the most exotic materials for advanced weapon or aerospace applications? Well, we're the bomb!"
There are few examples to follow - Consumer Marketing has become so prevalent, that that's all we see and have to use as examples. Manufacturer's Web sites often go for the shallow, and ignore the detail that most buyers of their services are looking for.

But maybe you think I'm all wet, or worse. Jump in this discussion. Defend yourselves. Share your thoughts.

So, what do you think? Do manufacturers truly understand brand development?

After-Season Sales Opportunities For Manufacturers

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:50:21 GMT

MFGx offers manufacturers the chance to Buy & Sell equipment, tools, materials and more. Whether you're looking to clear out that shop floor or looking to pick up a great deal, you can post or browse MFGx anytime throughout the New Year.

Check out the following categories:

MFGx Forums

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:35:36 GMT

It's been said that "It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it." ~~+Joseph Joubert, French moralist and essayist+~~

You'll find some lively, stimulating exchanges in the forums on MFGx. To wit, these offerings for your participation:

Open Source Everything? – Open source is more than a fad; it's more liked a movement, comparable to outsourcing on steroids. But, as everything shouldn't be outsourced neither is everything benefited by an "open source" model which allows a community to create or improve a product, process or concept. What are your thoughts, and how might "crowdsourcing" impact manufacturing in the future? Might is disrupt supply chains and the services they serve OEMs and buyers through? Jump in the pool and weigh in with your two cents.
What's Up With The Automotive Industry? – The question is posed: is the US automotive industry moving toward a less influential position of influence in our (and the global) economy? Has it become so myopic and staid that other sectors – like aerospace and medical – are poised to supplant automotive as the driving force of manufacturing innovation and commerce? That's a good question – share your insight and experience.

For more, visit the MFGx Forums Home and share your thoughts.

Online Tool To Rank Your Site?

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:02:07 GMT

File this under Friday fun time:

Want to see where your site ranks on the search engines? Get a sense of how many backlinks there are to your site? Then you need to visit:

Xinu Returns

Just plug in your URL (or any URL) and you're on your way.

Couple of drawbacks: It's a Spanish site, so checking your indexed pages on Google takes you to google.es (it's easy to switch, but still ...) and some of the search engines register only sporadically.

But Xinu does a cool job of validating coding on your site, and it actually grades your URL and title, keywords, and description code for effectiveness.

Nothing's perfect, but this is a great idea, fairly well executed.

Shout Out: Thanks to Peter08, an MFGx community daddy-o, for the tip.

MFGx Forums Updated

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:09:52 GMT

The MFGx Forums platform has been updated and improved. You'll find topics covering Manufacturing, Design, Sourcing and more. Check 'em out, ask or answer a question, and give us some feedback.

Getting More Than You Bargained For

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:43:48 GMT

Think about the best customer you have, or have ever had. How did that relationship start? Did you both hit the ground running, full bore and all-out, from the beginning?

Perhaps you did, but the odds are that the relationship started slowly. Maybe it was a small order or a long vetting cycle, but it probably grew from some point less than what it became.

Now, think about how you've found your best customers or your best suppliers - have you ever found one by accident? Have YOU ever been found by accident?

It happens all the time, especially on the Internet: you're looking for one thing and - Wham! - you find something unexpected, or that turns out to be better than you'd imagined.

Check out this forum post on MFGx titled, " Accidental Sourcing." "Peter08" posted it yesterday, and in it he describes how he recently discovered a new supplier totally by accident and asks if you've had the same experience.

Join in the discussion, and share your own experiences. After all, someone may find YOU from your answer.

China Discussed In The MFGx Forums

aj — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:07:06 GMT

There's a great discussion going on in the MFGx Forums. The topic is "China - the good, the bad, and the ugly."

The main push of this thread is China's position as a trade partner and supply base for manufacturing. Every conceivable opinion about it is presented by the MFGx community - protectionist, global Laissez-faire, and everything in-between.

Do you have a take? Then come on in and drop a line or two. Challenge a position. Lend your voice to this important conversation.

The Future's So Bright: RoboJackets

aj — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:48:29 GMT

Here in Georgia (that's the U.S. state, not the Eurasian country), there's an extraordinarily talented group of students, faculty and alumni at Georgia Tech University (GT) that should warm the collective hearts of manufacturers everywhere.

They're the Robojackets, dawg.

