2020 has been quite the year for in-person meetings, with almost all being cancelled nationwide since April. Every association has had to adjust, innovate and create an alternative learning and networking experience for their industry.

At the writing of this column, the world is at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturers and the supply chain are being disrupted like they have never been disrupted before.

As disruption and change continue to race into your plant at hyper-speed, there are six key elements that will drive your heat-treating operation and determine your success in the coming decade.

As we approach the next decade of what is slated to be one of the largest growth periods in our history economically, with labor shortages expected to continue over the next eight years, the question for every manufacturer performing in-house heat treating is: Why are you performing heat treating in-house?

During the Winter Strategic Meeting this past January, MTI established a new committee focused on best practices in cybersecurity and DEFARS.

As the economy continues to grow over the next 10-15 years, it is important for your heat-treating division to have three key elements:

If you watch the news, you would never know we are on the front end of one of the largest economic​​ booms in our history. The real numbers no one talks about show the economic expansion will last through the end of the 2030s.

My first two columns in 2018 focused on the 10 key emerging technologies being used to disrupt every industry and the five elements of the Internet of Things (IoT) every manufacturer needs to leverage to maximize production and minimize costs. Now I want to share with you why paying close attention to the shifts in technology and tapping into IoT is so important.

Each month, new advances in automation are taking shape that will create opportunity or eliminate your heat-treat company's business model.