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December 21, 2007

The Last Light Friday of 2007 (Let's Make it Count)

For the next week, you'll have to get along without us, as the IMT editorial staff is retreating to various secret bases in realms beyond the Internet. (Be brave!) Until then, we wish** our dear readers a number of (politically correct) holiday wishes (of no particular religious interpretation). Have a fun and safe New Year's, and enjoy this final Light Friday of 2007!

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December 20, 2007

The Chicago Spire: An Engineering Feat at 2,000 Feet

The 2,000-foot, corkscrew-designed Chicago Spire may well be one of the most impressive engineering feats of 2007. Here's why.

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December 19, 2007

Many Happy Returns for Customers

When a customer tries to return a purchase, minimize or eliminate the hassle to ensure he or she returns. It is much smarter to increase the probability that a customer will come back by having a clear and concise return policy.

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December 18, 2007

Tips for Public Speaking (without the Flop Sweat)

There are no less than seven major industry-focused trade shows next month, all of which no doubt will have keynotes and other speeches. That is when the sweaty palms, shaky knees, tight throat, dry mouth, flop sweat and even nausea set in. It's stage fright. Like other learned skills, though, you can nip the fear of public speaking in the bud.

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December 17, 2007

India Growth Still Tied to Outsourcing

Recent news reports indicate India has kicked up its growth yet again through its bilateral trade agreement with China. From both a manufacturing and IT services perspective, there appears to be no end in sight when it comes to growth in India. Yet outsourcing initiatives of other countries still dominate the headlines.

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December 14, 2007

Light Friday: Worst Employees of '07, Old-School Engineering Calculator, Jet Packs in '08 ...

... Common Passwords, Love to Hate Tech Jargon, No More New Year's Resolutions and When Spiders Attack Space Shuttles!!!

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December 13, 2007

Tax Tips for Entrepreneurs

Taxes are one of the most important issues facing entrepreneurs of small and growing businesses, and the days remaining to put your 2007 finances in order are dwindling quickly. If you haven't already done so, now is the time to take action.

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December 12, 2007

Steel Pipes, Subsidies, Tariffs and China

These are just a few words the U.S. Department of Commerce used last month when it found that the Chinese government has been providing improper subsidies on Chinese circular welded steel pipe exports. In its preliminary determination, the Commerce Department will impose tariffs to level the playing field.

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December 11, 2007

Unwrapping the 2007 Packaging Market

Packaging tells consumers all there is to know about the product inside. In the U.S. alone, packaging is a $130 billion market, according to the Flexible Packaging Association. And much of the market is indebted to food and beverage-driven developments.

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Chrismukkah: By the Numbers

Do you know how many farms currently produce Christmas trees? Or the height of the world's largest dreidel? Or what year the Slinky was patented? Find out these and many more "Chrismukkah" facts.

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5 Things Every Business Needs to Know about Packaging

JoAnn Hines, aka "The Packaging Diva," is recognized as one of the 50 most influential packaging leaders in the 20th century. Here she offers five crucial things every business must know to package a product that delivers.

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Burning Question

Should Christmas gifts be exchanged in the workplace?

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Oyster's Hall of Shame and Acclaim

No doubt, there are many excellent, innovative package designs out there. Unfortunately, there is a lot of lousy packaging, too. And this year's award for "Hardest-to-Open Package" goes to...

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Branding: It's What's Outside that Counts

A company's branding is basically its packaging: How it presents itself on the outside is how it entices consumers to learn more and, hopefully, to "look inside" and become customers.

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2007 Holiday Gift Guide

Here is our roundup of novel gift ideas we think would be worth giving to geeks and gadgeteers. Now Target, now Best Buy, now Wal-Mart and Brookstone! On Gap, on small stores, on Sears and eBay!

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Much More than Your Average Train Set

Running time for the 310-mile journey between London and Paris was two hours and 35 minutes. That figure is now obsolete, after the high-speed Eurostar passenger train switched services in mid-November.

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IMT Readers Tell the Story

Almost 4,000 of you took time from your busy schedules to respond in our Reader Satisfaction survey last month. As our way of saying "Thank you," here are some of your comments that will help shape our future editorial.

