June 2008 Archives

on June 30, 2008 TrackBacks (1)

Yue needs some help applying for a patent for his Pattern Clock: "I wrote a non-provisonal patent by myself, so we know it's bad. We know it's really bad." Luckily, as MORE Program Director Jessica Pfeiffer explained to the Detroit Free Press, "We're here to be mentors and provide helpful connections between entrepreneurs in Ann Arbor and Detroit."

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The MORE Program at the University of Michigan does more for young entrepreneurs than just give them grant money. Yue Fan said that "the MORE Program is a program that helps students get experience and get knowledge in starting their own companies."

Yue needs some help applying for a patent for his Pattern Clock: "I wrote a non-provisonal patent by myself, so we know it's bad. We know it's really bad." Luckily, as MORE Program Director Jessica Pfeiffer explained to the Detroit Free Press, "We're here to be mentors and provide helpful connections between entrepreneurs in Ann Arbor and Detroit." Connections such as possibly finding a good patent attorney.

Yue told me more about his activities with the MORE Program: "We have weekly meetings and we get to ask the directors, Brian[Balasia] and Jessica [Pfeiffer] for advice at any time [...] during our weekly meetings we get to bring up what resources we need and what we're kind of getting stuck on that they'll work to find the resources we need to keep going."

"Every week we meet, one team gives a presentation about what they're doing so we learn a little bit more about eachother and we learn a little bit more about what we might run into as we progress along."

So where has Yue progressed to now? He's considering advertising the Pattern Clock on New York City radio. Although it would cost him $3,600, which seems like it would be a lot of money, the advertising would "make about 500,000 impressions."

"It's amazing how effective radio advertising can be," said Yue.

Anybody can pre-order the Pattern Clock through the website. He's already gotten 1,000 pre-orders, of which "a few hundred" were in the first few days after being "featured on gizmodo.com, a tech blog, and other blogs." About the large amount of pre-orders, Yue said, "it's a pretty good indicator that people want to buy this."

Yue Fan, his Pattern Clock, and the MORE Program, Part I

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on June 29, 2008 TrackBacks (1) Comments (1)

When I asked Yue what he will do with his $5,000 grant from the MORE program, he told me: "right now, we're saving up for the possibly very expensive lawyer and attorney fees for pursuing a patent."

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On Thursday I posted an entry called Michigan's MisadVenture Capital in which I detailed Michigan's poor venture capital and planned "to examine how universities such as the University of Michigan present opportunities for their students to navigate their way through the early stages of bringing innovation to market." Recently, I met with Yue Fan, who just finished his second year at UM, to talk about his invention, the Pattern Clock.

According to the website, www.patternclock.com, "Pattern Clock is an alarm clock that can not be turned off until the sleeper can repeat back a randomely generated pattern of lights." More information on how it works can be found here, and you can pre-order it (with no obligations) on his home page.

I remember talking to Yue about his Pattern Clock two years ago when we were both seniors at Ann Arbor Huron High. Of course, back then it wasn't much more than an idea. When I saw his picture in the June 23rd Detroit Free Press, I decided to ask him about the process that he has gone through with his innovation.

The Detroit Free Press article highlighted Yue and as one of the students run through the MORE Program. When I asked Yue what he will do with his $5,000 grant from the program, which is run through the University of Michigan, he told me: "right now, we're saving up for the possibly very expensive lawyer and attorney fees for pursuing a patent." He went on to say, "If you want to make a lot of money from [an idea] and have a successful company formed you should probably first check [...] to make sure you can get patent protection, because without it anybody can copy your product. If it's a consumer product it's very easy to copy and you will be forced out of the market by more experienced and bigger manufacturers."

I also asked him if he had ever searched Google for "How do I get money for my invention?" His reply was "Well, I think I might have searched for that exact phrase before. But mostly what you'll get is a site that tells you all the extents you have go through, and at the end it tells you that all of this, it's pretty unlikely to happen."

