ManufacturingChange.org
ManufacturingChange.org enables online volunteers to solve problems in developing countries for organisations that use manufacturing to create social change.[1]
The Tasks
The site enables volunteers to solve the following technical, non-technical and business problems for the organisations:[2]
- Processes: design or improvement of production methods
- Quality: improvement of quality level and quality systems
- Product: improvement of manufacturability, design or cost
- Equipment: location of donated equipment
- Funding: location of new funding sources
- Customers: location of new customers
- Suppliers: location of new suppliers
- Maintenance: equipment repair and systems improvement
- Logistics: transportation and distribution help
- Training: provision or location of online or in-person training
- Research: technical or market research help
- Marketing: promotion, pricing and strategy help
- Business: accounting, purchasing, IT or HR help
- Environmental: sustainability and ecological improvement
- Health and Safety: accident-level and systems improvement
- Other requests as inputted by the organisations
The Organisations
ManufacturingChange.org provides online support to social enterprises, charities, businesses and NGOs. The organisations do one or more of:[3]
- employ marginalised workers (e.g. women, disabled, low economic status)
- use part of their profits for direct benefit (e.g. orphans, education, health improvement)
- produce or introduce poverty alleviating products
- develop the social economy (e.g. fair trade, microfinance, cooperatives, permaculture)
- improve the environment and sustainability
- use part of their profits for indirect benefit (e.g. awareness, campaigning etc)
- support other manufacturing-driven social organisations (funding, networking etc)
The Volunteers
ManufacturingChange.org online volunteers have diverse skills from technical, non-technical and business fields such as:[4]
- Manufacturing: Production, Process Improvement, Lean, Quality Improvement & Systems
- Engineering: Technical, Research, Repair, Service, Maintenance
- Supply chain: Purchasing, Distribution and Logistics
- Business: Finance, Marketing and Sales, Business Development, Management
- Any other: e.g. Environmental, Sustainability, I.T., Health and Safety, Human Resources
Awards
The organisation was awarded a prestigious 2012 Manufacturing Leadership 100 Award, in the Advocacy category.[5]
History
ManufacturingChange.org was founded in 2011 by Daniel James Paterson and is an evolution of the HumanitarianManufacturing.org NGO founded in 2009.[6]