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Recommended Reading

Released in May, Scott Berkun's The Myths of Innovation studies innovation history to reveal how ideas become truths that people can apply to today's challenges and change the world.

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December 10, 2007

Foresight on Forecasting

As 2007 winds downs, there's a strong wish to base our 2008 plans on forecasts. Some make a living of forecasting; others feel it's foolish to try. To help you find your comfort spot on the scale between these extremes, two views follow.

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December 7, 2007

Light Friday: NORAD Tracks Santa, Plus Robots that Fight and Play Violin...

... This Week's Dilbert Mission Statement and MORE!

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December 6, 2007

Where We Stand: Manufacturing in November

Conditions in the housing industry are worsening, the dollar is in free fall and oil prices are at an all-time high. At the same time, the U.S. manufacturing sector seems to be growing -- albeit at a glacial pace.

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December 5, 2007

Extending Customer Research Beyond Arm's Length

Increased collaboration can drive more effective business results, of course. And more collaborative retailers and manufacturers have been able to cite tangible areas of progress beyond "soft" benefits.

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December 4, 2007

Will the Auto Industry Surrender to Energy Efficiency?

Congress has agreed to raise fuel-economy standards by 40 percent for cars and light trucks by 2020. Environmental groups have hailed the deal as historic, because it would be the first time Congress has taken significant action on fuel efficiency since the mid-1980s. The latest version of the measure, if it becomes law, will force radically severe changes on all aspects of the American car companies.

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December 3, 2007

How to Optimize Asset Performance

Images of machines so well-maintained and adjusted that they operate for as long as necessary to meet market demand while running as efficiently as possible — all the while producing products with (at most) infinitesimal deviations could be a dream come true.

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November 30, 2007

Light Friday: Dilbert Mission Statement, Deadliest Jobs (Revisited), Giant Turkey...

... Fighting Wildfires with Water Balloons, Bronze Fonz, Revolutionary "Huski" and MORE!

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November 29, 2007

The Ups and Downs of the U.S. Economy

Reports earlier this week confirm strong skepticism about a better economic future for the U.S. in the near term. By mid-week, the actions that manufacturers have taken became apparent.

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November 28, 2007

Demand for Industrial Controls: Trending Upward

Part of productivity-boosting automation depends on installing advanced controls. With today's emphasis on making the most of raw materials and energy to keep costs low, it pays to know what's happening in the industrial controls market.

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November 27, 2007

Top 7 Design Trends

In the face of increased challenges in recent years, global design strategies have matured significantly. Gracefully merging design and engineering with the rest of the surrounding world, the long-term trends continue.

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Lessons in the Business of Design

Consumers today are quicker to shop for style rather than focus on quality, and the best way for companies to succeed is to deliver what the customer demands. Designers can figure that out -- but not without help.

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Danger in Santa's Goody Bag

Unsafe levels of lead paint, spontaneous ignition, choking hazards, the date-rape drug GHB — all were found in toys this year. Stressed-out parents this holiday season have a heightened wariness of safety in the design and manufacture of toys.

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Burning Question

What is the most innovative design of the 21st century?

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Print 3-D Objects at Home

3-D printing can convert digital design files to tangible products in a matter of hours. And the technology is evolving so fast that retail outlets may be forced to rethink their business models just to survive, according to researchers.

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A New Look for the Global Supply Chain

Managing a supply chain has never been so challenging. In addition to automation, data handling, lower costs and minimal risk, now supply chains are demanding substantial energy savings and a lower carbon footprint.

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How to Make the Workplace Insufferable

Primetime TV comedies, popular movies and comic strips may poke fun at the irritants inherent of the workplace, but incivility and chronic rudeness in the real workplace are more pitiful than amusing.

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Rethinking the Stadium Playbook

Local businesses, team owners, players and fans win when new stadiums come online or old stadiums undergo renovation. But designing and building a successful stadium doesn't happen by chance -- it takes a game plan.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas Commerce

There are some hideous-looking Web sites out there wanting your business. With e-commerce sales growing at a rapid clip, and with Christmas right around the corner, small businesses should ensure their Web sites are enticing.