They're the future, they're going global, and they want you to know about it.

The Robojackets (a play on the name of GT's mascot, the Yellowjackets) are a collective that:

"... aims to enhance the understanding of the field of robotics and its applications in depth of knowledge as well as to increase of the number of students exposed to it. We plan to carry out our mission through projects that correspond to the organization's tenets of promotion, education and advancement."

They participate in robotics-focused competitions all over the U.S. - including BattleBots events. This summer, they'll be competing in the 2008 RoboCup World Event in Suzhou, China.

These are talented, motivated, passionate manufacturers. They are translating goals and requirements into tangible results through technology, intuition and creativity. And they have to be resourceful to pull all this off, without a lot of resources.

If you worry about the future of manufacturing - the lack of qualified talent, the diminishing manufacturing capability coming from our schools and our culture these days - then pay the Robojackets a visit. Give them some encouragement. Maybe offer them some support.

I'm not sure how they'll fair in the upcoming competitions - there are quite a few in the coming months. But I have a pretty good idea what you'll call a Robojacket after graduation:

"Sir."

NOTE: Do you know of other remarkable groups that will shape the future of manufacturing or are just downright inspiring? Drop me a line and let me know: aj at mfgx dot com.

Inspiration, In Miniature

aj — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:09:07 GMT

It's hardly a new concept - reducing a population or market or workforce or demographic to an easier-to-digest number. We've seen it in school, in business and our personal lives - complex collections simplified to measure results and conditions.

Miniature Earth isn't new, either. Born from a text published in 1990 by Donella Meadows, it is a "presentation" with a simple but powerful message:

Reduce the population of the Earth to a community of 100 people to understand our differences, our shared experiences, our challenges, and our place in it.

The economy. Shifting manufacturing bases. Contracting customer bases. Change.

The cost of everything, and the value of nothing.

Too often, we get wrapped up in our own condition. We take things for granted and don't count our blessings. We lose sight of where we are, the opportunities and the possibilities.

Stop what you're doing. Right now. Take a moment to watch the Miniature Earth presentation here.

Be hopeful. Enjoy your weekend, and your life.

Shop Rats, Unite

aj — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:21:54 GMT

Is it a club? Is it a fraternity? Is it a gang? An educational foundation? A philanthropic group?

Yes to all of them, and more.

The Shop Rat Foundation is just a great idea. Founded and operating in South Central Michigan (U.S.), this outfit is committed to developing and serving manufacturers, young and old alike. Their stated purpose?

Shop Rat Associates is a multi-faceted group of companies designed to promote the skilled trade profession and offers a wide variety of programs that bring honor and respect to Shop Rats. In conjunction with the Shop Rat foundation Shop Rat Associates seeks to support educational opportunities for current and future Shop Rats that enhance the skills and creative thinking of Shop Rats throughout America. It is the mission of Shop Rat Associates to offer its members programs that salute the American worker and provide opportunities for them to network with each other. Shop Rat Associates will work to unite the Shop Rats of America as one unified voice that brings unique opportunities and recognition to the Skilled Trades profession.

The Shop Rat Web site has a lot to offer - visit, and learn how to organize in support of manufacturing in your area.

Underdogs Going For The Green, Automotive X PRIZE

aj — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:14:37 GMT

We love underdogs, don't we? And when the underdogs are manufacturers facing (and staring down) great odds, it just makes them all the more appealing.

Back to this in a minute ...

For those of you unfamiliar with the X PRIZE Foundation, it's an organization committed to rewarding technologists and engineers with cash ($10-million U.S.) for solving difficult challenges. An X PRIZE was awarded for space flight back in 2004. There are currently X PRIZE initiatives in place for putting a rover on the moon, genome sequencing and building a "green" car.

The Automotive X PRIZE (AXP) is committed to helping solve what its Web site calls "the most severe global crises of our time: oil dependence and climate change." The AXP $10-million will go to the team that builds a car that gets 100 MPG and wins a race against the other entrants.

Which brings me back to underdogs - or, at least MY favorite underdog of the moment: Illuminati Motor Works.

These 6 guys in the photo make up Illuminati Motor Works. They work out of Kevin Smith's garage in Illinois. They forage for parts from junkyards. They've rolled up their shirtsleeves and entered the fray, against teams that are often better funded, with more resources and more people. The guys from Illuminati are formidable technologists that are using their intelligence, creativity and moxie to compete.

