A leading company specializing in remote-handling automation solutions was facing significant challenges at one of their facilities. High turnover rates and a tight local labor market made it difficult to recruit and retain skilled CNC Machinists. Additionally, the company needed someone who could quickly ramp up and be flexible with working day and night shifts. To address these challenges, the company turned to FlexTrades for assistance. FlexTrades, swiftly deployed Douglas, a highly skilled CNC Machinist. 

Douglas quickly adapted to the company’s requirements and effectively worked through the backlog of orders. His expertise and efficiency were instrumental in improving productivity and meeting production deadlines. In addition to his technical skills, Douglas also demonstrated a strong ability to streamline production. He was able to reduce the number of operations by 20%, saving the company both time and money. 

Key Benefits 

  • Rapid Deployment: FlexTrades’ ability to quickly mobilize skilled tradespeople ensured that the client’s production needs were met promptly. 
  • Skill and Flexibility: Douglas’s expertise and adaptability were essential in addressing the company’s specific challenges. 
  • Process Improvement: By streamlining production, Douglas contributed to increased efficiency and cost savings. 

The case study demonstrates the value of partnering with a production solutions provider like FlexTrades. By leveraging FlexTrades’ expertise, the company was able to overcome challenges related to skill shortages and improve operational efficiency. Douglas’s contributions were instrumental in addressing the company’s specific needs and achieving positive results.

If you’re interested in discovering how FlexTrades can help keep your facility running smoothly, reach out to us today

In the ever-changing landscape of U.S. manufacturing, staying ahead of the curve requires not only cutting-edge technology but also a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry. FlexTrades understands the intricate needs of manufacturing operations and stands as a premier provider of manufacturing labor support, manufacturing support, and manufacturing support services. In this blog post, we explore how FlexTrades can elevate your manufacturing processes and help you achieve operational excellence.

The Importance of Manufacturing Labor Support

Manufacturing labor support is crucial in ensuring that your production lines run smoothly, efficiently, and without interruption. At FlexTrades, we specialize in providing highly skilled labor that seamlessly integrates with your existing team. Our professionals are equipped to handle various roles, from assembly line workers to specialized technicians, ensuring that your operations remain robust and productive.

Key Benefits of Manufacturing Labor Support

  1. Flexibility and Scalability: With FlexTrades, you can easily scale your workforce up or down based on production demands, seasonal needs, or project-based requirements.
  2. Expertise: Our team consists of seasoned professionals who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to your operations, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
  3. Cost Efficiency: Hiring temporary or project-based labor support can significantly reduce overhead costs associated with full-time employment, such as benefits and training.

Why Choose FlexTrades for Manufacturing Support?

FlexTrades stands out in the industry due to our commitment to excellence and our deep understanding of the manufacturing sector. Here’s why partnering with us can make a significant difference:

  1. Tailored Solutions: We understand that every manufacturing operation is unique. Our solutions are customized to meet the specific needs of your business, ensuring optimal results.
  2. Reliability: With FlexTrades, you can count on reliable and consistent support. Our professionals are thoroughly vetted and trained to deliver top-notch performance.
  3. Innovative Approach: We leverage the latest technologies and best practices to provide innovative solutions that enhance your manufacturing processes.

Contact Our Team

In today’s competitive manufacturing landscape, having a reliable partner for manufacturing labor support, manufacturing support, and manufacturing support services is essential. FlexTrades is dedicated to helping you achieve operational excellence through our comprehensive and customized solutions. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your manufacturing needs and help you stay ahead in the industry. 

Enhancing Business Growth with Expert Engineering Solutions

In a market increasingly driven by candidates, our client faced the dual challenge of unexpected staff attrition and a rising demand due to acquiring new customers. The departure of key skilled professionals highlighted a critical gap in their knowledge management system, impeding their potential for growth. This client, a specialist in manufacturing high-pressure tanks and vessels, recognized the urgent need to standardize and document their manufacturing processes.

To address this need, a skilled engineer from FlexTrades was brought on board. Their primary mission involved a thorough analysis of existing manufacturing processes to establish or revise comprehensive work instructions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This strategic initiative allowed the client’s engineering team to redirect their focus towards capital improvement projects, a crucial factor in driving the company’s growth and success.

By entrusting FlexTrades with this pivotal task, the client not only streamlined their manufacturing processes but also fortified their foundation for sustainable expansion. This partnership underscored the value of specialized engineering expertise in adapting to market changes and securing a competitive edge.

