Manufacturing Business Technology

• Never overbuy again: Five tips for reducing your company’s printing costs
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 28, 2009
  Find out how best practices can help your organization better optimize printer hardware investments in a declining economy.
  
  
• Organic knowledge: Social networking technology just may solve impending worker shortage
  
  William Atkinson, contributing editor, January 28, 2009
  Benjamin Friedman, a research manager for product life-cycle strategies with Framingham, Mass.-based IDC Manufacturing Insights, thinks manufacturers can use social networking and other Web 2.0 technologies to close the knowledge gap that already is forming as workers in the baby-boom generation begin retiring.
  
• This just in: Microsoft survey says automakers should use high-tech channels to target “millennials”
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 28, 2009
  A new report issued by Microsoft finds that automakers should turn to technology to target millennial consumers and potential employees. The survey, conducted by KRC Research, says millennials/Gen Y customers prefer online customization, mobile alerts, self-service kiosks, and other high-tech channels when shopping for cars, trucks, and SUVs.
  
  
• Blurred boundaries: It's important to make PLM an enterprise initiative
  
  Ed Miller, President, CIMdata, January 27, 2009
  The scope of PLM and ERP solutions can—and should—overlap considerably depending upon the company’s unique characteristics and priorities.
  
• Richly savvy: Adobe upgrades suite for creating interactive technical documents
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 27, 2009
  Adobe Systems says an upgrade to its primary solution for creating rich technical information and training content across multiple channels allows communicators to leverage Web-enabled user-assistance resources containing text, 3D designs, and rich media—including Adobe Flash Player compatible video, AVI, MP3 and SWF file support.
  
  
• Digital manufacturing: How to take the guesswork out of “green” product design
  
  Patrick Michel, Dassault Systemes, January 27, 2009
  For the manufacturing industry, being green doesn’t have to involve tired stereotypes. What you may not know is that if you’re currently using any sort of digital manufacturing solutions, you’re already being green.
  
  
• MAGNET for growth: Invention Machine data platform leads to sustainable, repeatable product innovation
  
  Jim Fulcher, contributing editor, January 26, 2009
  Best-in-class companies tend to rely on IT—especially collaboration-oriented applications—to support their product-development processes. Goldfire Innovator, a software platform from Invention Machine, makes it easy to manage data from both internal and external sources, allowing design teams to share ideas about products as they are being developed.
  
  
  
• New and improved: OPC puts forth online data connectivity resource for automation integrators
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 26, 2009
   
  The OPC Training Institute says a new online resource center focuses on standards-based OPC technology used in process control and manufacturing automation. The center caters to automation personnel, integrators, process control engineers, IT architects, and others involved in industrial data connectivity.
  
  
• Material yield: SYSPRO ERP continues to drive ”green” rewards
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 26, 2009
  
  
• Lean to Green: Free technology helps Ohio manufacturers make jump to renewable energy industry
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 26, 2009
  
  
• Recipe for success: Presidio tells of business-enablement success stories for Johnsonville Sausages, Reddy Ice
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 26, 2009
  The food & beverage manufacturing sector faces a unique challenge in how retool and upgrade aging infrastructure while still remaining profitable. Business IT specialist Presidio points to two customers who successfully upgraded business applications using flexible technology leasing solutions.
  
  
• In a slump? Manufacturers’ practice report shows not all are hitting the panic button
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 26, 2009
  It’s easy to assume that when the economy is in a recession, businesses will make major cutbacks to survive. But according to the American Society for Quality’s latest Quarterly Quality Report, many manufacturing companies are not in the crisis mode one would expect.
  
• Green reality: “Regulations won’t stop until the wooly mammoth returns”
  
  Frank O Smith, senior contributing editor (fosmith@thewritinggroup.com), January 22, 2009
    IDC, the Framingham, Mass.-based research firm, was pleasantly surprised in a survey of 372 U.S. companies to find that the vast majority—72 percent—stated that green/sustainability issues were important to senior management.  Much of the interest, however, is being driven by regulations—a key factor in doing business. As one survey respondent put it: “Regulations won’t stop until the wooly mammoth returns.”
  
• Single brand: Business and warehousing solutions supplier is moving on “Upp”
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 22, 2009
  
  
• That’s a lock: Signum Group deploys Oracle EAM for leading security products maker
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 22, 2009
  
  
• SCOPE it out: Manhattan expands supply chain optimization portfolio
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 21, 2009
  
  
• The future of play: Who mugged the toy industry? The economy or Nintendo’s Wii?
  
  Richard Gottlieb and Associates, LLC (News Release Wire, Jan. 21, 2009), January 21, 2009
  Expert Richard Gottlieb offers his opinion on the tough toy economy.
  
  
• You need this list: The top 10 pricing mistakes most companies make
  
  Per Sjofors, managing partner, Atenga Inc., January 21, 2009
  Reevaluating product pricing is a necessity to keep your customers motivated. Determining what to cut and what to keep doesn't always come easy when you're personally involved with your products. Here’s a fast look at the 10 most common mistakes companies make when pricing their products.
  
  
• Master of disaster: Basic primer offers step-by-step recovery planning for the SMB
  
  Mark Shurr, VP, Ada Business Technology, January 21, 2009
  Disaster Recovery Planning may seem an abstract concept, but the need for it is critical to ensure business continuity during an interruption. An unexpected event like a flood or fire will activate an emergency plan. We present here a practical guide to disaster recovery, from planning through implementation.
  
• Six Sigma payoff: Lift-truck maker raises $1.5-million savings from green-belt, black-belt programs
  
  Malcolm Wheatley, senior contributing editor, January 20, 2009
  For electric lift truck maker Crown Equipment, an investment in Six Sigma is credited with saving the company some $1.5 million. Read here how the savings continue to mount.