This isn’t quite a reason to break out the champagne. Currently, women account for around 47% of the general workforce, meaning the industry is still lagging behind many others. But it does, at least, provide a strong platform from which manufacturing companies can build a more gender-balanced future.

A whole new world: As for what’s driving this progress, there are several factors at play. Certainly, the perception of manufacturing as a dirty, dingy world is on the wane. Instead, word is spreading that the industry is now more about automation than perspiration. Meanwhile, the rigid technical jobs of the past have been replaced by more contemporary roles centered around innovation, problem-solving, adaptability and collaboration. These characteristics are, historically at least, more in line with what female workers look for in a career.

PROMOTED: In its own way, COVID-19 helped too. Despite the disruption to operations and supply chains, the pandemic shone new light on the vital role manufacturers play in our daily lives — everything from putting food on the table to providing vital medicines and household goods. This, in turn, has made more people (both male and female) consider the industry as somewhere they can build a meaningful long-term career.

There are other positive changes as well. The growing focus on teaming, experimentation, attention to detail and hybrid working is making manufacturing feel like a more modern and inclusive place to work for all. In education, STEM subjects are not the male-dominated environment they used to be and, as a result, we’re seeing more women take on roles in engineering, quality control, product design and more. And while there is still work to do when it comes to creating more gender-balanced management teams — currently only one in four manufacturing leaders is female — these figures too are heading in the right direction.

Source:

Just-in-time supply chains took a lot of heat during the pandemic after empty shelves laid bare the pitfalls of ordering as little inventory as possible in the name of efficiency.

But, with retailers now struggling with inventory glut and overstocked warehouses, could the lean operating model be making a comeback?

Experts are mixed: While some believe that just-in-time has no place in the supply chains of the future, others say a modified version of the strategy will still be necessary to maintain resilience while keeping costs down.

Supply Chain Dive reached out to three experts in supply chain management to ask: Did the pandemic kill just-in-time? Here are their responses, which may be edited for length and clarity.

Lisa Anderon: CEO of LMA Consulting

Just-in-time is not dead; however, the days of taking the concept literally and ordering inventory to arrive ‘just in time’ is dead. The just-in-time concept has always accounted for common sense decisions. For example, if ordering strategic inventory from China, you should account for likely demand and supply volatility and stockpile inventory appropriately. With that said, most businesses were completely focused on efficiencies prior to the pandemic and took just-in-time literally, assuming the supply chain would continue to support their needs. They went through the motions of assessing risk, but did not adjust their inventory profiles and were left empty handed during the pandemic.

Executives have realized that the supply chain is a system of systems, and no one can control the end-to-end supply chain, let alone their link in the supply chain. Instead of living on hope, they are assessing supply chain risk, reevaluating their supply chain footprint, dual sourcing key products or materials and determining where to locate strategic capacity and inventory to support changing demand patterns. As a pending recession is looming, smart executives are tightening their control over inventory while still accounting for their risk, footprint and customer conditions. As companies reshore, nearshore, expand capacities and rollout advanced technologies, supply chains will reshape for the future.

If companies are following the literal just-in-time methodology, they will wind down during this reshaping process. It will not be for the faint of heart as it will require taking on risk, reconfiguring and expanding where it makes sense, and investing in inventory to support customer success. On the other hand, for those following the just-in-time concept, they will incorporate the these changing conditions and right-size their inventory to support profitable growth.

Abe Eshkenazi: CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management

The just-in-time system worked so well in the past thanks to dependable and stable conditions. But the pandemic blew a fuse, revealing flaws to just-in-time. Just-in-time promotes efficiency and product quality, but sometimes at the expense of resilience, and therefore isn’t always equipped to manage the turbulence of global events, like COVID-19, weather disasters and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. That’s one of the reasons why we saw disorder and disruptions begin to take over supply chains in 2020 and why we’ve been working to catch up ever since.

Now,  are pivoting from just-in-time to just-in-case to circumvent liability. Just-in-case is a system which depends on extra stock and buffers for high-demand products to maintain business continuity. This is another outcome of lockdowns and the ensuing changes in consumers’ shopping behaviors.

While just-in-case has value, that’s not to say that companies should completely abandon just-in-time as inventory levels remain elevated. A modified version of just-in-time can be beneficial where companies only stockpile certain vulnerable items to avoid fallout from potential disruptions. Clearly consumers still have an expectation of high variety, rapid delivery and reasonable cost that defined just-in-time supply chains.

Overall, just-in-time improves processes, raises standards and increases the quality of goods, resulting in stronger relationships between companies and consumers. Therefore, when applied strategically, a flexible just-in-time system should promote the resiliency and agility needed to navigate shifts in supply demands. The pandemic taught us many lessons and moving forward we can expect companies to reconsider how they implement just-in-time.

Jason Miller: Associate professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University and interim chairperson for Eli Broad College of Business’ Department of Supply Chain Management

The rhetoric that the COVID-19 pandemic killed just-in-time doesn’t accurately capture the dynamics. What we are seeing is the decision to reevaluate safety inventory levels.