"We [Yue has gotten help from David Karlak and David Han, who attend Savannah College of Art and Design and Wharton School, respectively] did meet with a very nice banker at Comerica bank, and the problem with that is that we're still in school, and if somehow something goes horribly wrong, we're going to be graduating with more than $100,000, plus tuition, on our back. We don't feel that at this point in life its worth the risk."

As for getting monetary contributions from his family, he said, "I think I might have some rich, distant relatives, but I have no idea who they are."

Yue's opinion on what you should do to start a business? "If you go to the University of Michigan, you should contact [MORE Program Directors] Brian [Balasia] and Jessica [Pfeiffer], or go to the website, www.themoreprogram.com."

Michigan's MisadVenture Capital

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on June 26, 2008 Comments (2)

What's worse is that, of all the (meager) investments done by Michigan-based venture capital firms in the first three quarters of 2001, only 5.9% of those investments were given to Michigan-based companies!

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Filed under: Financing | Start-Ups | Venture Capital

When trying to bring an innovatoion to market, one of the largest issues is always money. True, there can be design, manufacturing and production issues, too, but those can usually be solved with time and money. And time can be bought.

So how does a fledgling company get money? There's always venture capital, right? Well, yes, if you live in California or Massachusets. Those two states accounted for 54.28% of the U.S.'s annual venture capital investments between 1999-2001. In that time period, Michigan was ranked a distant 22nd in the nation, with only 0.41% of the annual venture capital investments, slightly behind Arizona, which ranked 21st with 0.50%.

What's worse is that, of all the (meager) investments done by Michigan-based venture capital firms in the first three quarters of 2001, only 5.9% of those investments were given to Michigan-based companies! Michigan ranked 30th in in-state investments as percentage of total investments made by state venture capital firms. But, Arizona ranked 5th in that same time period with 57.0% of their VC investments staying in Arizona!

That same article reads, "While Michigan’s venture financing has grown considerably in recent years, the level of seed stage venture capital financing in Michigan is still weak." Its recommendations include to "continue efforts to encourage the development of venture capital and seed funds in Michigan," and to "encourage universities to create early stage funds to promote technology start-ups." In the very near future, I plan to examine how universities such as the University of Michigan present opportunities for their students to navigate their way through the early stages of bringing innovation to market.

Boxcar Studio - Creating Innovation in Michigan

By

Nathan Zander

on June 26, 2008

As I was doing research on companies around the Ann Arbor area that are involved in PPC Advertising and Search Engine Optimization I found Boxcar Studio and was really impressed.

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Filed under: Ann Arbor, MI | Boxcar Studio

Over the past few weeks I have been trying to get in touch with a few local companies to find out what the professional world of online marketing looks like and consists of. Through a search of Ann Arbor I found A very interesting company that looks like it is right up my alley. Boxcar Studio is the companies name and Web Design and Development is their game.

I have been in contact with Justin Todd and have spoken a little about getting together and discussing what they do and how they came to be. Justin said their primary focus is on web design, development, and custom web applications but they also do a considerable amount of SEO and SEM.

They have a great way of describing themselves and I'll let their words speak for themsleves.

"Boxcar Studio was founded with the aim of developing creative, functional and attractive Michigan websites. What began as a quest to make the web a little nicer-looking has become a full-service Ann Arbor web design shop, delivering your ideas to the web from concept to finish."

This company is a perfect example of what we at Michigan Innovators are looking for - A michigan based company helping out people in Michigan and succeeding in Michigan's volatile economy. I can't wait to actually sit face-to-face with Boxcar Studio!

Here is a small taste of Boxcar Studio Web Designs

Neat stuff right?

Michigan's Got Innovation

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on June 26, 2008 Comments (1)

Just like the show, "America's Got Talent", Michigan's Got Innovation, and we need to find it and put it to good use.

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Filed under: Innovation

Actually, this talent series (America's Got Talent) started in Great Britain, a show called Britain's Got Talent (BGT). And this guy, Paul Potts just shows up at the BGT audtion, hosted by Simon Cowell from American Idol. No one has heard of Potts, and he says he is going to sing opera. The judges look at each other in disgust, with "Oh no, this is going to be horrific!", written across their foreheads. So the music starts, then Potts starts to sing "Nessun Dorma" with this amazing voice. As we was singing, one of the judges starts crying, people in the audience are crying, people are standing, clapping and cheering, and Simon's jaw drops, and everyone is astonished. At the end of the audition, the audience is standing and cheering, and everyone has "goosepimples".

