Go to Gemba with the Iowa Lean Consortium Those experienced in Lean methodology will connect with the word Gemba, which reminds leaders to go and see where the work is done and to talk to people doing the work. Going to Gemba is a core tenet of Lean philosophy, and now the ILC is using … Continue reading New Lean Tour Format Offers Lessons for Hosts and Attendees
This August, Ames will host the second Senator Ernst’s Entrepreneur Expo, an event for Iowa’s small business community. Supported by CIRAS APEX, America’s SBDC, and Senator Joni Ernst, the expo aims to connect Iowa small businesses and local entrepreneurs with government contracting opportunities and insights into federal innovation programs. Following the success of last year’s … Continue reading Senator Ernst’s Entrepreneur Expo: A Gathering For Growth In Ames
Surveillance equipment provided by an Iowa company and one of its client partners helps address a poaching problem happening at state parks in Hawaii. BizReps, located in Davenport, and two partners recently delivered solar-powered surveillance equipment to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in Maui. The equipment captures illegal activity and information on … Continue reading Iowa Company Finds Success in Hawaii
A version of this article was initially published in Industry Week. The Strategic Advantage of Mapping Key Products Manufacturers often face supply chain disruptions without knowing their timing or impact. Assessing risks and implementing management practices can seem overwhelming, especially without dedicated staff or tools. A practical solution exists: map the supply chain of a … Continue reading Mapping Your Supply Chains: A Guide to Risk Prioritization and Action
Student interest in internships at Stellar Industries is rising thanks to the company’s work with CIRAS and Iowa State University’s Engineering Career Services (ECS). The three entities have been collaborating on strategies to enhance awareness of internship opportunities, and their efforts are paying off. Stellar Industries, headquartered in Garner, manufactures service trucks, cranes, hook lifts, … Continue reading Partnership with CIRAS, Career Services Pays Off
Iowa is facing a critical nursing shortage, with 70% of its medical facilities struggling to find qualified staff and nursing institutions turning away students due to lack of space and instructor availability. In response, VRSim, a company with operations in Waterloo, aims to address this issue through innovative virtual reality (VR) technology. VRSim’s VR training … Continue reading Virtual Reality Eases Nursing Staffing Challenges
When a food industry client of Multi Packaging and Printing was having trouble with bags of cheese bursting, the Newton-based company turned to CIRAS, which had the perfect resource to address the problem: the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium (PFPC). Some Multi Packaging and Printing bags burst after being filled with cheese, sealed, and dropped … Continue reading CIRAS Partner Provides Industry Access to Premier Packaging Expertise
For Leo Avila, maintenance manager at Prairie Farms Dairy in Dubuque, it is not a matter of if, but when, critical equipment stops functioning and how many dollars are lost. Avila is responsible for running the multimilliondollar dairy coop facility that operates 24 hours per day. Inevitably, one of the hundreds of machines at the … Continue reading Predictive Maintenance Saves Big in Lost Production Costs
While language classes are not among the range of services CIRAS offers, its guidance on workforce strategies inspired Jake Oakland, president of Percival Scientific in Perry, to learn Spanish. It is part of an effort to connect with Percival employees and the larger Perry community, where individuals of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin account for … Continue reading CIRAS: A Strategic Asset in Workforce Management
As an industry already familiar with implementing advanced technology, Iowa’s manufacturing sector is one to watch as everything from robotic and automation technologies to solutions powered by artificial intelligence become more sophisticated and companies must decide where to invest resources.