Category: Uncategorized

Madyson’s Marshmallows obtained GMP certification and increased annual sales by $50,000

Madyson’s Marshmallows began when four-year old Madyson asked her dad how to make a marshmallow. They started mixing different marshmallow recipes together in their kitchen, and it turned out they were delicious! Not long after, their business grew into a gourmet marshmallow company, making stuffed marshmallows, marshmallow beverage toppers, donuts, pops, and more. Their marshmallows are produced using natural, kosher ingredients without preservatives. Based in Heber, Utah, their marshmallows can be found in both national retail locations and smaller specialty markets and boutiques.

Project Scope

Madyson’s Marshmallows wanted to become certified in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, to ensure retention of current clients and obtain new clients that require this certification.

Solution

The University of Utah Manufacturing Extension Partnership (UUMEP) Center staff worked with company owner Breeze Wetzel, to support their preparation for the GMP audit.

Results

Madyson’s Marshmallows successfully obtained their GMP certification.

Impact

By obtaining their GMP certification, Madyson’s Marshmallows is now able to expand into national markets, which allows them to retain $100,000 in sales and increase sales annually by $50,000.

Client Testimonial

“Madyson’s Marshmallows is a small company with an exponential rate of growth each year. Partnering with the UUMEP Center has been a terrific experience for us and has helped us take large steps in moving forward with being able to manufacture our confections for major retailers. Quality and food safety are of the utmost importance to us and to our customers. The UUMEP Center helped us obtain our GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) Certification so that we can partner with new retailers and bring our marshmallows to more customers nationwide. Our next step in the journey of food safety is to become SQF Level 2 certified and to make this happen, we will continue to partner with the UUMEP Center to conduct a gap analysis, implement changes, and more towards SQF certification.”

Breeze Wetzel, Owner

 

Check out their website to find and purchase their products.

Download PDF of success story

How to start planning your manufacturing day event

By mfgday.com

If you’re contemplating hosting a Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) Event, you probably have a lot of questions, ranging from “What is a Manufacturing Day event?” to “What sorts of resources are available to help me make my event a success?”

Here are some step-by-step instructions to help guide you through the process. Even if you don’t follow this order, the tips below should give you a leg up as you start planning your MFG DAY event.
  1. THINK ABOUT THE TYPE OF EVENT YOU WANT TO HOST:  Most MFG DAY events are plant tours. During a plant tour, a manufacturer opens their shop to show their audience what they do. Sometimes, though, manufacturers that are close by to one another decide to collaborate and create a sort of “manufacturing community” in their industrial park or even a mini expo to showcase manufacturing companies in their area. 
    Manufacturers aren’t the only ones, though, who can host MFG DAY events. Lots of technical colleges, for example, hold educational fairs for their students and invite local manufacturers to set up booths or speak about their operations.
  2. DOWNLOAD THE EVENT PLANNING KIT: 
    Each year, MFG DAY updates its event planning kit, or “Host Toolkit” In it, you’ll find practical tips for organizing your event, including suggestions such as forming a planning group, sending out formal invites, and scripting your event to insure your audience is engaged.
    Most of this stuff you probably already know, but the Host Toolkit provides you with a useful checklist and a series of templates designed to make the planning process a bit easier — and to make your MFG DAY event a success.
  3. CREATE A HOST ACCOUNT ON MFGDAY.COM: 
    Even if you haven’t worked out all the details for your MFG DAY event, you should take a minute to create a Host account on mfgday.com. First of all, it will give you access to a dashboard that includes planning and promotional resources. Second, it will give you a chance to preview the event registration process so you can gather all the information necessary to register your event.
  4. REGISTER YOUR EVENT:  Once you’ve created a Host account, you can use the “Event Management” tab in your Host dashboard to add your event to mfgday.com. Click on the “Add Event” button to start the three-step process. 
    In the first section of the event registration process, you’ll be asked for basic event info, such as the date, time, address, and type of even you plan to hold.
    In the second section, you’ll designate how people will be able to register for your event. They can do it through mfgday.com or via a third-party site such as Eventbrite. Alternatively, you can choose to make your event open to everyone without registration — or to designate it private.
    Lastly, you’ll be given the option of enhancing your event listing by adding your logo, your website URL, and links to any social media profiles. If you don’t have any of this information available the first time you run through the event creation process, you can always save your work and come back later to update your event listing.
  5. PUBLISH YOUR EVENT: 
    Once you’re satisfied with the information you’ve provided about your event, you can publish it to mfgday.com. This will add your event to the map, as well as create a landing page for your event on the site. If you plan to promote your event, you can use this page’s URL to share information and drive registration.