Just like Paul Potts in the talent show, I am sure we have some innovator in Michigan, hiding behind the scenes, who has something incredible to offer, but they just have not realized it yet. This is what we need, "a case of a lump of coal that will turn into a diamond". So here is your chance, to bring to the table, your innovative ideas.

So, Michigan's Got Innovation, we just have to find and make use of it.

If you are interested in an interview (audition), please comment on this blog with contact information or email me at ttraitse@emich.edu .

Innovative Teaching is Key to Michigan Economy: Part 2

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on June 25, 2008

In this part, I reveal who this innovative professor is and why I took this class. Through a partnership with Google and collaborative learning in the classroom, I now have skills that I will continue using.

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Filed under: Industries | Information Technology

My reasons for taking Dr. Bud Gibson's Web Development class:

Well, mainly because I acquired a ton of useful knowledge. The key to learning all this stuff was from various types of assignments (mostly goals) that were related and tied together at the end of the semester. I love to learn, but I am especially motivated when I can apply what I learn.

This class is currently available at Eastern Michigan University, and it will also be implemented in other universities all over the country. This professor, Dr. Gibson, created an innovative way to teach, right here in Michigan.

This information systems Web development class I took last semester was taught by Dr. Gibson who partnered with Google to give stuends a chance to work on real Google Adwords accounts. Since I had a full schedule, and had to drop at least one class, there was no way I was going to drop this one when I realized that this was an opportunity of a lifetime.

In the next part I will tell why this class was such a success...

New Bullpen Reporter - Colin Loomis

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Colin Loomis

on June 23, 2008 Comments (1)

Meet and greet Michigan Innovators newest blogger

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Filed under: Welcome

Welcome to the meet and greet for Michigan Innovators newest blogger, Colin Loomis. I am excited to join the team and provide you with more insight into innovation around Michigan throughout the summer. Currently, I am a student at Eastern Michigan and study International Business and Computer Information Systems. With only 3 semesters remaining in my studies, I am excited to apply what I have learned to real world applications in preparation for whatever comes next.

I was 16 when I traveled abroad for the first time and I haven't gone a year without traveling somewhere since then. After living in Germany for 5 months and visiting over 10 countries from 3 different continents, my appetite to learn more about different cultures only continues to grow. Working with Michigan Innovators will give me my first real chance to connect my international interests with business and computing interests. I am excited to see what Michigan companies are doing to keep up with the expanding global market.

I look forward to spending this summer connecting with local businesses and sharing the innovative ways they have been able to use globalization to their advantage. I am always interested in hearing what you the reader has to say, whether you agree with me or not! Leave me some feedback and I will do my best to address your interests.

Signing off for the first of many times,

Colin

Fluency Media - The 5 Meat Stack of Online Marketing

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on June 22, 2008 Comments (1)

I am certain that when an effective pay per click ad campaign is combined with web analytics, media planning, web development, and all of the other services Fluency Media provides, the success of that ad campaign must increase exponentially.

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Filed under: Ann Arbor, MI | Fluency Media | Pay Per Click Advertising

Perhaps you recognize the food reference in my blog title. The 5 Meat Stack is a new Quiznos Sub sandwich that contains everything you could possibly want in a sub as well a few other delightful surprises. In my quest to become a pay per click commodity here in southeast Michigan, I have been researching companies who specialize in online marketing. My research has led me to some impressive companies here in southeast Michigan. I was especially thrilled to find an Ann Arbor based company, called Fluency Media, whom I have deemed the 5 Meat Stack of online marketing.

Fluency Media, like the 5 Meat Stack sub, is everything you could possibly want in an online marketing firm and so much more. They offer every service imaginable including, market research, pay per click, search engine optimization, website optimization, web development, email marketing, and web analytics. Fluency Media provides a remarkable hosting service where clients can easily capture & store marketing data, track web traffic, manage & distribute web documents, and manage their press site. Fluency Media also assists clients with online media planning and management.

