Are we heading toward a recession and if yes what should we do?

I believe that all the tariffs  that have been imposed could not just be blown off by the economy or companies. Companies in some cases have raised prices and we see it in the grocery store or when we go shopping for items at brick and mortar stores or even on Amazon. Ultimately the consumer opts for cheaper goods if they can fin them or opts not to buy at all! It is those small blips we are starting to see that are showing that things might just be slowing. So the question is, what can we do?

First if you have a website that has not been updated for a while, think about making it more in line with what you are doing.  Make sure that people can find what you have to offer and allow them to either buy on line or make it easier for them to contact you. I can not tell you how many times I have gone to a website, wanted to buy or at least talk to someone and it was almost impossible to get that number to call. Guess what?  Lost sale, I moved on and so will others!

Another tip is to have a reporting structure that tells you when a potential customer is on your site looking.  In this day and age, time is important, hit that lead when it is hot and don't let go. Reporting can be had a very low prices and some for free so get it and use it.

Have you ever thought about telling the world about your successes and also about new products? If you have a new product that gives you an edge, let the world know. Do PR releases, do e-mail newsletters, make tele calls and more. Potential customers must sometimes be told, do not expect them to just run to  you they have to be given a reason.

OK much more to come, this is just the start but remember, you  are the only one that can talk about  you, so do it and do it often.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini

cyber security

Why is the Manufacturing Sector at Risk?

Traditionally, the finance sector has been the biggest target for cybercriminals with the intention of stealing money or valuable customer data. In some ways, this focus has caused executives in the manufacturing sector to disregard the threat with the assumption that they are an unlikely target.

However, manufacturing is at risk of cyberattack due to:

• a lack of investment in cybersecurity, particularly when compared with the finance sector where security is prioritized.
• primary targets such as banks and tech companies’ increased investment in security mean manufacturing and other sectors are now considered easier targets and “low-hanging fruit.”
• manufacturing companies becoming collateral damage when they are unintentionally caught up in ransomware attacks such as Wannacry and NotPetya.
• increasing use of IoT devices that often have poor security (such as default passwords) and can provide a foot in the door for cybercriminals.
• manufacturing companies warehousing data that is of interest to cybercriminals.
• lack of cybersecurity safety awareness and adequate staff training.
• vulnerabilities throughout the supply chain wherever suppliers have remote access to systems.

How Manufacturers Can Improve Cybersecurity

While the manufacturing sector is unlikely to match cybersecurity spending seen at banks and tech companies, here are some steps that should be taken to attain a working level of security:

• Have a data plan that identifies critical areas vulnerable to cyberattacks and puts appropriate security measures in place.
• Map your attack surface across all manufacturing plants and down the supply chain.
• Ensure all operational technology, products, and services integrated into manufacturing processes have an acceptable level of security.
• Investigate the security compliance of acquired companies before incorporating their systems into your network.
• Prioritize the updating and patching of outdated operating systems, even if this means expensive downtime for your manufacturing operation.
• Utilize a managed security service to monitor and defend your networks.

How to Ensure Your Staff is Cybersecure

Tech Republic’s Michael Kassner writes that companies, including manufacturers, “prefer not to consider the threat from employees – current and former.” Crimes committed within a company can be difficult to prosecute, but can be defended against through the implementation of segmented networks that “section off the most valuable data, making it accessible to only a few trusted individuals.”

Manufacturers should perform regular insider threat detection and prevention audits, and educate employees about the risk of using personal devices and best-practice cybersecurity.

Similarly, manufacturers should have a clear security policy that is communicated to vendors and suppliers up and down the supply chain to ensure cybersecurity is enforced wherever an organization has access to the manufacturer’s systems.

Image Credit: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock

Share

Reconnecting with Nature's R&D: How Biomimicry is

Here they come again..robots

They are coming in different form one is at a burger place near you!

After announcing its latest acquisition, it’s clear that the McDonald's restaurant franchise has a plan in place – and it probably involves hiring more engineers and fewer drive-thru attendants.

The Golden Arches has taken a company called Apprente into the fold, and it’s a startup that specializes in artificial intelligence tech that can understand voice – in this case, orders being relayed in different languages and accents.

