Manufacturing Business Technology

• Experts not required: Optimization tool offers easy way to measure true cost of carbon footprint
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 20, 2009
  Companies can use Transportation Analyst 2.0 to determine the optimal size of their fleets, find opportunities for combining forward and reverse logistics, or decide on how often they should schedule deliveries to certain locations or customers.
  
  
• Closing process gaps: Taiyo America gains control of its business with integrated ERP
  
  Jay T. Deakins, president, Deacom, January 20, 2009
  Taiyo America enjoys a 50-percent share of the North American solder mask market and more than 40 percent of the global market, with customers ranging from garage-shop PCB fabricators to major original equipment manufacturers. Still, company management didn’t feel it was in complete control of its own business until it found the right ERP system.
  
  
• Small business advisory: Launching and managing EDI doesn’t call for undue IT burden
  
  Jim Fulcher, contributing editor (jimfulcher@comcast.net), January 20, 2009
  Starting up an EDI initiative can be a costly and time-consuming project for small and midsize businesses with limited IT resources when it comes to managing the software, network services, and support necessary for EDI. Read here about options that can facilitate an EDI launch.
  
• Business Made Easy: New enterprise offering from Exact Software serves up recession relief for SMBs
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 16, 2009
  
  
• Roundabouts over red lights: Logistics innovations keep inventory on the move
  
  George Post, global marketing director, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, January 16, 2009
  Modern supply chain management has reduced the need for companies to store as much inventory. With the help of a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, companies can better synchronize their production and distribution with customer demand. Using a direct-to-store business model allows the inventory to remain in motion—across borders and around the world.
  
  
• Manufacturing stimulus: Infrastructure investment is the best way to create new jobs
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 16, 2009
  A new study delivered by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) finds 18,000 jobs are produced for every $1 billion in new infrastructure spending, and can help help revitalize the domestic manufacturing base.
  
  
• Agility matters: Top 10 requirements management & development trends for 2009
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 16, 2009
  This year, executives and managers alike will put more emphasis on cost containment as a component of business analysis, with service-oriented architecture taking on a starring role.
  
  
• A rough week: Autodesk loses chairman; cuts 750 jobs in span of two days
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 16, 2009
  
  
• PLM 2.0: Developer of SharePoint-based application promises “social product development”
  
  Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor, January 15, 2009
  PLM software supplier PTC now has an application it claims will revolutionize the product development process.  Called Windchill ProductPoint, it's built on top of Microsoft Windows SharePoint Server, and lets users incorporate Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, and instant messaging into the product development process. 
  
  
• Expert advice: Think like an entrepreneur
  
  James Feldman, Shift Happens (NewsReleaseWire), January 14, 2009
  Growth and productivity equal profit, and profit is the reason we are in business. But a question common to all organizational leaders is: How best to achieve the goal of increased growth and productivity in the most efficient manner?
  
  
• Perfect match: DataCore and Ingram Micro to feed growing appetite for virtualization savings
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 14, 2009
  Recent industry analysis finds 2009 may well be the “Year of Storage Virtualization.” DataCore say its storage and fail-safe high-availability solutions for virtual machines and desktops allow enterprises to “do more with less.” That’s why technology distributor Ingram Micro is tapping into DataCore’s full line in a newly reported agreement.
  
  
• Top 10 ticker: IDC’s predictions for 2009 put the onus for payback on IT
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 13, 2009
  The consensus of Framingham, Mass.-based IDC Manufacturing Insights analysts is that IT investments will return to zero-based budgeting, demanding faster payback aligned more tightly with the business strategy.
  
  
• Quality commotion: Many kids are saying no to a career in engineering
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 13, 2009
  An American Society for Quality survey among youth ages 8-17—as well as among parents—aimed to provide a better understanding about the perceptions of selecting an engineering career in light of a troubling shortage, which will reach 70,000 by 2010 based on an estimate by the National Science Foundation.
  
  
• New year, old favorites: Popular posts for 2008
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 13, 2009
  
  
• USBIC advisory: Manufacturing association decries nation’s job losses; urges trade policy overhaul
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 13, 2009
  
  
• MOM first: Adaptive platform achieves governance across the life cycle of global manufacturing processes
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 12, 2009
  
  
• Most-viewed articles on MBTmag.com
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 12, 2009
  
  
• Similar mission: 3PL Fidelitone buys The WinWell Companies for gains in quality-driven logistics
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 12, 2009
  
  
• Change agent: Top 10 project management trends for 2009
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 12, 2009
   Whether you’re building new IT infrastructure, coordinating remote employee teams, or delivering a new product line, project management and business analysis are the competencies for success—especially in today’s volatile economy. Here we present 10 ways to promote the essential skills development in change management, leadership, and other areas of project management and business analysis.
  
  
• Career connection: Leading association offers global network for jobs and candidates search
  
  By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff, January 12, 2009
  ISPE, an association of 25,000 pharmaceutical science and manufacturing professionals, is expanding its global online Career Exchange center to include a pilot network of local Web sites that will serve pharmaceutical science and manufacturing professionals and employers.