Originally posted on mfgday.com on May 3, 2017

KIHOMAC saved $28,000 by streamlining receiving process

KIHOMAC is a veteran-owned and AS9100C certified company with a proven track record in delivering complex parts and assemblies for customers such as the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community. Located in Layton, they work with the United States Air Force, to keep our nation’s aircraft  flying, through their broad capability in fabricating sheet metal and aluminum honeycomb parts, composite bonded honeycomb or laminate fiberglass, and carbon and Kevlar parts. Since their founding in 2003, KIHOMAC has provided rapid design and delivery capabilities spanning small production quantities and supporting unique fleets, as well as larger runs where several complex assemblies per week are produced.

Project Scope

As part of their ongoing Continuous Process Improvement (CPI), KIHOMAC identified the receiving line in the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, a hub of activity in their new 130,000 square foot facility, as the next opportunity for streamlining. They knew from previous experience that improving their incoming receiving processes would have immediate and significant impact on product throughput.

Solution

The vice president of KIHOMAC’s aerospace engineering group, Matt Majewski, requested that the University of Utah Manufacturing Extension Partnership (UUMEP) Center staff lead a Value Stream Mapping event. UUMEP Center staff engineer Nick Wilkes and center director Theresa Drulard, worked with KIHOMAC staff to document the receiving department’s current state and identify improvements.

Results

  • Reduced process steps from 14 to 10 steps
  • Reduced opportunity for manual errors by 79%
  • Improved availability of data and reduced data “pushes” from 12 to 2

Impacts

  • Cost avoidance: Staff is trained to lead future Value Stream Mapping events, saving up to $10,000 (assuming three events per year).
  • Improved receiving cycle time by 7 minutes, with annual labor cost savings of $18,200
  • Reduced distance and walking time for employees
  • Ability to meet increased demand for upcoming large contracts

Client testimonial

KIHOMAC
Matt Majewski
V.P., Aerospace Engineering Group

“In partnership with the University of Utah MEP Center, KIHOMAC is very happy to report that a new receiving process has been implemented and is already reaping measurable improvements. With the help of the UUMEP Center, future Value Stream Mapping initiatives are being planned and we are continuing to increase our capabilities to utilize internal resources to facilitate these events as our managers and CPI teams gain experience and see their efforts bear fruit. We have no doubt that this joint effort with the UUMEP Center has been a huge success.”

Download PDF of success story

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Cost-saving energy efficiency tips for manufacturers

by Alex Leopardi, MEP Energy Consultant Intern

Did you know you can save up to $80,000 per year by implementing an energy efficient manufacturing process?

The University of Utah Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center and the Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center (IIAC) has partnered to help manufacturing companies save money by reducing energy consumption.

By making these changes, you can significantly reduce operating costs:

  • Lighting systems
    • In a large scale manufacturing company, $58,000 in annual savings was identified by upgrading fluorescent lighting to LED lighting.
  • Compressed air systems
    • Reducing the compressor set point to better match facility demands showed savings of $3,500 per year. Payback is immediate since there is no cost to implement changes.
  • HVAC systems
    • The IIAC found that changing temperature set points during non-working hours in temperature controlled environments could save around $7,000 per year.
  • STEAM systems
    • Tuning the boiler to decrease airflow in a large scale bakery, increased combustion efficiency and reduced natural gas consumption. This implementation could save over $10,000 per year.

How do you get started?

  1.  Call us at 801.587.0713 to schedule your FREE energy audit
  2. IIAC conducts energy audit
  3. MEP Center works with you to assess what steps your manufacturing company should take to make changes

*For companies serious about energy management, ask us about the ISO 50001 certification.

Alex is currently pursing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Utah, and works jointly as an energy consultant intern with the MEP Center and IIAC. His areas of interests are energy efficiency, renewable energy technology, aerospace, and smart systems. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

 

 

Top four marketing items to do now

By Maureen Brakke, Marketing & Communications 

Here are the four top things you should do to increase your company visibility and build your customer base. These components are essential to you company’s success.

Do these in order, as they build on each other.

1. Establish your online presence.

Today, it’s really simple to download a FREE website template from WordPress, Weebly, Square Space, and many more. To get more than the basic templates, it might not hurt to invest a few bucks for a more customized, branded look.

  • Update your current website. It’s important to have an up-to-date website that matches your company branding. Your contact information should be easily accessible and visible. See examples here. Make sure you use good quality photos on your website that represent your company and your products well.

2. Establish your social media presence.

Find out what social media platform the majority of your customer’s use, then start with that one.

