As the North American Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) for The World Economic Forum, Automation Alley is dedicated to continuously updating our members and stakeholders with important coronavirus information from The World Economic Forum’s global network of experts. With insights from the World Health Organization, the Forum and Automation Alley’s own leadership team, we’re striving to get beyond the noise to offer helpful information to keep you safe, healthy and in business. Read more this week on the blog.

In today’s hyper-connected global economy, the response to supply chain risk has largely been reactive. Unmitigated risk can cause disruptions for a company’s supply chain. These are dynamic times where continuously reviewing supply chain risk is making the difference between company successes and failures. Developing a comprehensive Supply Chain Risk Assessment can help your organization identify potential failures in the supply chain. The five-step process below could prove invaluable in navigating our current two-pronged crises—the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 recession.

This week on the blog, Jim Meredith, HED’s national workplace strategy leader, discusses how the rapidly emerging technology known as generative design is bringing fundamental change to organizations doing product development work and the processes by which it’s done. As a consultant to many of America’s leading product development companies, Jim has planned and designed workspaces ranging from multi-million square foot automotive engineering centers to small startup labs.

Flexibility, mobility, choice and comfort are expectations of today’s workforce. With an increase in mobile workers, the desire to be untethered and agile has increased in demand. Traditional work environments feature fixed tools and furnishings that limit mobility and choice. This week on the blog, NBS discusses three ways to break free from the cords and static workplaces.

As the U.S.-China trade war continues to evolve, Gregory Herbster, senior manager at UHY, breaks down the potential impacts tariffs may have on a company’s bottom line.

Automation Alley added 13 new members in February 2020. Click the link below to meet them.

Meet Automation Alley member company Ascent Aerospace and discover how this global leader for tooling and equipment solutions for the aerospace industry gets the most out of their Automation Alley membership, both locally and globally.

Workforce and professional development continue to play a significant role in the global economy, impacting economic growth and bridging the global skills gap. This week on the blog, Pat Chatman from Henry Ford College discusses why some workers are left behind and the role community colleges need to play in the new economy.

What is Industry 4.0 anyway? As Michigan’s Industry 4.0 knowledge center, our job is to bring awareness to the Fourth Industrial Revolution so that companies across the state of Michigan and beyond can become digital leaders. There are many ways to define this transformation, but can you explain the concept in 140 characters (the length of a tweet)? We challenged our staff to do just that! Here are the results.

This week on the blog, we’re looking back at some of our most popular Tech Takeovers. Automation Alley's Tech Takeover is a weekly event series dedicated to Industry 4.0 readiness. These events—held every Wednesday at our Troy, Michigan headquarters—help small and medium-sized manufactures prepare for rapid changes as technology transforms manufacturing. Can’t make it in person? Keep up with the latest trends transforming our factory floors by tuning into the Tech Takeover livestream!