The array of services offered by Fluency Media seems remarkable to me. At Eastern Michigan University, I had the opportunity to develop and maintain a pay per click advertising account for a local non-profit organization called Dawn Farm. I was amazed at how an effective pay per click ad campaign can significantly impact an organization's web presence. I am certain that when an effective pay per click ad campaign is combined with web analytics, media planning, web development, and all of the other services Fluency Media provides, the success of that ad campaign must increase exponentially.

Of course as my mother often says, "The proof is in the pudding," or in the case of Fluency Media, the proof is in the sub sandwich. Evidence that Fluency Media's all-inclusive approach to online marketing is effective can be seen in their impressive list of clients. Fluency Media works with a diverse group of organizations including Ramada Express, The American Bar Association, Travel Michigan, Maaco, The Tropicana Resort & Casino, and of course Quiznos Sub. Fluency Media has raised the bar for me. I now have very high expectations for any organization that I might work for in the future. I am beginning to realize that successful online marketing is anything but "luck." I want to be part of an organization that understands they best serve their clients by offering a solution which factors in every aspect of online marketing.

Innovative Teaching is Key to Michigan Economy: Part 1

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on June 20, 2008

Education is especially important in a slow economy. However, most college students will admit they use less than 25% of the knowledge they gained in college in the workplace. However, one Michigan professor found an innovative way to teach students how to "grab the bull by the horns" in the rapidly changing world of Information Technology.

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Filed under: Industries | Information Technology

The more people learn, the more information and opportunities they have to be innovative. This is why education is so important and how it will help the Michigan economy. Furthermore, it would be great if knowledge from college could be even more applicable than it is now. This could be the extra edge educational institutions in Michigan need to boost the economy.

Since the business world discovered lean manufacturing, I am just waiting to see this concept seep into other areas as well. There is so much going on, that focusing on only useful, core operations and getting rid of waste is the only way for companies to survive. So I have been wondering when "lean teaching" will take hold. Now I think it is finally starting...

First of all, I want to point out that I found all of my classes in college to be extremely valuable. However, many college graduates will tell you that once they are in the workplace, they only use less than 25% of what they learned in college. I assume that 50% of what they learn in the workplace is simply experience and hands-on type of stuff. But what about the remaining of the 25% knowledge required to do their jobs? Wouldn’t it be nice if a college education could be more customized to fit specific industries or companies? Well, last semester one of my professors customized a class that is 100% applicable in that field of work. In other words, everything that I learned in that class, I am using all of that now.

And as an added bonus, we did not just learn, we actually did the job. That’s right, no analyzing fake case studies or scenarios in the workplace, and throwing away all of our work at the end of the semester. This was real life, no pretending. And I was lucky enough to stumble upon this Information Systems class which was not applicable to my major, Industrial Distribution, so I was unable to apply the 3 credits for my graduation requirements in Industrial Distribution. I took the class anyway, since I had this professor for a previous class, which was required for my major. And even though in that former class, I whined all semester about having too much homework, tough tests, and keeping track of a variety of assignments, here I was taking another class with this professor!

“Why?”, you ask.

To be continued in Part 2...

Teaming up with Ann Arbor Film Festival And The International Possiblities It May Bring.

By

Nathan Zander

on June 20, 2008 Comments (2)

In the recent few days I have connected with Ann Arbor Film Festival and have collaborated with them on their new campaign to generate film submissions.

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Filed under: Ann Arbor Film Festival | Ann Arbor, MI | Donald Harrison | Pay Per Click Advertising

In the last couple of days I have joined the Ann Arbor Film Festival team by becoming their new adwords "consultant", if you will. On Wednesday the 18th, I met with Donald Harrison, Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and Charles Burney, their self-taught Web Master, at thier Ann Arbor headquarters. We discussed a few ideas they had and decided on a new direction for the company's online advertising campaign.

They have already shown initiative and have taken the first step by setting up a new web site specifically for this new campaign. They will be launching this new site late next week. We spoke a little about the design of the new site and how best to fit this site with the Adwords Campaign.