  • Twitter NOT Facebook: In our experience, most manufacturing companies use Twitter the most. Facebook is used more for personal reasons. LinkedIn is a good way to connect with individuals and companies too.
  • YouTube: People love videos. Short videos (under 2 min). Create a company YouTube channel. If your company has cool stuff to show off, take a video using your smart phone and upload it to YouTube. Don’t forget to share these on your social media channels. Check out slide.ly which helps you easily create videos and photo slideshows—and you can add free music to your videos.
  • Save a LOT of time. Automate your social media posts. Social media doesn’t have to be time consuming. Use a social media management system such as Hootsuite. This allows you to manage multiple social media network channels in one place. There is a free version or a paid version, depending on your needs.
    • Benefits of using a social media management system:
      1. You can schedule posts in advance.
      2. You can easily view analytics data.
      3. You can manage customer service on social media efficiently.

3. Create engaging content for your website

Engage your audience. Consider starting a blog. Write about tips, tricks, or “did you know” types of posts for your industry. See our blog for examples. Use lots of photos and graphics in the blogs. Like videos, blog posts should be short and to the point. People skim more than they actually read, so highlight things of importance in your blog post. Read more about The Anatomy of the Perfect Blog Post.

  • Use infographics: Infographics are a great way to get your message across in an engaging and interesting way. Use free tools such as Canva or gram. You can create anything from infographics to flyers with these tools. See examples here.
  • To use or not to use stock photos? Try to stay away from using stock photos as much as possible, as it doesn’t provide your website or materials with an authentic look and feel. In some cases, however, it might make sense to use a stock photo. Check out Pixabay or Shutterstock for free images.
  • Don’t have money for Photoshop? Check out PicMonkey, which is a photo editing, collage making, graphic design tool—and there is a free option!
  • Share blog posts on social media. Spread the word about you company on social media using your blog posts, infographics, etc. Include a link in your posts to your website, so your readers will want to go there for more information.

4. Stay in touch with your clients

It’s important to stay in touch with your potential, current, and former clients. Consider starting a quarterly or monthly newsletter, depending on how much news you have to share.

  • What to include in your newsletter:
    • A brief company introduction with your logo.
    • Company highlights
    • Your latest blog posts
    • Upcoming events (your own or industry events)
    • Your contact information so they can easily get in touch with one click
  • FREE newsletter tools: There are many free newsletter tools out there. Check out MailChimp or Constant Contact to get started. See newsletter examples

 

Maureen Brakke works in marketing and communications for the University of Utah MEP Center. She previously worked for the Utah System of Higher Education in marketing and communications, managing multiple initiatives, brands, blogs, and websites. Connect with her on Twitter.

Risk based thinking and your quality system, part 3

By Paul Harbath, Quality Management Consultant

In AS9100D “Risk Based Thinking” is considered a basic principle of an effective quality system. In the part 1 and part 2, we discussed how to identify potential risks and how to quantify the risks in your quality management system. In this final tip for risk based thinking we will discuss how to mitigate and control unacceptable risk.

To meet the “Risk Based Thinking” requirement your quality system must retain documented evidence that the following happens regularly:

  • Identify potential risks in your quality management system
  • Analyze and evaluate the risks
  • Mitigate, control and monitor unacceptable risk

Last week we talked about using the FMEA process to quantify risk. The RPN (Risk Priority Number) represents the level of risk. If the RPN number is larger than 100 we need to consider taking action. The actual RPN number for action is up to you but usually 100 is a good starting point.

In the visual above the RPN numbers for how scheduling affects on-time delivery is above our acceptable risk level therefore we need to consider taking action.

First we might evaluate the current state of our scheduling system then create a plan to make changes. After implementing the plan we check the performance to see if it has improved. If it has we put controls in place to assure our new process stays in place. If not we repeat the process until our scheduling system no longer causes late orders.

It is important that you retain the documented information in your system to show evidence that action was considered for high risk items. I usually recommend that this risk evaluation process be part of your regular management review.

Risk analysis can seem complicated at first. Take the time to learn the process it is one of the most valuable processes in your business management toolkit.

Paul Harbath is an industry expert with over 30 years of hands on experience in helping small manufacturers understand/implement quality management systems and lean/6-Sigma. Paul has a demonstrated ability to connect with the value adding employees by simplifying complex technical issues. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Risk based thinking and your quality system, part 2

By Paul Harbath, Quality Management Consultant

In AS9100D “Risk Based Thinking” is considered a basic principle of an effective quality system. Last week we discussed how to identify potential risks in your quality management system.