They are Everyman(ufacturer).

Illuminati is on the list to compete, accepted into the first round and ready to roll. There's a long road ahead, and they need support.

Take a minute and visit their site. Drop them a line. Donate a few bucks.

Give these underdogs a fighting chance. We need more - much more - of this kind of competitiveness and drive.

Will "Procial Networks" For Manufacturers Emerge, Mature In 2008?

aj — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:04:54 GMT

"Procial Networks" is a phrase that plays off "social networks" - think Facebook or MySpace, only designed and maintained to support "professionals" instead of the broad masses, singles or college kids.

I'd hoped to be the first off the line to coin the phrase "procial," but I gots to give props to YS Librarian for being the first to use it - at least that I could find. Fair is fair, right?

Hey, at least I got the silver.

How Procial Networks play out for manufacturers is much more complex than a catchy phrase suggests. With apologies to Facebook, manufacturers don't react well to being "poked." While many elements of social networks could absolutely benefit manufacturers (more on that in a minute), they need more sophisticated tools, platforms and communicative structures to interact in support of their primary function in life - to design and make things.

The big boys already have substantial skin in the Procial Network game, and they've seen tangible, lucrative results - Eli Lilly, IBM, and Proctor & Gamble are among the most noteworthy (see links below for more). These models (and others) offer excellent examples of community building and "crowd sourcing" online, and they point the way for others. But the Procial Networks they've developed are primarily focused on their specific businesses strategies (as Intranets, Extranets, or channels targeted to finite engineering or expert demographics).

I'm certainly not faulting these cats for making dough for themselves and their shareholders, but it seems to me that these examples ignore a fundamental strength that more open Procial Networks could bring to the party: networking.

We're all learning, living and functioning in a global urn of burnin', supply- and value-chain funk these days. Shouldn't the point of Procial Networks - at least some of them - be to support the engagement of designers, engineers and manufacturers across national, corporate and technical borders and oceans? Shouldn't Procial Networks empower them to create collaborative clusters with the best they can find, regardless of where or what they are? Aren't these the qualities that have launched MySpace and Facebook into the stratosphere?

What seems to be missing here so far is something many manufacturers rarely encounter or value: the element of discovery. There is immeasurable value finding something or someone tangible and useful and inspirational, but unexpected. To date, most of these Procial Network models for manufacturers only allow for one-way discovery: to serve the enterprise. Procial Networks that are open, that allow for free-flowing information and confluence between manufacturers to collaborate and network, is a solution to many as yet undiscovered problems.

Imagine the creativity open manufacturing Procial Networks would unleash.

MFGx Note: If you're interested to learn more about some of the examples cited above and more, check out these books:

Wikinomics

We Are Smarter Than Me

We're All In This Together

aj — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:34:18 GMT

As a manufacturer today, change is coming at you from two directions.

You're dealing with dramatic changes that affect your business every day - constricting/accelerated business and product life cycles, globally expanding competition, rising costs to run your business, and the availability of cheap(er) technology. Where you were once specialized, you're now finding yourself commoditized. To compete - and survive - means adopting new technologies and moving into new markets.
To effectively compete, you're expected to keep up with it all and do things you were never cut out for: you're expected to market, communicate, enunciate and sell in consumer-like, commoditized markets much different than those you learned the business in.

What's to blame? Proximity to information. You, your customers, your prospects, and the supply chains to which you belong all have high-velocity access to vast amounts of info. And that accelerates all of us in manufacturing through research, buying and collaboration cycles at greater and greater rates. It creates competitive forces for you quickly and unexpectedly. And it has created expectations in the minds of your current and potential customers:

"Tell me what I want to know and do it now or I'm moving on to the next guy."

MFGx is here to help with your transition to a higher manufacturing plateau, and help you traverse the new research and purchasing cycles that the Internet has created.

MFGx will help you translate the blather into simple concepts that you can use to work better with your customers. MFGx will help you connect and collaborate with the global manufacturing community - to develop new relationships, new ideas and new strategies for your business. In ways that make sense of these changing dynamics, on your terms.

We're responding to the same forces of change that you are. In the coming months, as MFGx expands, get involved here. The MFGx community is about dialogue, not monologue, - you have a say in what we do and where we go. Give us a shout, anytime.