The thing that has excited me the most about working with Ann Arbor Film Festival is that they compete globally with many international film festivals such as the 38th International Film Festival Rotterdam and the 21 Singapore International Film Festival. This means that I will be a part of an international marketing campaign to generate film submissions and competing in the global marketplace.

I feel I have taken a good step in the right direction!

Rediscovering Michigan

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on June 19, 2008

Now I am a college student preparing to enter Michigan's workforce. From a professional standpoint, southeast Michigan is unchartered territory for me. I have yet to find the place in Michigan's economy where I will best fit.

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Filed under: Brighton, MI | Marcell Morris | Pay Per Click Advertising

I am happy to say that I have recently moved back to Michigan after living in Los Angeles for 18 years. I grew up in Brighton, Michigan and worked in Ann Arbor. I have noticed a few changes since I returned. I am pretty sure that Michigan's winters were not this cold when I was a kid. The traffic on Michigan's freeways has become just as congested as the freeways in Los Angeles (okay maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration). I think that somehow Michigan has become even more picturesque than I remember. Ann Arbor has grown quite a bit and I will be mourning the loss of Jacobson's in downtown Ann Arbor. Where will I go now to indulge my shoe obsession?

As I re-acclimate myself to this community, I am also discovering some aspects of it for the first time. My prior experiences in Michigan were as a child and teenager. Now I am a college student preparing to enter Michigan's workforce. From a professional standpoint, southeast Michigan is unchartered territory for me. I have yet to find the place in Michigan's economy where I will best fit.

I have already solved the most difficult part of this self-discovery puzzle, I have decided to pursue a career in internet marketing, specifically pay per click advertising. The next logical step would be to research local companies and see what is going on in my field of interest. Of course the best way to find out about online marketing is to surf. Surfing is one of my passions. So I have thoroughly enjoyed researching local companies specializing in pay per click advertising, search engine optimization, web analytics, as well as several other aspects of internet marketing.

It is exciting to discover that in my very own community, there are several successful companies doing some pretty remarkable things in my field. My research has given me a renewed faith. There are still many possiblilites for an ambitious college student wishing to build a career in Michigan's struggling economy. I can't wait to share with you some of the things I have discovered in my upcoming blog posts. Please stay tuned.

The Potential for Wind Power in Michigan

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on June 18, 2008 Comments (2)

According to the American Wind Energy Association, Michigan is ranked 14th in the nation in potential capacity for wind power. The problem is that the AWEA also ranks Michigan 30th in the nation in existing wind power resources.

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Filed under: Renewable Energy | Wind Power

As far as renewable energy resources go, wind power is one of the easiest for us to incorporate into our system at the present time. We all know how the wind turns a propeller, and with only a little bit of physics we can all understand how a turbine can generate electricity. With the resources to build a turbine, all we need is a little bit of wind to give us energy.

Luckily, Michigan has the necessary amount of wind in the right places. Wind turbines can't be built everywhere: there's a buffer zone around urban areas and state parks. Also, there's a huge drop in productivity if they're built by high trees. However, according to the American Wind Energy Association, Michigan is ranked 14^th in the nation in potential capacity for wind power (in MW).

The problem is that the AWEA also ranks Michigan 30^th in the nation in existing wind power resources, with only 2.59 MW installed. And Illinois, ranked 16^th in potential power, produces 735.66 MW of wind power, more than 42 other states.

While it is a good thing that Michigan has more than 50 MW worth of wind turbines under construction, which will probably allow it to move up the rankings to #26 in the nation when completed, it's not enough. According to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, our state has a potential for development of 16,560 MW of wind power. With only 3.33% of potential wind power harnessed, there's room for improvement.

New Member of the Bullpen - Brian G. Barkley

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on June 17, 2008 Comments (2)

New to the Bullpen, I introduce myself and my blogging goals.

