Listening is more than a social nicety. In today’s world, leaders and companies that want to achieve great things must have keen listening skills in order to succeed. Certainly the winners in this year’s Manufacturing Awards program have demonstrated their recognition of this fact.
For instance, Toray Industries (America) Inc. developed a new product when snack food makers noticed that pretzel and chip bags were exploding in airplane cargo holds thanks to the extreme pressure changes that occur with cross-country flights. In fact, the North Kingstown maker of precision-performance films says that at least 50 percent of new product ideas come from sales-team members, who are themselves in consistent and regular contact with customers.
Thanks to significant growth, The Town Dock’s leaders have recognized the need to combat the formation of organizational silos. So regular meetings are held in order for employees from the various disciplines to talk to one another, especially when a new product line is launched.
VIBCO Inc.’s dedication to lean manufacturing is built on communication. Daily meetings to identify “hidden factories” – processes that are obstacles to efficiency and improvement – depend on workers being forthright and incisive in their discussions. Only then can the company overcome them and maintain its path of continuous improvement.
Communication is a cornerstone of collaboration, and many of this year’s honorees are experts at collaborating, whether it’s about creating the latest innovation at Amtrol Inc. or the Manufacturing Center of Excellence’s series of workplace learning programs, which is supported by The Brickle Group and The Phoenix Partnership of Providence.
Sure, progress is driven by expert execution on great ideas. But if no one communicates on either end of this equation, there can be no movement forward.
Without our sponsors, the Manufacturing Awards program would not exist, so thank you once again. Polaris MEP is the presenting sponsor once again, while our partner sponsors are Bryant University; Cox Business; Gallo/Thomas Insurance; and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses.
