Warehouse Automation and Shipping Solution Software
“Prevention must create an environment where the workforce feels a part of the solution.” – Felix Nater
On 3/26/20, @FelixNater guest-hosted #USAMfgHour and focused on educating participants about workplace violence prevention, a very important topic for today’s manufacturing community.
On 3/19/20, Jennifer Ratcliff of Manufacturer’s News, Inc. (@MfrsNews) was scheduled to discuss sales and business development for this #USAMfgHour chat; however, she opted to focus on a much more timely topic: Coronavirus.
After introductions, we jumped into the chat with Jennifer, asking what impact participants have been seeing on their marketing, sales, and business development efforts. @NJ_MEP said, “We’re seeing a massive impact. New Jersey manufacturers are turning to us for support in this confusing time, and we welcome it. However, most of our normal services have been put on hold and nearly all resources have been shifted to provide #COVID19 support.” Others indicated that they have seen a small slow down in sales and business development.
#USAMfgHour Recap: How Manufacturers Can Develop Their Brands
“With the onset of social media and various new marketing tools available for manufacturing companies, it is imperative in this digital age that businesses utilize at least some of these options to improve brand awareness.” – @MFGTalk Radio
On 3/12/20 Chris Giglio of Manufacturing Talk Radio (@MFGTalkRadio) hosted a #USAMfgHour chat about brand development for manufacturing companies, and, after brief introductions by participants, he asked what tools and services they are using to increase their brand awareness. Top answers included social media platforms, PPC, digital and traditional advertising, videos, podcasting, trade shows, hosted events, branded materials, blogging, and newsletters. @NJMEP said that Google Alerts are great for reputation monitoring and @amatrol mentioned using SEMRush as a scheduler and tool for monitoring SEO and other metrics. [Other scheduler options: Hootsuite, AgoraPulse, Sprout Social, Meet Edgar, Strawberry Social, Social Bee, Later, and Planoly.]
On 3/5/20 Jennifer Wegman of Service Caster Corporation (@SERVICECASTER) hosted a #USAMfgHour chat about leadership and work-life balance on behalf of Bill Garland (@BillGarlandSpkr), who had a last-minute conflict and couldn’t appear live.
After brief introductions by participants, several of whom were new to the chat, we were off and running. The first item on Bill’s agenda was morning routines that prepare oneself mentally for the day ahead. Not surprisingly, coffee was a popular response. Other responses included journaling, meditating, taking a walk, spending time with family or pets, and early workouts. @AxisNJ said, “I usually take a few minutes to plan the day ahead, and look forward with a positive attitude!” This sentiment was seconded by many of the respondents.
On 2/27/20, Joanna Johnston of @EstesGroup led our #USAMfgHour chat on a very important and informative topic: ERP and Manufacturing IT Security. Joanna shared the following startling statistic from Verizon’s 2019 Cyber Report to start off the chat and then asked what participant companies are doing to keep their IT systems safe.
#USAMfgHour Chat Recap for February 20, 2020, Recap written by Jennifer Wegman
This week, Dan Bigger of @CVTPlastics hosted a #USAMfgHour chat focused on sales and relationship-building.
After introductions by the participants, which included what they do and the industries they primarily sell to, Dan started the chat by asking which CRM (customer relationship management) systems they use and what their recommended follow-up time frames are. Act! Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Streak were among the tools mentioned by participants for tracking their leads. All the participants had different follow-up procedures. Some reach out fairly consistently while others follow predetermined schedules such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly, based on whether the lead is “hot” or “cold”. But @AxisNJ’s comment that, “…it is key to keep in touch continuously even if a project is set to move later on,” summed up the topic nicely.
Why Manufacturers Should Be Leveraging PR, Recap written by Jennifer Wegman
In this #USAMfgHour chat on 2-13-20, Michelle Garrett (@PRisUS) of Garrett Public Relations hosted a chat all about how manufacturers can leverage PR to market their businesses.
After brief introductions that let participants get to know a little bit about the people behind the branded accounts, Michelle was off and running, asking whether participants are including public relations in their marketing mixes. The majority of people mentioned being active in their community through events such as Manufacturing Day, but they don’t do much beyond that. Michelle concurred, stating that few manufacturing and industrial companies have a PR strategy in place despite the fact that most buyers do research on a company online before buying, and that many are 70% through their buying process before contacting a supplier.
As a woman in business, I bring an emotional intelligence and people-first perspective to everything I do. After decades in the automation and supply chain industry, I’ve also developed a practical, experience-based understanding of how technology and people intersect—and how they should support one another.
Our company provides software powered by wireless technology that eliminates the need for manual data entry in inventory control, shipping, materials management, and operations. Yes, there’s an investment involved. But the return is measurable and meaningful. The real question isn’t whether technology costs money—it’s this: when should a human solve an operational challenge, and when should technology?
