Kiosk Industry Trends

kiosksAs technology revolutionizes our daily lives, more and more variations of technology are being created to cater to different needs. One of those technologies is kiosks. Kiosks have been around for hundreds of years and have become more and more innovative in recent years. Kiosks first started out by being a separated pavilion used as a standalone building or structure for a place of relaxation and a view. In more recent years, the idea of a separated structure for a single purpose transformed to a designated booth or window that had one sole purpose of displaying or selling goods and services. Now technology has  has modernized the concept and applied the idea to multiple industries and have become interactive bringing convenience and ease of operation for the user.  Here is a list of some of the more common kiosks that are around these days: Continue reading

5 Steps: How to Manufacture a Product

Being a manufacture of thousands of products, we have come across customers who have been in business just as long as we have and  the process of manufacturing products comes second nature. Then there is the customer who has all their ducks in a row, and it’s their first time actually creating their first prototype. But, then there’s the customer who has just come up with this great idea, and comes in with his idea written on a napkin. We’ve seen it all…literally. So we thought we would put this blog post together that will be a road map for those who either need some guidance into manufacturing their parts, who need assistance in where to start before getting parts manufactured, and a hand for those who are looking to bring their product back to the US and need some refreshers of working with US manufacturers. Continue reading

Manufacturing Industry: Skill Gap & Gender Gap

Women-in-ManufacturingOver the past 20 years, the manufacturing industry in the US has evolved greatly due to the increase in global and international business. Since companies have gone overseas for manufacturing to lessen labor and material costs, there has also been another shift taking place that no one really talks about. It is the shift involving job skills and gender, which has impacted the manufacturing industry as a whole just as outsourcing overseas has. Since manufacturing jobs have gone overseas in the last couple decades, there has been less of a demand for people to go out and  find manufacturing jobs, and less of a demand to get a degree in engineering or math. This has caused a huge shortage for companies who are seeking skilled workers to perform manufacturing jobs. As a metal fabricator, here at VIP, we can completely relate to this issue and being able to find skilled workers.

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Shifts in American Manufacturing

Since the recession, the United States has slowly but surely been making a comeback to the manufacturing sector. Over the past year or two, China has been increasing their labor wages, causing many US companies to return their manufacturing to the states. Together with the increasing wages and the rising costs of shipping and transportation, sourcing in China has now become a burden for many US companies. Intellectual property has also become a source of concern when sending new products to be manufactured overseas who do not comply with the same type of intellectual ownership laws. Places like China are using other countries intellectual property to recreate the product elsewhere and sell it as their own. This has definitely become a huge burden for some American companies. In addition, over recent years the US has increased productivity in creating businesses and trying to maintain a steady economy. Not to mention the value of the US dollar has slowly diminished, which is also a burden to many US companies who invest overseas. Together, the US is beginning to see a shift in where their manufacturing dollars are going. Companies are beginning to rethink their supply chain management and how they can leverage local resources to bring their business back to the states.

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