Enhancing Operational Efficiency While Boosting Morale

This article appeared in the April 2025 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

Michigan manufacturers experience a wide variety of challenges in every department. Improving any of the key areas of your business — process, talent development and training, equipment, technology and so on — takes understanding and investment.

Fortunately, Michigan manufacturers are not alone. There are resources available to help educate and colleagues willing to collaborate.

“We all deal with a lot of similar struggles and issues,” says Patrick Curry, President of Saginaw-based Fullerton Tool Company. “The best way to resolve them is by collaborating and working together on common goals.”

Curry, who has helped lead Fullerton for over 30 years, has seen it all during his time and understands the value of collaboration. He says investing in technology and discovering efficiencies for training and skills development are two vital areas where manufacturing leaders could benefit from additional resources.

Support for Technology Integration

Costs and time for research often deter smaller businesses from implementing new technologies.

Business leaders may recognize that their businesses could benefit from artificial intelligence or other technology integrations but the research aspect can be overwhelming.

• How do they articulate the solution that they need?
• How do they research it?
• How do they implement it?
• Which solution will give them the greatest ROI?

An inability to answer these questions or the lack of time to perform the research can deter smaller businesses from leveraging the power of automation but, more often than not, the research is already available. Businesses may only need a hand in identifying which solution is the best for them.

The Industry 4.0 Accelerator, powered by Lean Rocket Lab and Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, in Jackson supports Michigan manufacturers in adopting Industry 4.0 solutions. It offers access to a cross-disciplinary partner network of investors, accelerators, international trade agencies, manufacturing associations and economic development organizations. The organization has evaluated 500 companies in 15 countries to curate a set of technology solutions that can help other businesses solve their challenges, says i4.0 Accelerator Expert in Residence Joe LaRussa, who has extensive experience in optimizing manufacturing strategies and launching new products.

Adopting new technologies and evolving internal processes can be daunting and getting started is often the hardest step. Before a solution is developed, identifying and defining the goal or challenge is a great place to start. Luckily, there are resources available for manufacturers of all sizes.

“We cut out all the weeks and months of industrial research that needs to happen for a company to convince themselves that they’ve found something that will work,” LaRussa says, adding that all a business has to do is define the problem. “We’ve already evaluated all these different companies and technologies.”

In addition to time for research, cost is another factor that could detract small businesses from investing in automation. However, LaRussa says there are right-sized solutions for small and medium businesses, adding that people are often surprised about how affordable technology is.

“Not everybody can afford to spend millions on automation, and you don’t have to spend millions,” says LaRussa, who also is the mayor of Farmington and owner of Supremo Consulting.

Through i4.0 Accelerator, businesses with 500 employees or less can apply for a state-funded grant of $25,000 that will subsidize the purchase of technology. That $25,000 can pay for many different types of technologies, which can then spur additional ideas and lead to other possibilities, he says.

“When you read about all the big players doing huge robotic solutions, it’s very easy to fall into a false perception that automation is expensive or unaffordable,” LaRussa says. “Yes, it costs money, but can you afford an investment that might pay back in a year or less and provide you with a long-term solution to a painful problem on your shop floor?”

Production and Talent Development Resources

Workforce development is a critical issue for all Michigan manufacturers facing the challenges of acquiring new talent and developing effective training resources. Just like Industry 4.0 adoption, there are resources available and colleagues willing to collaborate.

Fullerton has developed the Fullerton Advanced Solutions Team (FAST) Academy for application engineers, customers, partners and team members who may need insights to make decisions about equipment and processes. The 20-hour program shows participants how to enhance efficiency and reduce costs by choosing tools and solutions they might not have considered, as well as how to apply the tools correctly.

“It’s very interactive,” Curry says. “We give them a blueprint of a part, and then we basically help them utilize our website to select tools to machine the part and come up with speeds and feeds. Then we actually have a machine in our shop where they go out and run and make the parts. That’s what’s exciting for the customers.”

He adds that they also partner with other companies to provide these trainings, which can save businesses a significant amount of time and money.

“Nobody likes to waste time testing something that doesn’t work, and it will cost money when they have to scrap the part,” Curry says, adding that choosing the right options can save time during production. “In some cases, we’ve saved customers up to $800,000 because they went from three tools to one tool.”

How you apply a tool could save minutes off cycle time, and if you’re making 10,000 parts a week, that’s a lot of money, Curry says, adding that this is an example of material that is discussed through the Academy.

“You have to think differently on how to machine a part, and we can help you with that,” Curry says.

Fullerton also has created Fullerton Tool University (FTU), which trains current and future employees about technical tasks, how to enhance efficiency and how to leverage automation. Through this program, they partner with Edge Factor to provide varying levels of training, such as how to measure and inspect tools.

“They have some great videos and trainings on soft skills and leadership development,” Curry says, noting that inspiring training courses can encourage employees to remain in a certain business throughout their careers.

Retaining talent is a challenge in many businesses, as the consistency of staying in one place for many years is no longer the norm. Investing in employees’ soft skills, leadership skills and financial literacy — and allowing them to see how their careers can advance — can encourage them to stay with a business for the long-term, he says.

“You have to give them the tools and the training they need to be successful,” Curry says.

Readily available education and technology solutions can complement the workforce without the need for extensive time to research, LaRussa adds, but coupling those solutions with long-term business strategies is essential for future growth.

“When you’re in an operations mode, it’s hard to set aside the things that are urgent to do the things that are important,” LaRussa says. “But, nonetheless, leaders have to think beyond the end of the shift. You have to get your frontline leadership thinking about the end of the day. The first-line supervisors need to be thinking about the end of the week. The managers need to be thinking about the end of the month, and the leadership needs to be thinking about the end of the year.”

Industry leaders who work together to create innovative ideas for training and technology implementation solutions to keep pace with modern trends may find themselves reaping the rewards, as well as laying foundations for success for employees and other manufacturing businesses.

Have a manufacturing story to tell? E-mail communications@mimfg.org.