McDonald's has reportedly been testing the Apprente technology at select locations and promises that it will allow for "faster, simpler, and more accurate order taking" via the drive-thru.

But the team at Apprente will do more than just integrate a solution. They will form the founding members of a new Silicon Valley group McDonald’s will use to build out its tech capabilities. It’s being called McD Tech Labs, and it will support what McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook calls the company’s “culture of innovation.” The company is reportedly expanding the Lab’s team by hiring additional engineers and data scientists.

There’s one thing for certain: if McDonald’s can get the AI drive-thru to function in a way that still attracts customers, it will likely embolden the fast-food giant to invest more and more in tech and, as a result, cut the size of its human workforce.

And it’s not exactly trying to hide that strategy. In 2017, McDonald’s unveiled what it’s calling the “Velocity Growth Plan,” and it focuses on encouraging customers to use kiosks and mobile apps for their own convenience. The plan is for every U.S. McDonald’s location to be equipped with kiosks by 2020, and this latest acquisition may even help them be more effective.

Not to mention, McDonald’s has made a few other tech acquisitions over the past year, including a company called Dynamic Yield which can offer drive-thru menus that customize the user’s view based on things like time-of-day or trending menu items.

More to come soon!

Source Thomas Industry

Interesting article

I found this article interesting:

When you find yourself in a place of self-reflection, it’s easy to declare to make a change. It’s the follow-through that’s hard, and it’s no different for businesses who are making their own strategic shifts.

Recently, a group of executives representing major corporations announced that it would be modifying its objective. The Business Roundtable group includes CEOs from companies like Amazon, Chevron, GM, Lockheed Martin, American Express… you get it. And for years, they’ve worked under a mantle where the role of the corporation was to increase shareholder value.

That is, until recently, when the group’s chairman Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, announced the group’s mantra was changing, something he backed up with a revised statement the group is calling a “shared understanding” – to not just generate long-term value for shareholders, but also to deliver value to customers, invest in employees, deal ethically and fairly with suppliers and to support their communities by protecting the environment through sustainable business practices.

And while the reaction to this revision was generally positive, there were also many business and labor experts who brushed it off as the Business Roundtable’s way of paying lip service to prevailing expectations of corporate responsibility – especially since the group “in the past has fought anti-trust legislation, backed favorable tax cuts, and successfully lobbied to dilute restrictions on executive compensation.”

But there’s another business group out there that’s determined to hold the Business Roundtable accountable, and they’re not doing so quietly. Business Insider has reported that the group B Lab recently took out a full-page ad in the New York Times with a message for the Business Roundtable companies: “Let’s Get to Work.”

B Lab is a group that offers businesses “B Corporation” status, a designation that incorporates how a company’s business model impacts “workers, community, environment, and customers.” 3,000 companies have been awarded the private certification, including Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia, and the full-page ad seems intended to spur the Business Roundtable group to take action and “walk the walk,” saying “Let’s get to work to make real change happen.”

Whether or not these companies commit to real, tangible change remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain now – the world is watching.

Credit: Thomas Industry Update

Share

Robots are really growing fast

I just read that very very soon the US armed forces will be potentially using attack and defend fully autonomous robots in war situations.

I have read that because of the g forces and speeds that our new hypersonic aircraft can fly, only a robot can withstand the enormous pressures.

Certain medical procedures today are done robotically!

Thought you have heard enough? In many new large distribution facilities, robots are quickly taking over various manual functions.  No rest, no sickness, no maternity leave.  In many cases the facility is working in almost total darkness because a robot does not need to see.

What is still there and growing for man or woman is the programming of the robots. A robot has yet to be able to do its own code but I foresee this happening and in the not too distant future.

What does this mean for us all? Well, retraining is definitely a necessity. Going to school to be an English major just really wont cut it but being a programmer with good skills just might be the ticket to a very nice payday.

I will talk more about this as time goes on because it is now one of the fastest growing areas of our manufacturing economy. I believe there will always be jobs available it is just what type of jobs and how qualified can you become to get those jobs.

More to come.

Joe Rossini