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Recommended Reading

Donald Norman's The Design of Everyday Things remains a classic, powerful primer on how and why some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.

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November 26, 2007

Intermodal Volume Holds its Own in Q3

Declining imports from Asia and sluggish domestic traffic demand may have taken its toll on intermodal volume in 2007's third quarter, but total North American volume in Q3 was the second-best quarter ever recorded, according to the Intermodal Association of North America this month.

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November 21, 2007

By the Numbers: Turkey Thursday, Black Friday and Cyber Monday

For many, the days between tomorrow (Thanksgiving) and next Monday (Cyber Monday) signify an acceptable time for excessive eating, drinking and shopping, not to mention the beginning of many homes turning into gaudy wonderlands of wasted fossil-fuel-generated energy. Mmmm, turkey, Christmas lights and football...

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November 20, 2007

Economic Roundup: Still Pessimistic

The Federal Reserve's recent warnings of an economic slowdown had small-business owners cutting back on hiring and spending plans, while bad weather and rising gas prices in recent months have prompted a late start to the holiday shopping season. Here's a look at recent weeks' economic developments and how they're affecting small businesses.

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November 19, 2007

Can Manufacturing Save the Great Lakes Economy?

With the incredible bout of bad economic luck the Great Lakes region has experienced over the past several years, logic dictates that the area needs nothing short of a miracle to make any sort of meaningful turnaround. Yet some analysts believe that turnaround is already taking place, thanks to the sector that made it plummet to begin with: manufacturing.

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November 16, 2007

Light Friday: The Conference Bike, Offensive Interview Questions, Lift Truck Safety Fun...

... Boeing Heat Shield, Beer is Good for You and MORE!

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November 15, 2007

Fed Lifts the Veil

What WERE they thinking? This is a response all too commonly made regarding decisions made by government organizations. Now the U.S. Federal Reserve has announced it will provide better transparency to the public to improve businesses and consumers' understanding of the central banking system's objectives and strategies.

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November 14, 2007

Analyzing Costs and Benefits

As the prices for energy and raw materials put renewed pressure on economies, cost cutting has rarely been so critical to manufacturers large and small. Here are some basic ways to analyze business costs and potential benefits. Warning: If mathematical equations frighten you, turn back now.

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November 13, 2007

The Raw Deal - Up, Up and Away

While increases in oil prices have received the bulk of mainstream attention, the prices of metals and other materials have risen much more rapidly over the past year.

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The Next Generation of Super-Strong Materials

Researchers have made some incredible advances across a range of materials -- metals, plastics, paper, composites and more -- enabling today's designers to take advantage of super-strong materials.

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Why Do Plastics Fail?

To better foresee and thus avoid failure, we must understand how a part will behave in relation to its larger product. Polymers may have come a long way over the past century, but it still pays to ensure high quality.

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Burning Question

How much of your work time is spent on low-value activity?

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Material Handling: The Big Picture

Because material handling essentially started in manufacturing and logistics, here we look at a wide range of notable developments, from transportation and logistics to forklifts, cranes and pallets.

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Science Finally Gets Fashionable

Runway models could be wearing bulletproof, glow-in-the-dark, smog-fighting and flu-preventing garments on the catwalk, as scientists work to integrate style and comfort with safety and health in clothing.

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How Much Time Must Engineers Waste?

More than half of engineers working at build-to-order companies find themselves spending too much time on low-value activities, according to research. How can firms make more efficient use of engineering time?

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Tiny Promises Unfulfilled

A lot of lip service has been paid to nanotechnology's promise. Despite some successful real-world applications in manufacturing and engineering, though, this promise has remained largely unfulfilled.

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Make Your Meetings Matter

In a perfect world, every meeting is well prepared, focused and engaging. However, this is not a perfect world and meetings are often a waste of time. Here are some tips for carrying out meetings that matter.

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Recommended Reading

Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time is the untold story of the Dust Bowl, the decade of brutally punishing dust storms that ravaged the American High Plains during the Depression. Told through the eyes of those who survived it, this epic won the 2006 National Book Award for nonfiction.