To meet the “Risk Based Thinking” requirement your quality system must retain documented evidence that the following happens regularly:

  • Identify potential risks in your quality management system
  • Analyze and evaluate the risks
  • Mitigate, control and monitor unacceptable risk

This week we will discuss how to “analyze and evaluate” the potential risks you have identified.

There are two broad types of risk assessment/evaluation:

  • Qualitative risk analysis
  • Quantitative risk analysis

Qualitative risk analysis is the process of prioritizing risks for further analysis by assessing the probability of occurrence and potential impact of each risk. There are simple diagrams like probability/impact matrix, balanced scorecard, expected value and others that can be used to determine the qualitative risk.

Quantitative risk analysis is the process of numerically analyzing the effect of potential risks. Even though there are other methods to create the numerical value of quantitative risk the primary tool is FMEA.

Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a tool that uses the 3 categories to create a numerical value for the potential risk.

The three categories are:

  • Severity – If the risk were to happen how severe would it be for you or your stakeholders?
  • Occurrence – How often does your team think the risk could potentially happen?
  • Detection – How confident are you in your systems ability to “detect and control” the risk if it were to occur?

Each of these three categories are rated using a value from 1-10. The ratings are defined in tables like the one below.

After rating each of the three categories the values are multiplied together to get an RPN (Risk Priority Number) that represents the significance of the risk. In the example below two of the potential risks of not meeting our customers’ on-time delivery expectations are above the acceptable RPN value.

The calculated RPN value represents the numerical value of the significance of the risk. You will define an RPN value that requires mitigation of the risk. In the case above we have defined an RPN value greater than 100 requires evaluation of action to reduce the risk.

The process above can seem complicated but after you have done it once you will find the process relatively easy.

There are many great references on risk management. One of my favorites is the “Risk Management – Memory Jogger”. These references can help you create a formal method for meeting the “Risk Based Thinking” requirements of AS9100D.

In part 3 of AS9100D tips on risk based thinking we will discuss how to mitigate, control and monitor unacceptable risk.

Paul Harbath is an industry expert with over 30 years of hands on experience in helping small manufacturers understand/implement quality management systems and lean/6-Sigma. Paul has a demonstrated ability to connect with the value adding employees by simplifying complex technical issues. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Risk based thinking and your quality system, part 1

By Paul Harbath, Quality Management Consultant

In a AS9100D “Risk Based Thinking” is considered a basic principle of an effective quality system. The concept of “preventive action” has been eliminated in AS9100D and replaced with “Risk Based Thinking”.

To meet this requirement your quality system must have evidence that the following happens regularly:

  • Identify potential risks in your quality management system
  • Analyze and evaluate the risks
  • Mitigate, control and monitor unacceptable risk

First let’s talk about ways to identify potential risks. Standard SWOT analysis, cause and effect diagram, affinity diagram or other brainstorming processes are all effective methods to identify potential risks. The key to identification is to consider your customers’ expectations and the potential risk of not meeting these requirements.

Let’s use a cause and effect diagram as an example. In the box on the right of the cause and effect diagram the effect is written. In our case the effect would be: “Not meeting our customer expectations”. Here’s an example of what the diagram might look like.

Remember that risk identification should include the key people in the organization. The leadership and possibly some of the key shop members should be part of the brainstorming. Also be sure that this evaluation is “retained as documented evidence” of your quality system. In most cases I would recommend that you make it part of your regular AS9100D management review.

There are many great references on risk management. One of my favorites is the “Risk Management – Memory Jogger”. These references can help you create a formal method for meeting the “Risk Based Thinking” requirements of AS9100D.

Paul Harbath is an industry expert with over 30 years of hands on experience in helping small manufacturers understand/implement quality management systems and lean/6-Sigma. Paul has a demonstrated ability to connect with the value adding employees by simplifying complex technical issues. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Four marketing action items for manufacturers

By Elena Garuc, Executive Director, FuzeHub

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, meeting customer demand isn’t enough. Small and mid-sized manufacturers must have a continuous pipeline of new sales in order to thrive and grow. However, it is becoming more challenging to connect with key decision makers to accomplish this.

Technology is constantly evolving and has changed how people communicate, research products and parts, and make purchasing decisions. In comparison to the past, your target audience now has more control over the sales process. The internet enables them to easily research information and pricing at the blink of an eye. Caller IDs, gatekeepers, spam filters, and “no soliciting” signs are making it more difficult for manufacturers to proactively connect with prospects. And the nonstop barrage of advertisements and sales pitches are making it more difficult to become memorable.

