Ideas

“Outside In: The Power of Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business”

With customers fueling business, authors Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine emphasize the need to pay attention to customer experience to succeed in the face of a competitive marketplace.

3D Creations provides more efficient prototyping

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students Jesse DePinto and Matthew Juranitch started their business, 3D Creations LLC, to bring inexpensive 3D printing to other businesses.

Invest in your human capital

Question:

"We've lost six customer service representatives (CSRs) in about six weeks. These employees operate in a call center environment, there's a lot of call volume, a lot pressure, and not a lot of appreciation. Turnover's always been a concern, but this recent trend can't continue. HR did exit interviews with the employees and a common story was that the employees feel overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. This wasn't too surprising given that the engagement survey we did last year told the same story. The CSRs feel all they do is stand and deliver all day long, no one cares, and they're tired of it. Any suggestions for how we can get a handle on this?"

Construction pickup helps Empire Level grow

Mukwanago-based level and tool manufacturer Empire Level Mfg. Corp. is growing as construction picks up for its customers.

China’s smaller cities struggle for identities

The second Dala Te International Horse Culture Festival was held in August. Why mention it? In a way, it symbolizes a new trend in China. As the world turns, governments change and China's economy slows to sub-8-percent growth, its new cities and middle class are seeking distinctions and entertainment.

Constitutional challenge to Act 10 is serious

On Friday, Judge Juan Colas issued a ruling that struck down Act 10, the “Budget Repair Bill,” on the grounds that the law violates the Wisconsin and U.S. Constitutions. In essence, he held that the law differentiates between entities that represent public employees in collective bargaining — imposing conditions on certain bargaining entities but not others – and that the State had failed to advance a sufficient justification for this disparate treatment. According to Judge Colas, the differential treatment of bargaining entities violated the First Amendment right of the affected unions to association and expression, and it also violated the Equal Protection Clause. Judge Colas also held that the law violates the Home Rule provisions of the Wisconsin Constitution by dictating rules for Milwaukee that the law did not apply to other municipalities.

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Allow employees to grow

Mark Sellers is CEO of MGS Mfg. Group, a $150 million company headquartered in Germantown, with facilities in the United States, Mexico and Ireland. MGS provides engineered solutions to the plastics industry. Sellers began the company in 1982 as a small tool and die shop. Today, MGS employs more than 500 people in Wisconsin, with an additional 500 employees worldwide. Sellers says employees can become valuable assets if they are allowed room to grow.

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