Fake college degree

You can't fake success in manufacturing

SME speaks

THE SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

very morning when I listen to the news or read the paper, I can't help but be amazed at (what is going on in Corporate America. As I think about the financial scandals and struggles and wonder what is needed to rejuvenate the public's confidence, I look to my colleagues in the manufacturing industries-particularly the small and mid-sized manufacturers-to lead the way.

In manufacturing, when customer demand is steady and we meet our quality, budget, and turnaround requirements, we usually succeed-in fact, we've thrived. On the other hand, when there are roadblocks-like those presented by the current economy-we have to face the music. If we have inefficiencies, we have to fix them. It's never an option for us to blur poor performance behind a wink and a smile to investors, bankers, customers-or our own employees. In our world, accountability can never be dodged, delayed, or denied. Not even short-term.

Because of this, those of us who have chosen careers in manufacturing have a unique sense of loyalty and pride about ourselves, and our profession. I constantly see examples of how the integrity we demonstrate and believe in is being passed on to our children and our future manufacturing leaders.

I'm reminded of the story of a young woman in Middlebury, Indiana: Abigail Mitchell. Abigail began working in her father's machine shop at a very young age. Every day she helped her father and, in turn, he taught her skills that later helped her decide on a career path.

Home-schooled since Kindergarten, Abigail achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA as a high school student and scored a 1600 on her SATs. In 1999, she received a four-year full-ride scholarship from the SME Education Foundation that has since covered her tuition and school expenses as she pursues a degree in mechanical engineering at Cedarville College in Ohio.

Abigail told me that her father's eagerness to teach and the passion he clearly felt about his profession are what inspired her to become involved in manufacturing.

While her educational path was unconventional, Abigail is exceptionally bright and she knows her way around the shop floor. As we seek out tomorrow's leaders in manufacturing, I've often felt that backgrounds, degrees and "conventional paths" are less important than a person's ability to apply what they've learned and focus on results.

We talk a lot about the problems we see when people who look good on paper can't cut it on the manufacturing floor. But it's more inspiring, I think, to focus on the reverse: that the extremely bright people who will lead manufacturing into the next era come from varied backgrounds and hone their skills in sometimes unconventional ways. What they have in common is an understanding that business success is more about what you do than what you know, and a shared commitment to the values of integrity and accountability.

It's interesting to see several news magazines' recent challenges to Corporate America to "get back to basics." I can't help but smile whenever I see that. It's what manufacturing has always been about. Now let's help the rest of the business world come back home!

SME... WHO WE ARE

THE SOCIETY of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is the world's leading professional society serving the manufacturing industries. Through its publications, expositions, professional development resources, and member programs, SME influences more than half a million engineers, manufacturing professionals and students.

Innovation, change and advancement are key ingredients to success in the constantly evolving world of manufacturing. At the core of everything SME does is a belief that continuous learning is the most effective way to gain a competitive manufacturing advantage.

Since it was founded in 1932, SME has worked to make manufacturing professionals and companies more effective in their quest for success by providing resources and opportunities to develop and utilize new knowledge, improved skills, and manufacturing solutions. The quest continues.

If you'd like to join us in this quest, visit www.sme.org/join or call (800) 733-4763 or (313) 271-1500, Ext. 1600.

Marcus B. Crotts, FSME, CMfgE, PE 2002 SME President