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Employees Usually Tell You Why They’re Leaving—Are You Listening?

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Why employee feedback is one of your best tools for improving retention Retaining good employees remains one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers. While many organizations focus heavily on recruiting, Greg Gasper, Certification & Sustainability Services Leader at WMEP, says manufacturers can often improve retention by first understanding why employees choose to leave. “If you […]

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AI Is Not a Silver Bullet. It’s a Capability You Build.

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Why manufacturers who take a long-term approach see the greatest results Many manufacturers approach AI the same way they approach equipment investments: identify the need, buy the solution, install it, and move on. That works for machines. It doesn’t work for AI. “AI isn’t a product you install,” says Sanjay Mohan, Executive Director of AI […]

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Sound Familiar? “We Need More Accountability”

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Why stronger systems—not demands—improve manufacturing performance Many manufacturers say the same thing when performance starts slipping: “We need more accountability.” But according to Beth Aldana, Operational Excellence Services Leader at WMEP, accountability isn’t something you can simply demand from people. “Accountability is really an outcome of everything else in the system,” Beth explains. “You can’t […]

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Where Do We Start with AI? Start with the Business Problem—Not the Technology

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Why most AI projects fail before they begin and how manufacturers can get it right Manufacturers are feeling the pressure to act on AI. The conversation is everywhere—from the shop floor to the leadership team—and many manufacturers are asking, “Where do we start?”. According to Sanjay Mohan, Executive Director of AI Strategy with the MKE […]

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Use the 2026 ISO 9001 Update as a Chance to Improve, Not Just Comply

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Why the upcoming revision is the perfect reason to strengthen your system for real results A new version of ISO 9001 is expected in Q3 2026—and it’s the perfect opportunity for manufacturers to step back and tune their systems for better performance. “This update gives companies a reason to step back and ask, ‘Is our […]

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Still Fighting the Same Problems on the Shop Floor? Lean Offers a Way Out

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Practical tools to solve problems, reduce waste, and regain control in any manufacturing environment Manufacturers today face rising costs, labor shortages, and disruptions that can make every day feel like a fire drill. If you’re constantly reacting—or dealing with the same issues day after day—it’s time for a different approach. Beth Aldana, WMEP’s Operational Excellence […]

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You May Not Need Another Machine—You May Need Better Changeovers

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Reducing Changeover Time Reveals Hidden Capacity and Drives Productivity with the Equipment You Already Have For many manufacturers, the fastest path to higher throughput isn’t buying another machine or expanding the facility—it’s improving how they run the machines they already have. As WMEP Consultant Jay Jochman explains, “Most Wisconsin manufacturers run a wide variety of […]

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Lessons Learned: Why “Unexpected” Outcomes Still Create Value

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When Projects Don’t Go as Planned—and That’s a Good Thing In manufacturing, not every improvement project delivers the exact result you expect. But as George Nelson, WMEP Consultant, points out, that doesn’t mean it failed. “Sometimes the most valuable outcome is discovering what won’t work,” he says. “That’s what allows you to redirect your time […]

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