Mark Stevens
Principal
Mark Stevens offers experience and skills developed through working more than 25 years in the manufacturing industry. Today, he leads Wipfli LLP’s manufacturing and consulting practice that serves clients throughout the United States and Asia. Mark has guided local, national, and international manufacturing companies through all facets of operational excellence and technology integration. He has a passion for helping manufacturers become more customer-effective and operationally efficient.
Certifications- Lean/Sigma Black Belt
- Registered Industrial Architect
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) - Member
Areas of Focus
- Business strategic planning and alignment
- Manufacturing operational and business dashboards
- Performance measurement systems
- Lean/Sigma strategy development and education
- Lean/Sigma improvement events
- Quality systems integration and compliance
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration and project management
- Work flow integration systems
Education
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee- Bachelor degree in architecture
- Registered industrial architects
- Advanced Business Management Leadership training
- Lean/Sigma Black Belt
Recent Insights
Articles
3 steps for distributors to improve workflow optimization
Mar 29, 2023
Increase productivity by transforming your warehouse layout
Mar 29, 2023
12 ways manufacturers can use resilience as a competitive differentiator
Feb 06, 2023
13 ways manufacturers can build capabilities to enable growth
Oct 16, 2022
How to close the Industry 4.0 management gap
Jan 24, 2022
Are you looking in the right places for automated manufacturing opportunities?
Nov 01, 2021
5 ways your customers benefit from an ERP system
Oct 24, 2021
3 examples of manufacturers that are going green
Oct 18, 2021
6 factors that determine IoT price for manufacturers
Sep 14, 2021
Pros and cons of using industrial robots in your manufacturing operation
Sep 07, 2021
6 predictions: What manufacturing could look like after COVID-19
Aug 19, 2021
Manufacturing resilience in the face of crisis
May 14, 2020
Five signs it may be time for an ERP update
Apr 09, 2020
How crises cause industry disruption and innovation
Mar 27, 2020
How manufacturers have responded to COVID-19
Mar 27, 2020
Keeping the shop floor lights on: Effective and safe options during COVID-19
Mar 23, 2020
5 policies that can keep your employees safe and your shop floor running
Mar 20, 2020
What the Internet of Things (IoT) Means to the Future of Discrete Manufacturing
Mar 01, 2017
What's the Cost of Putting Off an ERP Decision?
Feb 01, 2017
Harness the Power of Business Intelligence For Better Decision Making and More Effective Collaboration
Jan 02, 2017
Is Your Job Shop Ready for an ERP?
Jul 01, 2016
What Job Shops Need to Know About Cloud ERP Systems
May 01, 2016
How Job Shops and Contract Manufacturers Can Create a Quality Sales Pipeline
May 01, 2016
Blogs
How eight levels of manufacturing employees can use data to change their future
Aug 15, 2019
If you’re struggling with asset productivity, lost capacity and process leakage, this is the solution
Jul 16, 2019
ERP Best Practices for Each Phase of Implementation
Feb 24, 2019
How to Improve the Four Steps of the Customers’ Life Cycle
Feb 19, 2019
How Manufacturers Can Get the Most Out of an ERP System
Feb 12, 2019
Top 2019 IoT Technology Trends for Manufacturing Job Shops
Feb 07, 2019
Video Demo: Using Shop Floor Optics to Solve Process Leakage
Jan 15, 2019
4 Practical Ways Manufacturers Can Leverage IIoT With Shop Floor Optics
Dec 20, 2018
Shop Floor Optics: The Mystery of Production Leakage - Using Data to Find the Root Cause
Oct 08, 2018
4 Technology Rules Job Shops Need to Apply for Growth
Sep 17, 2018
Why Cybercrime is a Legitimate Threat to Job Shops
Aug 28, 2018
5 Practical Ways to Boost Job Shop Sales
Aug 07, 2018
How to More Accurately Forecast Sales and Marketing
Jul 23, 2018
The Importance of Measuring Your Job Shop’s Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
Jul 18, 2018
Shop Floor Optics: How to Increase Uptime and Profitability
Jul 16, 2018
Differences Between ERP and CRM — And Why Integration is Important for Manufacturers
Jul 09, 2018
How to Increase Manufacturing Productivity in 2018 Without Adding Labor Costs
Jun 25, 2018
Why CRM is More Than Just a Sales Tool
Jun 19, 2018
Top 4 Manufacturing Challenges of Implementing IoT
Jun 12, 2018
Psychology of Shop Floor Dashboards & Productivity
Jun 05, 2018
7 Tips for Successful CRM Implementation in Manufacturing
May 29, 2018
Overcome 5 Common Manufacturing Issues with CRM
May 15, 2018
5 Ways the IoT Can Increase Manufacturing Capacity and Uptime
May 08, 2018
7 Ways to Forecast Manufacturing Sales More Accurately with CRM
Apr 11, 2018
Why the Latest CRM is Essential for Manufacturers
Mar 14, 2018
Manufacturers Must Embrace Future of IoT Technology or Fall Behind
Mar 12, 2018
How to Leverage the IoT in Manufacturing [Infographic]
Jan 25, 2018
IT and OT Alignment: The Key to Greater Efficiency in Discrete Manufacturing
Nov 28, 2017
The Digital Workforce: What Does it Mean for Discrete Manufacturers?
Nov 14, 2017
Are Robots a Threat to Todays Manufacturing Workforce?
Oct 31, 2017
The Four Biggest Challenges for Job Shops
Sep 20, 2017
How Knowing Your Data Can Boost Job Shop Productivity
Jul 14, 2017
What Discrete Manufacturers Need to Know About Robots
Jul 11, 2017
5 Ways to Improve Efficiencies on the Job Shop Floor
Jul 07, 2017
The Real Cost of Unplanned Downtime—How to Avoid the Risks
Jun 28, 2017
4 Steps to Get the Most Out of Your ERP Investment
Jun 23, 2017
What’s the Potential Payback of the IoT for Discrete Manufacturers?
