January: Prescription For Survival: Managing Healthy and Health-Conscious Companies
As healthcare costs continue to spiral out of control, many manufacturers (particularly in the automotive industry) have found their competitive edge greatly threatened. It's not just a matter of adhering to OSHA safety standards -- companies today are discovering that their economic viability relies on the health of their employees. This article looks at how progressive manufacturing companies are protecting their most valuable resources -- their employees -- while reaping the rewards of a healthier workplace.
February: The IP (Intellectual Property) Wars
In this article, IW looks at how manufacturers are coping with the theft of their very livelihood -- their intellectual property. The costs of protecting their IP assets, as well as the threatened loss of market share to the black and gray markets overseas, are threatening the vitality of many U.S. manufacturers. This article offers guidance in how to stay competitive and win the IP wars.
Product recalls continue to put companies under a cloud of suspicion at best or, at worst, out of business. IW examines the state of quality in U.S. manufacturing and presents case studies and advice on how to keep quality a top priority.
August: Raw
Materials
Escalating prices for metals, resins and other
raw materials have manufacturers redesigning
products to
replace high-priced materials with lower-priced
alternatives. In addition, some companies are
rethinking
their purchasing strategies by collaborating
more closely with their suppliers. This article
examines how
several large consumers of raw materials are
coping with rising costs.
September: Diversity in the Workplace
A generation ago, IndustryWeek tackled the issue of how much progress manufacturing companies were making in hiring minority managers. In this report, IW re-examines the current state of affairs within manufacturers both large and small in their hiring and promotion of minorities, women, the over-50 crowd, and also explores what steps are being made to make manufacturing more attractive to young people to ensure there will be a next generation of management talent.
October: Election 2008
IW examines what this year's U.S. Presidential election means for manufacturers and presents each major parties' candidates' positions on issues vital to manufacturing -- in their own words.
