Think about bowling. The American kind. Where we, hopefully, roll the ball down the lane to knock over a set of 10 pins.As children, the bowling alley manager would kindly place bumpers in the alleys on each side of the lane to keep our balls from all falling in there and never hitting a pin. As we get better, the bumpers could be removed. We still put the ball in the alley every now and then, but at least most of our balls hit a pin &mdash; or several!The lessons from children&rsquo;s bowling are rich.We want them to try without massive frustration. As they get better and better, we remove the bumpers. If they backslide, we can again use the bumpers.You&rsquo;ve given your team mission, vision, and core values. You&rsquo;ve defined the strategy. And now it&rsquo;s time for them to execute that strategy. But how do you ensure they can be successful as they learn? Of course, by using bumpers.Bumpers for your strategy define what is in, and what is out, and provide a viable logic test for every attempt to execute the strategy. Is what we&rsquo;re doing within the bumpers? Are we forgetting about the guidelines and using company resources to pursue every great idea we have &mdash; even those well outside the bumpers?Even the highest performing organizations need bumpers. They define the outside limits of alignment. We do not need to march single file to the goal, but we also can&rsquo;t wonder aimlessly that general direction and expect success.This podcast suggests how you can capture those &ldquo;in the alley&rdquo; ideas for later consideration, if you choose to, but focuses on how and why the bumpers are important.Podcast: <a href="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/662058ea-8497-4a8b-9a54-40939ea145e7/Defining-20the-20Bumpers-20-204-11-22-203-43-20PM-converted.mp3">Download</a>

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ten-pin bowling

bowling

Think about bowling. The American kind. Where we, hopefully, roll the ball down the lane to knock over a set of 10 pins. As children, the bowling alley manager would kindly place bumpers in the alleys on each side of the lane to keep our balls from all falling in there and never hitting a pin. 

Lessons From Children Bowling

Overview
During this program we will discuss Respect for People in the Workplace. This is the type of respect that must be cultivated if you wish to create an environment where all groups can win; where the customer can win, where the management can win, and mostly where all the employees can win. We will define the three levels of respect for peop

Respect for people - A three-step practical approach

Overview
Move beyond incremental improvement — for yourself and your organization.
Do you believe most organizations could do a more effective job of improving? Most people say “Yes!”. The truth is, while many organizations believe they're good at improving, the reality most lack a deep understanding of what holistic and highly effective improvemen

Learn to see the invisible: Four steps to develop a new habit

Dive Brief:
The Trump administration reversed its decision to cut federal funding for 10 state Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers that support small and medium-sized manufacturers, following pushback from lawmakers and industry advocates.
Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride, who spearheaded a letter against the cuts to her state’s program as well

The Trump administration restored Manufacturing Extension Partnership funding. Will it stick?

Wasserstrom Company faces higher costs due to tariffs and plans to pass them to customers if the situation persists.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Wasserstrom Company President Brad Wasserstrom said his 120-year-old Columbus-based, family-run food service and supply business gets products from dozens of countries – with China, Mexico and Canada being the main t

Central Ohio company feeling the impacts of Trump tariffs

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RISK
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Session Handout: RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES: The Role of Risk Management in Quality Management Systems
Risk management is a cornerstone of an effective Quality Management System (QMS). It empowers organizations to anticipate challenges, protect quality,

RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES: The Role of Risk Management in Quality Management Systems

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which members of the team need to be an America Makes member?
The lead proposer must be a current America Makes member. Team members receiving federal funding must be an America Makes member paid in full by April 22, 2025.
Can a team submit more than one Project Proposal?
Yes, teams may submit more than one Project

Allied Additive Manufacturing Interoperability (AAMI) Program

Your organization faces unique and complex challenges that go well beyond simple fixes. Our expert consultants can work with you to assess where your organization is today, where you want to be, and the steps needed to reach your goals. They do this across the spectrum of disciplines that drive improvement within organizations - process , knowledge

Client Project Snapshots

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8 May 2025
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US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to rescind and modify a Biden-era rule that curbed the export of sophisticated AI chips, a spokeswoman for the Department of Commerce said on Wednesday.
The regulation was aimed at further restricting AI chip and technology exports, dividing up the world to keep advanced

Trump to rescind and replace Biden-era AI chip export curbs

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FEATURE – Learn how Lean Thinking and the establishment of Communities of Practice are transforming automotive reconditioning at Aramis Group.
Words: Rémi Pigeol
In an industrial environment that’s constantly evolving, performance is no longer just about technical optimization. To stay competitive, we need to develop, share, and capitalize on knowl

From isolated to collective intelligence

Steve Murphy, CEO of Epicor, said he believes artificial intelligence (AI) has passed the Turing test, 75 years after Alan Turing posed the philosophical standards.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can do many things, from analyzing and sorting data to suggesting where you should eat in a new city.
But has it passed the Turing test, a philosophical tes

Epicor Insights 2025: Has AI successfully met the requirements of the Turing test?

Why this article is worth your time ...
Custom strategies by asset type: Tailor maintenance approaches to asset criticality — reactive for low-cost, simple equipment, preventive for moderately critical assets and predictive for high-value, complex machinery.
AI’s transformative role: AI enhances predictive maintenance by analyzing data at scale, de

Striking the Balance: Tailoring Maintenance Strategies for Optimal Efficiency

Top PFAS consulting companies are becoming vital for manufacturers navigating a dynamic regulatory environment. PFAS — or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances — are synthetic chemicals prized for their resistance to heat, water and grease. These qualities make them common in industrial coatings and nonstick products. However, these same properties

The Benefits of Hiring a PFAS Consulting Company

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Nobody likes change. I know if you do anything that changes my routine in the morning, my whole day is whacked. We all hate change. Heck, most of us hate getting change at the grocery store because of all those coins.
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As a leader, though, your job is to get others to want to change.
Getting other leaders to be open to change is h

How Leaders Can Overcome Resistance to Change

A joint session with NVIDIA Robotics and Vention leaders Monday afternoon will explore how MachineMotion AI and Isaac Manipulator enable next-gen AI automation—from bin picking to adaptive part handling and 3D vision
Vention, creator of the world's only full-stack software and hardware automation platform, will unveil major product innovations and

Vention Leads the Future of Automation at Automate 2025 with AI-Powered Bin-Picking Robot and Motion Control Systems Accelerated by NVIDIA

OVERVIEW
Looking for excellence and how to maintain it? Look no further than the AME Hampton Roads 2025 Lean Summit!
The AME Southeastern Board is beyond thrilled to welcome you to Newport News, VA, from May 6-8, 2025. Get ready to make waves and set the standard for excellence.
This year’s summit is packed with two inspiring keynote presentations,