Yesterday, my old friend A.J. Sweatt (formerly from Modern Machine Shop) started a Linkedin Manufacturing Blog with the above title. He started the discussion with:
Right now, we need a clear vision, clearly enunciated, and easily understood. Instead, we get band-aids and myopia that seem to propel us farther away from the basic economic principals that gave us our manufacturing might in the first place.
His blog is at: http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=173319289&gid=126939&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_nd-pst_ttle-cn&ut=0MtQjgSASxiBs1
Here is my response:
I care a lot about manufacturing and sustainability as you may know. We initially connected in the late 1990's when you were with Modern Machine Shop magazine and leading them into the digital age. At the time, I was at running Memex and gave you a demo whereby you could control a Fanuc 11M control over the Internet which was a world's first. Now years later, I wonder if the magic has left and familiarity has entered. My Dutch grandmother used to say that "God hides things by putting them near us", and I wonder if manufacturing is suffering from this to a degree.
People hear in the media quite a few negative aspects of manufacturing - such as pollution, layoffs, antiquated technology, waste, globalization, plant closings, out-sourcing, off-shoring, brown fields, stress, injuries, union strife, management greed, etc. Yet our standard of living is dependent on manufacturing once can see why it has been a less desirable choice for young people and an easy target for politicians to either rail against or ignore.
The truth is that manufacturing and the principles that run it are everywhere. Lean principles, reduction of waste, management practices and even sustainability are ideas that have made a real difference in this world. I would argue that manufacturing - done right - is the one of the greatest wealth producers (rather than wealth re-distributors) ever invented.
Our growing society wants to have abundance and enough for all. This laudable objective requires wealth creation, good stewardship and excellent systems. Thomas Jefferson once noted that "great wealth and great poverty cannot co-exist in a democracy".
Indeed, Konosuke Matsushuta the founder of Panasonic in Japan created in 1946 a "Peace and Happiness Through Prosperity" plan that understands the link between peace and the economic well-being (see http://www.php.co.jp/en/think.php). The PHP movement is quite large today by the way.
A few years ago I have started a group called "Peoplewerks Volunteer Association" to put people back to work one day at a time (www.peoplewerks.com). People need to have something meaningful to do, and enough money to live and fuel the economic engine (Henry Ford had it right). The waste of a human resource is our world's worst oversight in my opinion.
In summary then, I believe that manufacturing in its broadest transformative context is the key to dream of enough for all in a sustainable way. We just feel better making the world a better place for others. I say let's manufacture the future together...
Right now, we need a clear vision, clearly enunciated, and easily understood. Instead, we get band-aids and myopia that seem to propel us farther away from the basic economic principals that gave us our manufacturing might in the first place.
His blog is at: http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=173319289&gid=126939&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_nd-pst_ttle-cn&ut=0MtQjgSASxiBs1
I care a lot about manufacturing and sustainability as you may know. We initially connected in the late 1990's when you were with Modern Machine Shop magazine and leading them into the digital age. At the time, I was at running Memex and gave you a demo whereby you could control a Fanuc 11M control over the Internet which was a world's first. Now years later, I wonder if the magic has left and familiarity has entered. My Dutch grandmother used to say that "God hides things by putting them near us", and I wonder if manufacturing is suffering from this to a degree.
People hear in the media quite a few negative aspects of manufacturing - such as pollution, layoffs, antiquated technology, waste, globalization, plant closings, out-sourcing, off-shoring, brown fields, stress, injuries, union strife, management greed, etc. Yet our standard of living is dependent on manufacturing once can see why it has been a less desirable choice for young people and an easy target for politicians to either rail against or ignore.
The truth is that manufacturing and the principles that run it are everywhere. Lean principles, reduction of waste, management practices and even sustainability are ideas that have made a real difference in this world. I would argue that manufacturing - done right - is the one of the greatest wealth producers (rather than wealth re-distributors) ever invented.
Our growing society wants to have abundance and enough for all. This laudable objective requires wealth creation, good stewardship and excellent systems. Thomas Jefferson once noted that "great wealth and great poverty cannot co-exist in a democracy".
Indeed, Konosuke Matsushuta the founder of Panasonic in Japan created in 1946 a "Peace and Happiness Through Prosperity" plan that understands the link between peace and the economic well-being (see http://www.php.co.jp/en/think.php). The PHP movement is quite large today by the way.
A few years ago I have started a group called "Peoplewerks Volunteer Association" to put people back to work one day at a time (www.peoplewerks.com). People need to have something meaningful to do, and enough money to live and fuel the economic engine (Henry Ford had it right). The waste of a human resource is our world's worst oversight in my opinion.
In summary then, I believe that manufacturing in its broadest transformative context is the key to dream of enough for all in a sustainable way. We just feel better making the world a better place for others. I say let's manufacture the future together...
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