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Center for Manufacturing Research and Innovation

Facts Book Cover

The Facts about Modern Manufacturing, 8th Edition

 

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People and Profitability Cover

People and profitability—A 2009 people management practices survey of the manufacturing industry.

Results of a new study released today, People & Profitability – A Time For Change, commissioned jointly by Deloitte, The Manufacturing Institute and Oracle, indicate an ongoing need for manufacturers to embrace new and progressive talent strategies in order to maintain profitability and stay competitive in the future. The report serves as a supplement to the 2005 Skills Gap Report issued jointly by Deloitte, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and The Manufacturing Institute.

The study, conducted in May 2009, analyzes the future importance and current performance of people management practices relative to a manufacturer’s business success. It also reveals the challenges manufacturers are facing with talent shortages and offers strategies to address them.

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The Innovation Imperative in Manufacturing – How the United States Can Restore Its Edge

It is often said that innovation is the lifeblood of manufacturing, more than any other sector. The creativity in manufacturing often spills over into other sectors where our industry’s inventiveness and creativity can transform transportation, services and even our nation’s national security.

The Manufacturing Institute, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the National Association of Manufacturers have partnered to develop a broad research study that looks at both the business outcomes of innovation and government’s ability to encourage and support innovation through public policy.

The report, drawn from a survey of more than 1,000 senior executives, in-depth interviews with 30 executives, and a comparison of 110 countries and all 50 U.S. states, suggests concrete actions that states and countries can take to help manufacturing companies drive innovation.


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Innovation in Manufacturing –Driving Greater Returns, Predictable Outcomes and Market Leadership
In the competitive and increasingly global business environment, manufacturers are reviewing every aspect of their supply chain to improve performance. The development of new products and processes is a key part of competing more effectively and innovation has become the pillar for success at many companies. In light of the importance of innovation to the future of manufacturing in the United States, The Manufacturing Institute and Accenture partnered to develop a best practices guide that would facilitate business insights into the management and execution of an innovation culture.

The new report addresses three misconceptions that often delay or hobble the development of innovations within companies: 1) It’s not true that innovation stems only from new technology or products; 2) Innovation is not just a long-term project; and 3) Innovation is not random but is a discipline.

Press Release | Report (.PDF)

Cost Study The Tide Is Turning - An Update on Structural Cost Pressures Facing U.S. Manufacturers
Five years ago, The Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI issued the first structural cost study, followed by an update in 2006. The fundamental rationale for closely monitoring this index remains valid: costs such as taxes, energy, and regulatory compliance are much higher in the United States than in other major industrial countries, putting U.S. manufacturers at a disadvantage. These external costs are out of the control of manufacturers and are mainly influenced by government action and/or inaction.

This 2008 report updates the two previous studies with the most current data. It diverges from its predecessors because progress is being made on the agenda to reform structural costs. The disadvantage that U.S. manufacturers face is 17.6 percent when compared with nine major industrial countries including Germany, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and China.

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Forging New Partnerships: How to Thrive in Today's Global Value Chain
A new report from the Manufacturing Institute and RSM McGladrey, "Forging New Partnerships: How to Thrive in Today's Global Value Chain" is part of the NAM's Small and Medium Manufacturers Series. This report addresses the rise of globalization and its impact on Small and Medium Manufacturers. "Forging New Partnerships" examines internal management issues that SMMs face as well as their abilities to take advantage of economic changes at home and abroad.
Press Release | Kiplinger Recommends
The Hidden Backbone of U.S. Manufacturing: Weakening Under Chemical Cost and Supply Pressures
A new report from the NAM, the Manufacturing Instituteand AMR Research suggests the rising cost and shrinking supply of chemicals necessary for manufacturing could lead companies to move production offshore. The report, “The Hidden Backbone of U.S.Manufacturing Weakening Under Chemical Cost and Supply Pressures,” takes a new look at chemicals as a critical raw material for U.S.manufacturers.
Press Release | Blog | America’s Business Radio Segment | Investors’ Business Daily OpEd: Aug. 3, 2007
 The Escalating Cost Crisis: An Update on Structural Cost Pressures Facing U.S. Manufacturers
Structural costs for domestic manufacturers increased from 22.4 percent to 31.7 percent between 2003 and 2006 compared to nine major trading partners, according to this report. The report updates the 2003 study, How Structural Costs Imposed on U.S. Manufacturers Harm Workers and Threaten Competitiveness.
Watch Press Conference | Press Release | Blog | America’s Business Radio Segment | Buy     

The Facts About Modern Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector -- more than any other -- is driving the current U.S. economic recovery but faces unprecedented challenges, according to the seventh edition of this comprehensive resource. The report spotlights the latest U.S. government statistics, NAM economic analysis, and corporate success stories about manufacturing in America.
Press Release | Blog | Buy
Innovators in Supply Chain Security: Better Security Drives Business ValueCompanies that invest in supply chain security measures can expect substantial benefits that far outweigh the costs of the security expenditures, according to this study by Stanford University released by The Manufacturing Institute.
Press Release | Blog | FPA Podcast | Buy

The Future Success of Small and Medium Manufacturers
Small and medium manufacturers play a major role in the U.S. economy that is not well understood by policy makers and the media. In 2001, The Manufacturing Institute published its first booklet detailing the role of small and medium manufacturers in the economy. The 2001-2003 recession made dramatic changes in U.S. manufacturing in many ways. Our industry today is much different than it was at the end of the last decade. This report fills this gap in understanding about small and medium manufacturers.
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Report from the National Summit on Competitiveness: Investing in U.S. Competitiveness
On December 6, 2005, more than 55 corporate CEOs, university presidents, and scientists from across the country participated in a day-long summit during which they pressed cabinet secretaries and members of Congress on key issues to keep the U.S. economy globally competitive.
Summit Video | Press Conference Transcript (PDF)
Intellectual Property for the Technological Age
Just when intellectual property has made its greatest contributions to this nation’s technological growth, many critics on all sides of the political spectrum have assailed the soundness of its underlying legal structure. In this study, Professor Richard Epstein of the University of Chicago School of Law examines sources of discontent.
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 U.S. Manufacturing Innovation at Risk
America’s manufacturing innovation process is vital to promoting economic growth, productivity gains and increased living standards. The most important components of this productivity enhancing process include investments in worker education and training, investments in capital equipment and research and development (R&D) and its “spillovers”—unintended benefits to other producers and society in general. This report looks at how long-term U.S. economic growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace are at risk if recent trends in domestic manufacturing—and the innovation process it spawns—continue.
Press Release | Blog | Summary Document (PDF) | Buy
  

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