Changes on the Horizon
This edition of Minnesota Technology magazine is the last one you will ever read. But this is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a very good thing.
As director of marketing and communications at Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI), I’ve been responsible for running Minnesota Technology magazine for almost seven years. Next month, we begin a new chapter in our information journal that we think you’ll appreciate.
Editorially, Minnesota Technology magazine has always tried to convey relevant and timely information through the real-world experience of business practitioners. We will continue to do that, but we will also drill into some meatier topics that have particular interest to Minnesota’s manufacturers. The February 2008 cover story, “Suppliers are from Venus, OEMs are from Mars,” is a helpful example. The article offered an entertaining treatment of a long-term study conducted by MTI and the Blandin Foundation about improving communications in supply chain relationships. Because of the overwhelming and positive reader-response to that story, you can count on seeing more of these.
We’re already working on other long-term stories about supply chain issues, global business opportunities, the coming work force shortage and profit opportunities in “green” manufacturing, as well as our continual analysis of ways you can adapt lean attitudes and practices to the benefit of your whole enterprise.
Just as important as the evolution of our editorial content will be the leading-edge way in which it is delivered. Just as you see a new magazine, you’ll also be able to tap into our newly designed and much more accessible Web site. We’ll do our best to integrate our stories with links to deeper and collateral information on the Internet that will make our stories more comprehensive and appropriate to your specific needs. We’ll complement this effort with a weekly electronic newsletter that will provide updated information.
Finally—and this is no small effort—we will introduce a completely new redesign of the publication. We’ve been working with the folks at MSP Communications—publishers of Mpls. St.Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business, among many others—to find a look and feel that will make our publication more accessible to readers. We know our readers are busy. Our new look should offer relevant and helpful information in a way that takes a minimal investment of time.
We are very excited about this new magazine—it has been almost six months in the making—and we hope you will be, too.