David Darbyshire, owner and co-founder of member company DASI Solutions, discusses the many ways Automation Alley has helped his engineering software company think more strategically about the solutions, training and support it offers to its customers.

Automation Alley added 14 new members in March. Click the link below to meet them.

The advanced manufacturing and IT sectors are facing complex workforce challenges like never before. And those challenges are magnified by the rise of Industry 4.0. How do companies find employees with the appropriate expertise? Registered Apprenticeship is a proven solution for recruiting, training, and retaining world-class talent, says Liz Rivard, Automation Alley’s program manager of Industry 4.0 Partnerships and Talent. Apprenticeships, often referred to as an “earn while you learn” program, offer a company reduced turnover, savings in recruitment costs, preservation of trade secrets and increased productivity, among other benefits.

Perfecting your elevator pitch comes down to knowing your customers, market and competition, says Eric Davis, Automation Alley’s technology investment analyst. In this blog post, Eric breaks down the five questions your elevator pitch must answer so that your message is clear to investors.

The Center for Automotive Research weighs in on the manufacturing talent shortage and its risk to the industry’s ability to execute product launches. Find out what the organization has planned to help address the coming crisis in skilled trades, this week on the blog.

Supporting American manufacturing innovation has never been more important than it is right now. As our world and our factories become increasingly digitized and connected, our country, and particularly our state, has the opportunity to lead the fourth industrial revolution of smart manufacturing known as Industry 4.0. But for small and medium-sized manufacturers, navigating these advancements in technology can’t be done alone. Organizations like Automation Alley and MMTC will play a critical role in this transformation, says Tom Kelly, Automation Alley’s Executive Director. Help us take a stand to support manufacturing.

After video of United Airlines passenger Dr. David Dao being violently dragged from a plane went viral recently, the national conversation surrounding the incident has characterized this as a public relations disaster. But few are talking about the root cause of this situation: a major operations blunder.