Learn more about our engineering offerings here

The days of manic rushing to Best Buy and Walmart before you’ve even had a chance to digest Thanksgiving dinner are over. In addition to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we now have Amazon Prime Day. Amazon Prime Day is a two-day event typically held in July where the masses are able to converge online to score obscenely amazing deals, with free shipping to boot, if you’re an Amazon Prime member.

Amazon first held Prime Day on July 15, 2015, as a celebration of their 20th anniversary. But, due to the staggering success of the event, it turned into an annual affair. You’d think such an event would be the busiest time of year for the massive shopping site but it actually only ranks in fourth place, after Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the lead up to Christmas. Despite its ranking, 2022’s Prime day saw record sales of over $12 billion. Due to such a high demand, it only makes sense that behind the scenes things are being kicked into high gear.

The entire enterprise is a Swiss watch of moving parts. The scope of work doesn’t sound like much when you think about the fact that Amazon already does all this on a daily basis. However, when you factor in the massive uptick in quantity of items sold, therein lies the difficulty. On average, Amazon ships out roughly 1.6 million packages per day, a mere drop in the bucket compared to the more than 300 million items sold on Prime Day 2022. And the effects of this surge across their operations are a perfect case study to understand many of the factors impacting supply chain volatility across the larger economy. Doing so makes the risks and opportunities within this volatility much more obvious to other vendors of any kind.

Demand Fluctuations

Forecasting is key to any business. But the sales on Prime Day are unique and buying patterns are often spontaneous. This makes predictions precarious because both overestimations and underestimations can lead to dissatisfied customers and lost profits. Skillfully walking this tightrope is as much art as science and explains why experienced supply chain experts are so in demand.

Logistical Capabilities

Amazon typically averages a little over $1 billion in gross sales daily. This means that the numbers from 2022 were almost 10 times what happens during a “normal” day. Companies can’t increase their footprint by 10 times for just a day or two every year, so how do they handle surges like Prime Day or Black Friday? The answer is that sometimes they can’t. Websites crash, orders get backlogged, products sell out and that can’t be helped. Twitter revels in highlighting these struggles. But the goal is to avoid it at all costs and many companies do so with careful preparation and nimble planning. When facilities and workforces are well-prepared, and plans are closely monitored issues can be addressed appropriately in real time, consequences mitigated, and customers end up pleased.

Communication is Key

Whether you’re the scale of Amazon or just starting to scale up from a company of one, no business can handle a 10x increase in daily business alone. It takes great partners to do so successfully, and it takes great communication to get great partners. Amazon takes collaborative communication so seriously that it’s driven a lot of their other business research. Now every business doesn’t have to develop their own version of Amazon Web Services, but they should all invest in tools that make communicating with partners easier and more accurate.

There is much more that impacts the supply chain, for Amazon or any other business, than what has been covered in this article. But focusing on these three areas of emphasis has shed a little light on why some companies don’t survive supply chain disruptions while others, like Amazon, are able to thrive. If you’d like to learn more about supply chain resilience and how you can make it a reality at our company, you should read our recent blog about it too. Have other questions about supply chain? Send them to our Writing Team and keep your eyes out for future blogs.

As this not-so-seemingly-but-actually-super-short month comes to a close—many of us encounter a wide range of emotions. February, the month of heightened love and painful history, uplifting Black voices in new ways that truly allow us to reconnect with strangers nearby. Yet, one question still parades its way through our minds—Am I doing enough? How do I know? Where do I start? 

Let’s Start With the Basics 

And, as alarming as this may seem, there is no right answer. Diversity isn’t a right or wrong thing to celebrate, it simply exists and grows with us as we begin to grow ourselves. To acknowledge diversity is to acknowledge our unique individual qualities that make our communities so inspirational. It pushes us to grow through constant lessons of mindfulness and trials of social belonging. The celebration of this path is essential, and I am here to share a few ways (28 to be exact!) to continue celebrating, acknowledging, and challenging diversity in all aspects of life beyond Black History Month. 

One step at a time may seem tiring, but how else will you get there? Everyone starts somewhere, everyone—including me. 