Jun 21, 2017
Do ERP Best Practices Apply to My Job Shop?
Jun 08, 2017
Debunking the Top 4 Job Shop ERP Myths
Jun 02, 2017
Top 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing an ERP System
May 25, 2017
Top 4 Issues Job Shops Need to Address for Success
May 08, 2017
How Job Shops Can Save on Overhead Costs
Apr 28, 2017
How to Adapt to Customers Changing Their Minds
Apr 14, 2017
The Psychology of Gaining Productivity in a Job Shop
Apr 06, 2017
Process or Efficiency: Which Matters Most in a Job Shop?
Mar 03, 2017
What’s the Payback of an ERP System for Job Shops and Contract Manufacturers?
Feb 24, 2017
How Can I Improve Scheduling for My Job Shop?
Feb 17, 2017
The Secrets of Reducing Lead Times in Job Shops
Feb 10, 2017
The Pros and Cons of NetSuite for Job Shops
Feb 03, 2017
A Roadmap to Sales Reporting for Job Shops and Contract Manufacturers
Jan 27, 2017
Improve Sales Results by Focusing on Sales PROCESS!
Jan 27, 2017
Marketing 101 for Job Shops
Jan 20, 2017
How IoT Can Help You Develop Deeper Customer Relationships
Jan 17, 2017
How The Internet of Things Is Changing The Way Discrete Manufacturers Produce Products
Jan 03, 2017
Creating Your Job Shop’s Value Proposition and Customer Strategy
Dec 30, 2016
How Job Shops Can Build A Robust Sales Pipeline
Dec 23, 2016
Taking the Sting Out of a Tight Labor Market
Dec 16, 2016
Using Big Data To Improve Your Manufacturing Process
Nov 29, 2016
How to Engage Everyone in Your ERP Software Solution
Nov 25, 2016
How Can Manufacturers Leverage The Industrial Internet?
Nov 22, 2016
Job Shop ERP Implementation: What “First Steps” You Can Expect
Nov 18, 2016
5 Key Elements Of Analytics To Consider
Nov 15, 2016
How Job Shops Can Get More Hours in Each Day Using NetSuite
Nov 11, 2016
Before You Implement a Cloud ERP: What Job Shops Need to Know
Nov 04, 2016
How Top Performers Drive Continuous Improvement On The Shop Floor
Nov 01, 2016
Six Signs You’re Ready for an ERP
Oct 28, 2016
6 Keys To More Effective Decision-Making
Oct 25, 2016
How Job Shops Can Save Time in the Quoting/Estimating Process
Oct 21, 2016
The Strategic vs. Operations Thinker
Oct 14, 2016
How an ERP System Drives Costs Out of Your Job Shop
Oct 07, 2016
Three questions to answer to learn how the Internet of Things could affect your business
Oct 04, 2016
How An ERP Can Help You Grow Your Job Shop
Sep 30, 2016
What’s the Total Cost of Ownership for a Cloud-based Job Shop ERP?
Sep 23, 2016
Why Your Job Shop Needs an ERP System
Sep 16, 2016
ERP Systems for Job Shops: 5 Factors That Influence Your Cost
Sep 09, 2016
The Internet Of Things Vs. The Industrial Internet
Aug 23, 2016
Are You Deluding Yourself With Data?
Aug 16, 2016
How Should Manufacturers Improve Job Order Scheduling?
Aug 09, 2016
What Kind Of Environments Breed Innovative Thinking?
Jul 26, 2016
2 Keys To Efficient Order Fulfillment
Jul 19, 2016
3 Tips For Manufacturers To Increase Agility
Jul 12, 2016
How Is Enhanced Mobile Functionality In CRM Systems Changing Sales?
Jun 07, 2016
3 Metrics To Consider When Benchmarking Your Manufacturing Organization
May 31, 2016
3 Tips To Improve Collaborative Problem-Solving
May 17, 2016
Do Your Manufacturing Process Workflows Stifle Human Genius?
Apr 26, 2016
5 Steps To Using KPIs And Dashboards For Problem-Solving On The Shop Floor
Mar 14, 2016
Why Analytics Is Useless Unless Aligned With Business Objectives
Mar 08, 2016
The No. 1 Manufacturing Metric You Can't Afford To Ignore
Feb 09, 2016
How Can Value-Stream Mapping Improve Operations?
Jan 12, 2016
Why Lean Processes Shouldn't Be Limited To The Shop Floor
Jan 05, 2016
Webinars
Q&A panel: Leading change to find a new way forward
Aug 26, 2020
The way forward: How disruption drives innovation
Aug 04, 2020
Moving the manufacturing industry remote
Apr 09, 2020
Insightful decisions: How one manufacturer used data to recast its future
Aug 13, 2019
Simplifying Business Intelligence: A Strategy for Better Decision Making and More Effective Collaboration
Mar 24, 2015
Roadmap to Technology Success: Don't Forget the Change Management
Jul 10, 2014
'Lean' Your Way to Better Productivity
Mar 25, 2014
In The News
External News
How to Maximize Your Distributor Workflows for a Better Customer Experience
Distribution Strategy Group | Apr 17, 2023
Maximize Your Operation With the Right Warehouse Design and Layout
Distribution Strategy Group | Apr 07, 2023
A blueprint for B2B technology
Digital Commerce 360 | Nov 30, 2022
Smart warehouses and the laborers that can run them
GlobeSt. | Sep 09, 2022
How companies like Generac, Clairos, Rockwell and Kohler have embraced technology and transformed t...
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Jul 06, 2022