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November 12, 2007

Strong Supply Chain for Strong Branding

If there were ever any doubts about the validity of today's global economy, let the recent firestorm of controversy over the growing list of toy recalls be a stark reminder that it is, in fact, very real. That is why a clear view of the entire supply chain is critical.

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November 9, 2007

Light Friday: Reintroducing the Model T, Male Whale Pick-up Lines, Sporks and Knorks...

... and much more!

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November 8, 2007

How Are Relationships in Your Cluster?

Some time ago, when I promoted research and development, I attended a presentation on how clusters -- the business kind, not the candy kind -- affect a business' ability to increase productivity and improve profitability. In case you're unfamiliar with the cluster phenomena, it involves groups of industries in a geographic area or industry sector that can become allies in important ways, particularly in R&D.

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November 7, 2007

The State of Third-Party Logistics - 2007

A significant focus of the annual State of Logistics Outsourcing: 2007 Third-Party Logistics report this year is on the opportunity for improved collaboration between 3PL providers and users.

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November 6, 2007

Masters of the Universe - Global Competitiveness Rankings

TV writers may be on strike, but we're not. And we're bringing news of two huge reports. The World Economic Forum just released its annual ranking of global competitiveness, based on data from 131 countries, and the World Bank has released its own set of indicators to gauge international competitiveness among 150 countries. Here are the countries leading the world.

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November 5, 2007

Considerations When Choosing a Consultant

Sometimes we have to admit we need outside help in the form of consultant knowledge and experience. However, choosing the best consultant for a particular job can be quite daunting. Yet if succeeding in business is all about minimizing and controlling risk, you certainly don't want to risk a consultant who'll falter, leading to a poor decision and losses.

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November 2, 2007

Light Friday: eBay Find of Hallowthanksmas, Zombie Science, What You're Listening To...

...and MORE!

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November 1, 2007

Dark Days for Small Businesses

Economic confidence among small-business owners nationwide has hit record lows, marked mainly by the overall economy, increasing cash flow issues and lower selling prices, as well as costs of health care, materials and labor. Meanwhile, the U.S. Small Business Administration appears more responsive to small firms.

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October 31, 2007

Just in Time for Halloween: Pirates (Not the Fun Kind)

Tonight some Jack Sparrows and other young pirates undoubtedly will come knocking at your door expecting treats. Yet given our increasingly challenging economic straits, real pirates are wreaking havoc more frequently on the high seas, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

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October 30, 2007

Best of 2007 (So Far) - Reader Favorites

Every year, some Industrial Market Trends coverage rises above the rest. As such, we've compiled a list of your five favorite articles from IMT issues so far this year, plus our picks for 2007 posts worth checking out. Whether you're seeing these articles for the first time or re-reading a few of your favorites, we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment on the blog.

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October 29, 2007

From Paradise to Ash in Days

Southern California was beautiful as only those who know the canyons and appreciate the chaparral can know. Now much of it is ashes thanks to raging fires across 800 square miles in seven southern counties.

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October 26, 2007

Light Friday: Office Games Probably Not Fit for the Office

We spend at least eight hours a day with our coworkers. Even the most serious business person needs to have a little fun — even if it's slightly absurd fun. Here are some pranks and other ways to (occasionally) lighten the mood on the job. (We don't encourage any of them.)

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October 25, 2007

24 Questions to Ask Employees

The truth may hurt, but not asking could cause even more pain.

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October 24, 2007

Getting in Sync with Your Global Supply Chain

The term "global supply chain" is often discussed in a casual manner — almost as if it's assumed all manufacturers know how to run it properly. Recent developments are putting a halt to this oversight by uncovering a lack of knowledge and awareness in this critical area of interest. So how can you sync up with your global supply chain? Here's how.

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October 23, 2007

Patterns of Innovation: Matters of Size and Style

Most organizations today herald innovation, claiming its value and showcasing "best practices" in their mission statements. Yet when it comes to the overall state of innovation, according to recent scrutiny, "the only way is up."

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October 22, 2007