Every manufacturer has tried to get better. Many have set goals to be great. Some even aim for world class. Iowa manufacturers have employed a variety of tools to get there: Lean, Six Sigma, ISO 9001, Total Quality Management, and countless others. But how do you know if you are "there"? What is great? What is world class? Here are three ways to measure yourself against the best in the nation and potentially get global recognition for your achievements:
Year: 2017
‘MFG Day’ Means Iowans Learning about Manufacturing
Thanks to CIRAS and its partners, more than 8,000 Iowans ended October with a greater appreciation for the people who make a living making things.
CIRAS Service Spotlight: SWOT
It sounds so basic: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. SWOT. We've all heard it before, but few of us stop to take the time to do this critical first-step of strategic planning correctly.
CIRAS Resource Highlight: Small Business Development Centers
There are a vast number of resources available to Iowa businesses. One of the roles of CIRAS is to help companies connect with the right one of those resources at the right time. One entity that CIRAS partners with a great deal is the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC).
PyroGraphics Resets Its Future with a Little CIRAS Assistance
Everything seemed to be going great, Dan Svec recalls, until the first hints of a recession appeared and began to expose the weaknesses at PyroGraphics. In 2008, the West Des Moines printing company, which specializes in business promotional items and souvenirs, was starting to struggle in a declining economy in which most promotion had stopped. By 2012, when the company discovered CIRAS, the end was very much in sight.
Account Manager Spotlight: Paul Dunnwald
CIRAS account managers know a lot about Iowa businesses. Here are a few questions and answers to help you learn a little more about them:
ePATHUSA pursues Government Contracting on the Path to Growth
Hari Nallure views his relationship with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) sort of like he’s found a trusted advisor.
CIRAS, IADG Testing New Way to Expand Industry in Iowa
A 40,000-square-foot building on a nine-acre industrial site in eastern Spencer, Iowa, has become the testing ground for a new initiative in rural economic development—with CIRAS playing a large role.
Report-Out: CIRAS’ first Future of Manufacturing event shows the Future is Near
On January 24th, we at CIRAS hosted our first Future of Manufacturing event, focused on how Augmented and Virtual Reality are changing manufacturing. Experts from Mechdyne, ISU Mechanical Engineering, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Daqri gave an update on current and next generation technologies that are beginning to change manufacturing around the globe. Here are our four key takeaways from that event:
Partner Spotlight: Iowa State University Meat Science Extension
You hear the phrase "learn how the sausage gets made" all the time. But what if you actually want to know how sausage is made? Well, we happen to have one of the world leaders on that very subject here at Iowa State University.