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Filed under: Welcome

Hello all,

My name is Brian G. Barkley and I am halfway though my undergraduate studies in Math and French at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I will be a regular contributor to the Bullpen until the end of August when I will study abroad at the Superior School of Economics in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

I worked as an Engineer and I&T Intern at Soliant Energy, a Pasadena, California start-up solar panel company last summer. I am very interested in renewable energy and I hope to continue my research in the field. I think that our Big Three automakers have the opportunity to spark the economy for renewable energy of all types across the country, and I would like to find out what possibilites there are in Michigan for growth in those fields.

I am very excited about the opportunity that I have with michiganinnovators.org, as it is a site with a new spin and a purpose. I am equally as eager to start working with Bud, Tina, Nathan, Colin and Marcell as they have made me feel welcome and a important member of the team.

Using GIS to Understand Michigan's Economy: Part 2

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on June 15, 2008

Last week I attended a meeting at SEMCOG and got a lot of helpful information, as well as a number of valuable contacts. They talked about how GIS has been very helpful in planning the development of a local community.

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Filed under: GIS - Geographic Information System | Information Technology

Economic development is a concern for every organization, especially non-profits who reach out to communities. Many NPOs (Non-Profit Organization) are using GIS (Geographic Information System) to analyze and present demographics and population statistics efficiently, as well as visually locating agencies they work with. With a GIS created map, a person can take in all this information from one page; otherwise the information could be in the form of many pages of tables, and then one would have to connect relevant information to data in the other tables.

Additionally, GIS is being used to analyze and plan developing communities. I wanted to learn more about this great new technology, so I have been GIS surfing online. I found many great sources of information.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending one of SEMCOG’s (Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments) quarterly meetings of the Southeast Michigan GIS User Group which are open to the public. I was hesitant to attend, but I am more than happy that I went. Initially I was concerned about how appropriate it would be for me to be there for the organization I work for. Additionally, I did not want to waste my time or my company’s, and come back without any useful information. Furthermore, I got the impression that the meeting was geared more for experienced GIS professionals, a crowd I definitely did not fit in with, to say the least.

On my way to the meeting, I got lost and almost turned back a couple of times. I barely made it to the meeting, two minutes late, and found a place to sit. After introductions, the presentation started regarding the economic development project from the City of Birmingham and how GIS was key to planning this future development.

Using GIS to Understand Michigan's Economy: Part 1

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on June 12, 2008 Comments (1)

If you want to understand Michigan's economy, you need to visit SEMCOG's Web-site. In addition, you will also find out how important GIS is in analyzing demographic data for commercial and residential development.

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Filed under: GIS - Geographic Information System | Information Technology

GIS (Geographic Information System) is an exciting technology I recently discovered. The more I learn about it, the more I understand it's endless potential and variety of applications. GIS professionals format data with maps to present ways to solve problems and improve communities effectively. With GIS, you can comprehend a significant amount of data with one simple glance of the eye.

If you live in Michigan, you will definitely want to check out the SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) Web-site to understand Michigan's economy in a number of dimensions. SEMCOG uses GIS, "interactive databases and mapping applications featuring demographic, transportation, economic, land use, and public safety information" to help organizations and communities to identify their needs and find solutions. Additionally, there are maps that reflect forecasts of demographic and economic change in Southeast Michigan through 2035! Just by looking at these maps in specific time periods, one can immediately comprehend the estimated changes expected to take place in each period.

Changes in the Manufacturing Industry in Michigan: Part 3

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on June 9, 2008 Comments (1)

Every job now requires more training and education. Companies are more selective and are looking for more educated people with high tech skills. Additionally, we are competing globally in industries where jobs can be fulfilled overseas.

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Filed under: Industries | Manufacturing

Since we are in the midst of an Information Revolution, even rudimentary jobs have seized workers who think they escaped having to go to college, who still have to go through more training and education. Additionally, many college graduates in the workplace are learning that their education will continue through company training and professional development programs. All this education is now necessary to ensure that workers have the abilities to contribute to their companies accordingly.

With all these innovations, more is accomplished, all while plants now only require about half the workers than in the past. There have been a lot of changes, especially in standardization, where standard equipment requires “less manual labor” and maintenance. As a result, demands for labor have shifted to demands for more educated and knowledgeable workers. The “selection process” is tougher now, and workplaces everywhere are “purging people in business” to get more educated people with more high tech skills, such as programming. The transition in the labor force is mostly only allowing more educated people in the workplace. Additionally, in this global economy, jobs are sometimes fulfilled by workers overseas who will accept much lower wages.

