Blogs
Are You a Process Drone?
May 6, 2013 10:03 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsWhy, oh why, is the team waiting for a quote for something that they already have established a contract to get, especially in an emergency situation where the only reason for the purchase order is to get a re-supply of material that came defective?
Technology Is Not The Problem — It Is The Solution
May 1, 2013 10:39 am | by Robert Atkinson, President and Founder, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation | CommentsTechnological growth has been principally responsible for the development of new industries, products and processes that have created better paying jobs, cheaper goods and a higher standard of living for society. Where would our economy be without information technology, advanced manufacturing and biotechnology?
Advanced Manufacturing: GE’s Response To Full Employment
April 22, 2013 9:57 am | by Tom Kadala, Founder and CEO of Alternative Technology Corporation | CommentsWithout a ready inventory of workers to support a competitive manufacturing base, America’s future will always be vulnerable to outside economic threats. History reminds us of our true potential, when in 1945, 50 percent of the products produced in the world were "Made in USA." Today that number has trended down to 22 percent.
Rugged Tablet PC Requirements In Food Manufacturing
April 9, 2013 10:06 am | by Matt Miller, President, MobileDemand | CommentsThe food manufacturing industry defines the kind of variable, often-extreme working environment in which a rugged tablet PC thrives. Refrigerated areas must be at or below 45 degrees, freezers at or below zero, and hot food must remain at 140 degrees or just higher. Rugged tablets have to endure these highly variable temperatures and move among them as needed.
The Job Of A Leader
April 1, 2013 10:06 am | by Paul Glover, Founder, The Glover Group | CommentsThe primary purpose of every leader is to recharge the workforce each day. It may sound cheerleader-ish, but when you think about the amount of energy required to do a job, it makes sense for leaders to make sure that their employees have the energy or fuel necessary to perform.
U.S. LNG Exports Will Spur Manufacturing Momentum
March 25, 2013 10:27 am | by Jessica Kennedy, Energy Curtailment Specialists Inc. | CommentsThe U.S. must soon decide whether to allow unrestricted liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to non-U.S. markets, or to enact limits on natural gas exports to keep more of the fuel in the country. Vast reserves of natural gas in the U.S. and newly developed extraction techniques have made it economically sensible to extract previously unviable deposits of natural gas.
Fighting To Reclaim Manufacturing In America
March 15, 2013 9:05 am | by Kristopher Settle, Energy Curtailment Specialists | CommentsAmerican manufacturing is battling for its vitality right now. About 5 million manufacturing jobs that existed in 2000 are no longer around in 2013, with multiple recessions, automated machinery and offshoring mostly to blame.
5 Ideal Participants For Demand Response
March 12, 2013 3:49 pm | by Sarah Battaglia, Energy Curtailment Specialists, Inc. | CommentsMost manufacturers and other industrial facilities consume a substantial amount of energy from their large equipment and machinery. With a high level of consumption, a facility is able to reduce more electricity, allowing them to receive a more generous payment.
Manufacturing Cloud ERP – What Can We Agree Upon?
February 21, 2013 8:48 am | by Pat Garrehy, president & CEO, Rootstock | CommentsAfter more than a decade of controversy, there is now unanimity of thought on many of the benefits and evolution of Cloud ERP. Indeed, today, there is common thinking among business and market analysts, software vendors and system integrators about the role of Cloud ERP. At last, this consensus is finally trickling down to end-users.
Building A Winning Team To Implement Your ERP System
February 19, 2013 9:03 am | by Thad Neal, PMP, consulting director, Junction Solutions | CommentsWhile watching the Super Bowl this year, I was reminded of how complicated it is to build a winning team; a team that operates at the highest level to achieve the ultimate prize. We, in the project management business, strive to pick the best professionals for a project and then attempt to coach them to victory.
2013: The Year Of Soft Gains And Big Ideas
February 7, 2013 3:46 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, MBT | CommentsIf MAPI is right and manufacturing has a quiet year, I'd suggest you think about "pulling a Baldor." Examine everything within reach and think about how you can do it better. Some of the initiatives at Baldor based around safety, quality, production flow, and machinery investments resulted in big gains.
How Has Manufacturing Fared In The Second Half?
February 5, 2013 4:42 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | CommentsAnyone who watched the Super Bowl last year likely caught a glimpse of Clint Eastwood proclaiming that it was “halftime in America.” The country had been knocked down: The housing bubble had burst and top U.S. automakers – employing thousands of American workers – had sought a government bailout.
Rising Mac And Public WiFi Use Poses New Risks To Businesses
January 30, 2013 11:01 am | by Jason Wong, Director of Product Marketing, Perimeter E-Security | CommentsPerimeter recently conducted a survey of 113 IT professionals to help measure current laptop usage trends, Mac adoption rates and chief Web security concerns across small-to-midsize businesses. Not surprisingly, the results point to an industry-wide shift to more heterogeneous, mobile work environments – coupled with heightened IT security challenges and uncertainty.
Managing The Seasons Of Performance
January 25, 2013 10:19 am | by Paul Glover, Founder, The Glover Group | CommentsWhen most leaders create annual plans, they typically do not take into consideration the different rhythms that occur in each season. And by not doing that, they can miss out on opportunities to build on natural behaviors that occur throughout the year that can impact performance.
Is Labor Productivity The No. 1 Factor For Global Competitiveness ?
January 23, 2013 10:33 am | by Simon Macpherson, Senior Director Operations, Kronos EMEA | CommentsIt’s been my long-held belief that no matter what we automate in manufacturing, or how flexible and effective a supply chain we develop, it’s how we manage the people in the business that will make the difference between good and world class. When it comes to managing the workforce, very few industries are under more pressure than manufacturing.
