OK, that may be a bit over the top. But in a climate plagued by clouds, even a hint of sun brightens everyone’s outlook. And earlier this week the Institute for Supply Management gave us a beach day. The ISM’s index shot up to 55.7 in October, signaling a bustling expansion of the manufacturing economy. You can insert your “Cash for Clunkers” skepticism here, but not all of the windfall shows up on the government’s credit card bill. There’s real sun in this forecast.

JP Morgan heralded bullish numbers of its own, showing that new orders increased at a solid clip, a good sign of “the sustainability of the rebound in the sector,” according to one of the firm’s directors, David Hensley, as quoted in a Reuters story.

After the shock of that dazzling performance subsided, all eyes turned warily to the employment picture. We’ve heard many reports on the broader economy over the past few months that have trumpeted gains even in the face of growing job losses. This week’s ISM scorecard was a welcome departure from that pattern: The manufacturing employment index registered 53.1, up from 46.2 and a sign that the job market — at least in manufacturing — is stabilizing.

That may be the most welcome news of all. And it isn’t a flash in the pan, according to MFG.com, an online sourcing marketplace that issues a periodic MFGWatch survey. Today the company revealed in its latest survey that more than 70% of manufacturers expect to maintain or increase employment at their plants in the coming months.

The challenge for lean-minded manufacturers will be to sustain a culture of waste cutting even as they add workers back to the payroll. The mantra for the past two years has been “do more with less.” That needs to become: Less waste from more people.

The period before new workers join the factory en masse is a great opportunity for some thorough process mapping. Then, when you orient the newcomers, you can show them where they will add value – not simply where they will execute tasks. That kind of up-front training will establish the right climate for those workers right from the start. Don’t squander the opportunity in a rush to ramp up production.

Managing Automation’s Progressive Manufacturing Awards program is accepting nominations for just a couple more weeks. To nominate your company in the Operational Excellence category (which features lean/continuous improvement projects), visit this page for more info: https://www.managingautomation.com/awards/nomination.aspx

And if you’d like to receive the Lean Matters newsletter, sign up here.