28 Practical Ways to Celebrate Diversity  

  1. Consider utilizing the “Black-Owned” category on Etsy: This feature highlights and showcases Black artists within a wide range of crafts!
  2. Need a new podcast? Check out Black-Owned podcasts. Celisia Stanton is a Minnesota native who hosts the Truer Crime podcast for those of you who enjoy Criminal Minds and CSI! If you are hoping for something a little more focused on history, consider listening to Historically Black where they cover a variety of modern and past events.
  3. Brew another cup of coffee. Consider supporting a local or Black-owned shop! A simple Google search can show you a variety of places in your area. (Did you know Minneapolis has 10 in the metro alone?)
  4. Spice up your décor! This may seem like an obvious suggestion but stop at Target or HomeGoods. A vast majority of their original tags discuss the origin story. This is a great way to educate yourself about cultural objects (without the school lecture)!
  5. Uncover your family tree. Learn something new this year! Connect with a family member you don’t see often to ask about their favorite memories. If you are feeling adventurous, 23andMe has a deliverable DNA testing kit that allows you to learn more about your origins. They also tend to offer quite a discount if you refer your friends!
  6. Join a committee. Whether this is at work, at school, or in the community, committees highlight new perspectives and voices with a common goal: succeeding together!
  7. Take a workshop. One thing about diversity is that it never disappears or stops adapting. As we continue to grow and pursue our life goals, we always learn something new. Take employment, school, or community-based workshops to meet new people whenever you can.
  8. Conduct candid conversations. Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable talking to different members of communities about difficult topics. Listen with the intent to understand and it can do wonders connecting you to others and creating a new relationship dynamic that is accepting and open. The key to doing this successfully is respect, not attacking one another personally and having an understanding that you each want the same goal. 
  9. Attend local events. Whether it be a food festival, football game, the Polar Plunge, or a craft fair, local events allow for you to learn and connect with others outside of the traditional environments the workplace and school can provide.
  10. Take in an art exhibition. Many art centers have culturally curated displays that are powerful, moving, and exciting to look at. They contain new pieces of artwork that may not be familiar to you and are available year-round.
  11. Take up some new history books. Apple offers frequent discounts on Black-Owned publications; alongside this learning about diversity today, varying levels of privilege can provide a new perspective.
  12. Use inclusive language. If you haven’t heard of it, please Google it. This is the key to having any candid conversation, constructive action, and you most likely use this in your work environments! If not, implementing inclusive language can strengthen any public space—professional or personal – by creating a base line of respect.
  13. Change your surroundings. Visit a new place. If you choose to utilize the resort life, take some time to explore nearby ruins or villages!
  14. Check your friendships! No, this doesn’t mean check out all of your friends and determine if they are inclusive and accepting—you choose your friends for a reason! This is about learning a bit more about their upbringing or traditions that you may not have thought to ask before.
  15. Research. Research. Research. Perhaps watching YouTube videos or looking up new events that happen in your day would be beneficial. Just today, I looked up a recipe from one of my favorite animes “Lucky Star,” where they discuss how to properly eat a Chocolate Coronet. For some reason, this is my absolute favorite episode and I ended up not only searching the recipes, but learning about how others eat it, how it is very hard to find premade in midwestern stores vs. the east coast, and just how many of us don’t know how to pronounce this Japanese treat!Lucky Star Chocolate Coronet Diversity Month

    Watch the full clip here: Lucky Star – Official Clip – How Do You Eat a Chocolate Coronet? 