Safety inventories are a function of uncertainty of demand as well as uncertainty of supply (specifically uncertainty of lead time from suppliers for full order quantities). COVID-19 has exacerbated both forms of uncertainty, which results in companies holding more safety inventories to achieve the same target service levels. As we see supply chains normalize through 2023 (barring some other massive shock), we would expect companies to reduce their levels of safety inventory to correspond to the “new normal” levels of demand and supply uncertainty.

Another dynamic the COVID-19 pandemic brought about was chronic shortages encouraged customers to engage in “gaming” behaviors where they intentionally over-ordered from suppliers because they feared suppliers wouldn’t be able to fulfill all demand and, instead, would be forced to allocate products to customers based on the percentage of order quantity. For example, if I suspect my supplier will only fulfill 80% of demand and I expect to sell 400 units, I place an order for 500 units.

Beyond needing to reset safety inventories and gaming, forecasting also became far more difficult once the COVID-19 hit. Greater forecast inaccuracy, especially over-projecting demand growth, caused many retailers to over-order inventories, which caused a glut of inventory in some sectors.

Source:

CDC streamlines COVID-19 guidance to help the public better protect themselves and understand their risk

Press Release

Embargoed Until: Thursday, August 11, 2022, 3:00 PM ET
Contact: 
(404) 639-3286

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is streamlining its COVID-19 guidance to help people better understand their risk, how to protect themselves/others, what actions to take if exposed and what measures to take if they are sick and/or test positive for the virus. COVID-19 continues to circulate globally, however, with so many tools for reducing the severity of the virus, there is significantly less risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death as compared to the early days of the pandemic.

“We’re in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools—like vaccination, boosters, and treatments—to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19,” said Greta Massetti, PhD, MPH, MMWR author. “We also have a better understanding of how to protect people from being exposed to the virus, like wearing high-quality masks, testing, and improved ventilation.  This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”

In support of this update the CDC is:

• Continuing to promote the importance of being  to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Protection provided by the current vaccine against symptomatic infection and transmission is less than that against severe disease and diminishes over time, especially against the currently circulating variants. For this reason, it is important to stay up to date, especially as new vaccines become available.
• Updating its guidance for people who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines on what to do if exposed to someone with COVID-19.  This is consistent with the existing guidance for people who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
• Recommending that instead of quarantining if you were exposed to COVID-19, you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5.
• Reiterating that regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19.
  • You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
    • If your results are positive, follow CDC’s full isolation recommendations.
    • If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
• Recommending that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
  • If after 5 days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5.
  • Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
  • You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10.
• Recommending that if you had  (if you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing) or  (you were hospitalized) due to COVID-19 or you have a weakened immune system, you need to isolate through day 10.
• Recommending that if you had  or have a weakened immune system, consult your doctor before ending isolation. Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for you. If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
• Clarifying that after you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms worsen, restart your isolation at day 0. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
• Recommending screening testing of asymptomatic people without known exposures will no longer be recommended in most community settings.
• Emphasizing that physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others.  It is important to consider the risk in a particular setting, including local COVID-19 Community Levels and the important role of ventilation, when assessing the need to maintain physical distance.

Actions to take will continue to be informed by the , launched in February. CDC will continue to focus efforts on preventing severe illness and post-COVID conditions, while ensuring everyone have the information and tools, they need to lower their risk.

This updated guidance is intended to apply to community settings. In the coming weeks the CDC will work to align stand-alone guidance documents, such as those for healthcare settings, congregate settings at higher risk of transmission, and travel, with today’s update.

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Early last week, a surge in COVID-19 cases led Chinese manufacturing hubs Shenzhen and Changchun to impose restrictions, including introducing stay-at-home orders and halting production at many electronics and auto factories, another blow to the latest threat to the world’s battered supply chain.

On March 16, more than 37 million people were in lockdown, but some facilities in those areas have since resumed production.

China is facing the biggest wave of COVID-19 infections since Wuhan became the original center of the pandemic in early 2020. Several local governments have resorted to the same playbook used over the past two years to stamp out new outbreaks by ordering large-scale shutdowns and mass testing.

Xi still urged officials to curb the spread of infection as soon as possible and said the central government would hold local officials accountable if they fail to respond to outbreaks promptly, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

However, Xi said China must “strive to achieve the biggest prevention and control effect with the smallest cost, and minimize the impact of the COVID situation on economic and social development,” Xinhua reported.

On Thursday, China reported 2,432 cases, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections.

Hong Kong also has faced a record surge in COVID-19 cases and the world’s highest death rate, prompting authorities there to impose strict restrictions.

Sources: Wall Street Journal, Observer.com

Steve Flann, who oversees the clinic and pharmacy, said the company participates in the same reporting system as every Iowa health care facility. He said the on-site service makes it easier for Vermeer to track potential outbreaks.