Developing a robust marketing program is crucial to increasing sales and sustaining growth. Here are four action items your business can take to improve your marketing outreach efforts.

1. Establish a Marketing Strategy: 

Before you start sending out e-blasts or tweeting, your marketing initiatives must be driven by a structured strategy. An organized marketing strategy provides companies with the necessary foundation required before moving forward. While the specific defined goals and objectives are unique to every manufacturer, businesses are typically looking to achieve the following:

  • Enhance brand awareness
  • Generate new leads
  • Convert leads into sales
  • Increase sales from current and former customers

It’s vital for manufacturers to have a strong marketing strategy in place, so take the time to identify your goals and create a calendar of your efforts. Your strategy should also be written down and communicated with key decision makers. It is also vital to include leveraging multiple marketing channels, as targets communicate in different ways.

2. Update your Website: 

Your website is essentially a “digital salesperson” for your organization. If your website isn’t consistently generating new leads and sales for your company, it’s time for an upgrade. A successful website does the following for your team:

  • Gets found by quality prospects when your products and services are looked for in search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.)
  • Establishes your industry credibility
  • Engages with and nurtures website visitors at all stages of your sales cycle
  • Depicts your brand in a positive light
  • Provides your team with data and analytics to help the sales process

In addition to dynamic graphics highlighting your brand, updating your website’s content is critical to digital success, as your content should provide a simple journey for your website visitors. Providing helpful information via checklists, white papers, blog entries, and eBooks will help you engage with your audience. Sharing case studies and testimonials validates your business.

Whether you have an internal marketing specialist or use an outside vendor, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) efforts will help you increase website traffic. In the age of smartphones, it is also imperative to have a mobile responsive design.

3. Embrace Social Media: 

Social networking is no longer a fad – it’s a regular method of communication and conducting business. Social media platforms can help your team connect with new prospects, showcase your products, share content, and increase your website traffic. Here are some ways manufacturers can use the most popular social media sites:

  • LinkedIn – LinkedIn has a plethora of established networking groups where people can share information, ask questions, and network. By joining LinkedIn groups, you have an ability to connect with targeted leads and gain insight into industry news and trends.
  • Facebook – This is a great way to constantly engage with customers and prospects to share content, gain feedback, and upload pictures and videos to personalize your company.
  • Twitter – While it allows only 140 characters to share a message, Twitter is an easy way to quickly distribute company news and pictures.
  • Pinterest – This platform is very visually based, so companies can share pictures of their products, parts, and processes.
  • YouTube – From product reviews and product demonstrations for potential consumers, to quick FAQ videos for current customers, YouTube can help you connect with multiple audiences.

4. Rework your Email Marketing Communication: 

Your e-mails or eNewsletters require more substance than just shooting out your sales pitch and hoping for the best. People receive a superfluous amount of emails, so yours have to be targeted, personalized, and unique. Here are five quick tips to improve your e-mail outreach:

  • Branding – Your e-mail templates should be consistent with your brand. Incorporate your company’s logo, color scheme, and messaging into your e-mail communication.
  • Content – Share information that genuinely helps your target audience. Providing how-to tips, industry news, and solutions to their problems will help you establish your credibility. All e-mails should have a clear “call-to-action” at the end and include links to your website.
  • Scheduling – Sending out a single e-mail here and there makes it challenging for your audience to feel an ongoing connection with your company. Whether it’s monthly or quarterly, have a consistent email schedule and stick with it.
  • List Maintenance –  Individuals leave companies, organizations go out of business, and professionals get promotions. Consistently cleaning up incorrect e-mail records and adding new e-mails to your database will help you keep the list fresh.
  • Analyze Results – All email marketing software vendors enable you to evaluate the tracking results of an e-mail campaign including views, un-subscribes, and click activity. This information will help you when you’re developing content for follow-up or future campaigns.

Connect with the University of Utah MEP Center to get started!

This blog post originally appeared in the Manufacturing Innovation Blog.

Elena Garuc is the Executive Director of FuzeHub, New York State’s newest MEP Center. For over a decade, Elena has championed economic development initiatives and major marketing programs. In 2012, she was named to the Albany Business Review’s “40 Under 40”, a prestigious group of up-and-coming business leaders in New York’s Capital Region. Before joining FuzeHub, Elena served as Director of Communications and Marketing for the Center for Economic Growth (CEG), the NYMEP Center for the Capital Region. At CEG, she directed economic development initiatives and created successful programs such as an Upstate venture capital forum, biotechnology network, and technology roadmap portal. Today, Elena leads FuzeHub’s operations and works closely with its Board of Directors to realize strategic goals.