    1. Revamp your holiday calendar! Our iPhones and Androids do a great job of creating world calendars, yet it’s impossible for them to grab everything. So why not get the family together, or friends, and create a calendar of events that are important to you? Even a fun Canva party to create the board over Zoom would be pandemic friendly!
    2. Test your language skills. Duolingo, a quick and convenient app that allows for you to take up a new language! If you want to learn a bit more about the history of the language, try Udemy. It has a variety of teachers and courses that can provide cultural knowledge as well as helping you enunciate!
    3. Provide support locally. Try your local farmers market, artisan shops and boutiques! Travel a few cities away and see what neat opportunities they may have. Partner up with a nonprofit organization and volunteer alone or with your family.
    4. Start a committee. Don’t have a committee nearby? Consider starting one! Nothing brings together classmates, coworkers, and friends better than a group with opportunities to think creatively and critically!
    5. Support advancement! Don’t hesitate to recognize others within the workplace for leadership positions and their hard work. Alongside this, offer your support or advice on how to run a diversity workshop or create a team.
    6. Find a new recipe! One of my favorite assignments in high school was to recreate a recipe based on the language course you were in. The twist with this was they had to be traditional recipes and not Americanized, which often led to exploring diverse markets for native ingredients. (I learned how to make flan!)
    7. Correct missteps. No one, and I mean absolutely no one, gets it right the first time. Maybe not even the 50th. The important thing to remember is that you are trying just like everyone else. Do your best to take accountability for an action that may be perceived as harmful and connect with various parties to find out what you can do to avoid future conflict.
    8. Check your world map. Let’s revisit an old game – spin the globe and wherever your finger lands, travel there! Not really, but in all honesty, pick a movie from the country, or find a news article, podcast, or YouTube video and add to your knowledge base!
    9. Host a potluck! In a community, school or work environment, have everyone create a dish they grew up with and share stories along the way!
    10. Take your Spotify playlist to a whole new level! Search a language you may be familiar with (or not) and select a random playlist. Give it a listen. You might find some new favorites. Mine happens to be Top Italia.
    11. Think globally. Day-to-day, we think of the small-scale events. Consider what it may be like to think on a larger scale! For years, my phone was set to military time, which helped me connect with my friends in Europe more frequently. You could do this, challenge yourself to a recipe without our standard measurements, or simply just let your curiosity Google new events for you!
    12. Assess your public spaces. Who do you see? What do you think is lacking? Do your friends or coworkers have the same concerns? Think of a way to “dress it up!” whether it’s by decorating, creating an accomplishment board, or having candid conversations to enhance the space.
    13. Understand cultural appropriation vs. appreciation. This is a huge conflict in tackling diversity. The moral of the story is, do your research, learn about cultures, and respect them. A growing trend recently is with African waist beads which brings up the issue that no one really knows where they are from and that they’re not just a beauty trend. The African waist beads were created by Nigerian women (dating all the way back to the 15th century) to show where they were from, as well as a promise to their bodies to pursue their intentional goal much like chakra healing. These traditions are meant to be worn until the day they break or fall off. 

    A Final Note 

    Wise words from my younger self on what diversity is: The beams each become a new unique color, a new unique voice emerging and combining with others. As it grew, it would become a beautiful mesh of colors, the sphere lighting up the room as it continues to grow. It holds more warmth, surrounding the environment with a soft smell of lilacs, the feeling of the world and stresses would seem to melt away. It changed through acceptance, through learning and validation. To taking in the small appreciations we have in the world and worrying less about unrealistic expectations as we roam free…Most of all, I serve as a guide along this journey. This is not something I can do for you, this is not something I can tell you; you must do, this is something I merely supply for you to explore and will go along with you. 

On average, the amount of time hiring managers spend looking at a resume is just a few seconds. You have very limited amount of time to capture the attention and interest of that manager. Resumes are your very first impression, make sure you aren’t making these common resume mistakes!

Make your resume reflect the position you’re applying for.

If you are applying for a marketing or branding position, your resume should reflect that. You should easily be able to see the personal brand, unique shapes and a photo. If you are applying for anything else, keep it simple. A simple black and white resume with clear bullet points listing your experience is all that you need. Anything in addition is distracting.

Check and re-check your spelling and grammar.

Resumes should be 100% error free. If you present a resume with mistakes you are showing you are not detail oriented and even worse, lazy!

Make sure your resume is appropriate in length.

Your resume should be appropriate in length to your experience. I am not a firm believer in the one-page resume rule. If you have been working for 20 years- you should have a lot of experience to show. With that being said, if you are applying for your first job and your resume is three pages, something isn’t quite right. Each position should have three to five bullet points clearly listing your responsibilities and achieved results. Edit out the fluff. An interview is a great place to expand on your experience and explain each bullet point in further detail.

Include dates with your work history.

Not putting the dates on your work history is a big no-no.  Hiring managers want to confirm there are no extended gaps in employment. By not listing your employment dates, it looks like you are trying to hide something. Be upfront and honest about each duration. The truth is going to come out anyway.

Make sure your resume is an accurate reflection of you.

If you are going to list areas of expertise, make sure you really are an expert in those areas. Very often I see Excel listed under this section, but let’s be honest, are you really an expert? What kind of formulas are you using? When was the last time you made a pivot table? I also recommend not listing social media platforms (unless you are applying for a Social Media position). If it isn’t relevant to the role, leave it out. If you list something as an area of strength, expect to be questioned on it in the interview.

At the end of the day your resume should reflect you. Don’t over complicate things or use verbiage you typically wouldn’t use. Give yourself the best chance to get that interview request and put some extra time into crafting your best resume!