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Productivity

Author
MForesight

The purpose of this report is to help SMMs focus on realistic objectives achievable with appropriate implementation of digital technologies to cut costs, improve existing processes, and lay the groundwork for continued progress. It is also important to recognize that the biggest hurdles to effective implementation are not likely to be technical, but rather managerial and cultural.

Author
David Reinsel, John Gantz, John Rydning

The data-driven world will be always on, always tracking, always monitoring, always listening, and always watching – because it will be always learning. Data is at the heart of digital transformation, the lifeblood of this digitization process. This study by IDC, looks into how companies are leveraging data to improve customer experiences, open new markets, make employees and processes more productive, and create new sources of competitive advantage – working toward the future of tomorrow.

Author
National Center for the Middle Market

The National Center for the Middle Market’s recent research revealed that, for the majority of middle market businesses, formal growth strategy is second only to market expansion in terms of weight in the growth equation. While some strategic focuses lead to more rapid revenue growth than others, it’s not just what the strategy dictates that matters. How the strategy is defined, developed, and executed also play essential roles in strategic success and a company’s rate of growth.

Author
E. Jason Baron, Shawn Kantor, Alexander Whalley

This policy proposal seeks to shed light on the potential role of research universities as anchor institutions for local economic development. After carefully analyzing data and reviewing the literature, it is proposed that instead of establishing a new research university, lagging communities should focus on transferring productivity-enhancing knowledge to their local employers from existing research universities near their regions.

Author
Dr. Michael Mandel

This report focuses on an emerging alternative digital future for manufacturing, the “Internet of Goods." Three trends could lead to a manufacturing sector that uses information technology to boost productivity and create new markets.

Author
John Engler, Penny Pritzker, Edward Alden, Laura Taylor-Kale

The world is in the midst of a transformation in the nature of work, as smart machines, artificial intelligence, new technologies, and global competition remake how people do their jobs and pursue their careers. The Work Ahead: Machines, Skills, and U.S. Leadership in the Twenty-First Century, the report of a CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force, assesses the future of work and workers and the implications for the U.S. economy and national security.

Author
Fran Stewart, Kathryn Kelley

Technological change, global competition, and a protracted economic downturn combined to usher in and hasten a new era in manufacturing. The digitally integrated factory, where machines are computer controlled, production is digitally connected to suppliers and customers, and all aspects of operation are constantly monitored and analyzed, requires workers with a new and emerging array of skills.