Source: KCCI | Member since 1998 |

Check out the registration list, learn more about speakers, and explore convention opportunities at .

Oklahoma’s COVID-19 case count in late September was 41 percent lower than the Aug. 30 case count, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH).

In a 30-day period that ended Sept. 27, 91 percent of hospitalizations from COVID-19 occurred in people who were not vaccinated.

“With a decrease in overall cases, breakthrough infections and hospitalizations over the past month, combined with the rollout of the booster dose for eligible populations, I’m hopeful that our state will continue to see positive progress in our pandemic response,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye.

This news from the host state of our Marketing & Distribution Convention coincides with research findings from event planning firm Freeman that “you are dramatically less likely to contract COVID-19 at a business event than by simply performing day-to-day activities such as grocery shopping.”

The mid-August research, which Freeman conducted in partnership with Epistemix, a modeling software company that develops simulations to fight disease, found that infection rates at business events were as much as 95 percent lower than the average across the U.S. over the same time period.

Data from August, which was collected from two dozen cities considered key event venues, show an infection rate at business events of less than a tenth of a percent, Epistemix found.

Among key factors reducing the risk:

• Business event attendees tend to be vaccinated (80 percent at the time of the study);
• Events are relatively isolated and controlled;
• Attendees value the in-person networking and take steps to assure it can continue.

The Association will honor COVID-19 protocols established by the Omni Oklahoma City as well as city, county, and state requirements. As of today, that means we will host the convention without masks or distancing requirements. We will, of course, honor the wishes of attendees who prefer to keep a distance or take extra precautions.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Friday that the measures remain in place to “minimize the spread of COVID-19, including the Delta variant.”

Fully vaccinated Americans have been able to enter Canada for non-essential visits since Aug. 9.

Some Canadians, especially those with loved ones in the U.S., have expressed frustration that they are still unable to drive across the border.

Air travel to the U.S. is allowed with certain conditions, including proof of a negative COVID-19 test or proof that the traveler has recovered from a COVID-19 infection in the past 90 days.

The restrictions on non-essential travel at the U.S. border have been in place since March 2020.

In the days preceding the decision, lobbyists, lawmakers and border mayors implored the Biden administration to ease restrictions on non-essential travel. But officials haven’t budged even as other countries gradually open to Americans.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said agency working groups are looking at how to reopen the borders.

“The interagency working groups are currently developing a policy process, and we will be ready when it is the right time to consider reopening travel. And that’ll be guided, as always, by the science and the public health,” Zients said.

Earlier media accounts suggest the administration will mandate vaccinations for almost all foreign visitors to the U.S., though a final plan had not been determined.

Sources: CNN, NewsNation USA

“We are very pleased to gradually and responsibly open up,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. He said the decision to allow fully vaccinated Americans to visit Canada before tourists from other countries “is in recognition of our unique bond, especially between border communities.”

American citizens and permanent residents will need to provide proof of their full vaccination status, with their last dose taking place at least two weeks before their arrival, and must not have any COVID-19 symptoms, officials said. They will also be required to present evidence of an approved negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival in Canada. Officials said that starting Aug. 9, they won’t require follow-up tests from people who are fully vaccinated unless they are selected for random testing.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to say Monday whether it planned to renew or modify its own border restrictions with Canada. The two countries must decide by Wednesday whether to renew their shared border restrictions for another month, as they have done since March 2020, or modify them.

Source: Wall Street Journal

The agency said it will follow up with separate guidance for workers in manufacturing.

Initial communication on the order suggested it would apply to all industries, but Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said “the science tells us that health care workers, particularly those who come in regular contact with the virus, are most at risk in the pandemic.”

The ETS has been submitted to the Office of the Federal Register. It addresses sanitation, time off for illness or vaccinations, anti-retaliation measures, and personal protective equipment while working with COVID-19 patients.

Source: Business Insurance

On Jan. 21, the day after his inauguration, President Biden ordered OSHA to produce new COVID guidance by the end of January. He also ordered that OSHA issue emergency standards by March 15.

OHSA hit the first deadline but skipped the second.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, who was appointed March 23, is believed to have delayed the standards because the issue they were designed to address was fading as an emergency. Walsh said he suspended the rules’ issuance because the proposed standard did not “reflect the latest scientific analysis of the state of the disease.”

Perhaps new scientific analysis jumpstarted the effort, but that is not clear.

What we know is that OSHA has sent a draft of the ETS to the White House office charged with reviewing the rules, and the rules will be published no later than June.

Attorney A. Scott Hecker said that as more Americans get the vaccine, it becomes more difficult to make the case that an “emergency standard is necessary to protect employees from grave danger.”

Beyond being forced to deal with the passage of time and increasing vaccination numbers, OSHA will need to justify its change in position regarding the need for an ETS, Hecker said.

The ETS will apply only in states that follow federal OSHA regulations, including Texas and Florida, which are among the states on the forefront of rolling back COVID-related risk mitigation protocols, including reduction of mask requirements.

Source: EHS Today