With all these new innovations, processes and technologies, more is accomplished and less capital is invested. This is the overall goal of every organization.

Changes in the Manufacturing Industry in Michigan: Part 2

By

on June 9, 2008

As a result of the progress in technology, new expectations emerge from everywhere. Now companies are more focused on quality, as well as a more work friendly environment for employees.

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Filed under: Industries | Manufacturing

With higher efficiency, productivity, and technology across the board, this creates a new plethora of expectations. As a result, quality has become a central concern of every company that wants to keep up or surpass its competition. Customers are tougher to satisfy and are more intolerant of below standard products. So manufacturers have found ways to test, measure, and check all parts, whereas, in the past, only a certain ratio or percent of parts were inspected, such as one of one hundred, or 1%. Now quality is expressed in more precise terms and accurately represents all the parts. In order to keep up with these quality demands, companies have turned to technology. Among many other tools that measure quality quickly and more easily, there are robots that can measure just about anything if a company wants to invest a significant amount of capital in the latest in technology. Now there are even programs that can do a number of processes, from just a few clicks on a computer or push of a button.

In addition, the work place, even in manufacturing plants, has become more ergonomic. Providing more than just comfort, the ergonomic workplace helps reduce injuries and increase productivity. Additionally, workers enjoy a more organized and cleaner environment than in the past. Not to mention more focus on safety, and regard for everyone, which improve morale and productivity.

Changes in the Manufacturing Industry in Michigan: Part 1

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on June 9, 2008 Comments (2)

Here is my interview with someone who works in manufacturing in Southeast Michigan. He shared the changes that have been taking place, as well as how automotive plants are adjusting to meet the needs of the market.

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Filed under: Industries | Manufacturing

Recently, I interviewed someone working in the manufacturing industry. I asked him about the future of the auto industry and manufacturing in the Michigan economy.

It is no secret to those working in the manufacturing industry how assembly lines have changed. However, these changes, especially in the processes, could be advantageous when shifting gears to meet the needs of the ever-changing market. For instance, in manufacturing plants, assembly lines have become multi-functional. In other words, machinery can be used to create a range of parts, rather than the older machines that could only make one part. So even though the auto industry in Michigan is slowing down, it will be less painless to use machinery in auto plants, for other products as well.

Additionally, now it is “easier to move stuff in and out” of a manufacturing plant since there is more flexibility and efficiency with machines that have multiple functions. “In the old days, manufacturing companies had to invest more in equipment and real estate” to house and maintain single purpose machines. As assembly lines become more versatile, it takes less money, time, land, equipment and labor to accomplish more. Even as little as ten years ago, comparing the output of machines from then to now; the results are astounding.

Long Arm of the Internet

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on June 2, 2008 Comments (1)

I have somehow manged to attract my first great contact, Chris Lude. Chris represents an impressive company called Denver PPC. Denver PPC specializes in pay per click advertisement, the field I intend to pursue after graduation.

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Filed under: Chris Lude | Denver PPC

I have only been working as a Bullpen reporter for a few days and I am already reaping the benefits of this assignment. I have somehow manged to attract my first great contact, Chris Lude. Chris represents an impressive company called Denver PPC. Denver PPC specializes in pay per click advertisement, the field I intend to pursue after graduation. Chris was kind enough to send me some words of encouragement and also link me to Denver PPC's website. WOW!!! You have got to take a look! I was like a kid in a candy store gobbling up all the information regarding pay per click advertising.

I am forever amazed at the power of the internet. Somehow effortlessly I was able to connect with a great company thousands of miles away. Divine intervention? Psychic phenomena? No, the long arm of the internet. In one simple click of a mouse, I was able to make a valuable contact and gain a wealth of knowledge. This is why I am pursuing a degree in Computer Information Systems. There are so many applications and possiblities in cyberspace.

Pay Per Click It Forward

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