By Ben Rand
Small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMM) today are faced with a huge challenge: A wave of new technologies and innovations that may both threaten their business and offer opportunities for competitive advantage.
How can SMM owner/operators wade through this sea of technology, understand and identify which innovations have the most potential for their business and then implement? All while continuing to do their day job?
There is a solution: Insyte has joined with our Buffalo Manufacturing Works partner, EWI, and with Next Street to develop a new program designed specifically to help WNY SMMs to understand and ultimately utilize exciting new technologies like additive, robotics and automation to improve their businesses. The program is called Shift and it is free to WNY manufacturers under 500 employees, thanks to funding from Governor Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion II. There are four parts to the Shift Program:
SCORE—This is your point of entry into the program. A brief interview with us using our Innovation Scorecard will help us identify your key business risks and capacity for innovation, enabling us to steer you towards the most appropriate training sessions for your situation. This step is free.
LEARN—This is the core of the program. A chance to join industry and business experts at workshops to learn about the latest technological innovations—from technology and robotics, to efficiency and ideation—and to identify options that may be appropriate for you and may benefit your business. This step is free.
AUDIT—Selected program participants will receive an on-site review by experts to identify specific opportunities for innovation in that participant’s business. Specialized engineers from EWI and Insyte will visit your facility, walk your manufacturing floor and interview your key personnel to make technology and/or innovation suggestions to improve your manufacturing business. This step is free.
IMPROVE—This is an optional step that implements customized innovations and improvements in a participant’s business with the hands-on support of Buffalo Manufacturing Works. These services range from an AMIS (Advanced Manufacturing Implementation Strategy) that offers a multi-year innovation roadmap to defining the process parameters with specific equipment to de-risk the implementation of a new technology on your shop floor. This step is not free, but the cost will vary depending on the scope of work.
Technology and innovation seem to be evolving at light speed today. Trying to stay on top of this evolution is more than a full-time job, even with engineering experience. Shift provides an effective and efficient means to familiarize yourself with these new technologies and assess their potential impact on your business, with the added benefit of access to Buffalo Manufacturing Works’ expertise.
Learn more at shiftmfg.com.
