November 12, 2019
By Jeffrey Kueber
Even with all the talk of trade-wars and possible slowdowns to the economy, many of our manufacturing and distribution clients are having very good years and are looking for ways to invest in their companies.
Read More
October 31, 2019
By Mark Stevens
Seeing technology revolutionize operations isn’t something new for manufacturers.
The first Industrial Revolution in the 1700s, powered by water and steam, gave birth to manufacturing.
Read More
September 3, 2019
By Mark Stevens
Today’s industrial robots work in a wide range of industries, from semiconductors and automobiles to plastics processing and metal forging. Pretty much any repetitive operation is a great job for a robot, particularly if it’s dangerous or difficult for people.
Read More
August 15, 2019
By Mark Stevens
The right program implemented the right way can be a game changer for your business.
Read More
July 23, 2019
By Tom Wojcinski
As if labor shortages and dwindling margins aren’t enough, manufacturers now also have to worry about Iranian cyberattacks and a new vulnerability Microsoft remote desktop protocol.
Read More
July 16, 2019
By Mark Stevens
As a discrete manufacturer, you’re faced with unseen challenges that are difficult to pin down and find a full solution to. Process leakage, asset productivity and lost capacity all slow your machines and employees down and result in lost profits.
Read More
June 30, 2019
By Jake R. Rohrer
The scourge of all manufacturing production lines is unplanned downtime — unanticipated time that a machine is out-of-cycle and not producing.
Read More
April 24, 2019
By Dan Miller
Only a few short decades ago, most companies still managed the majority of their operations manually, whether that was in the front office with sales, billing and customer service, or on the plant floor assembling products. Today, it’s nearly impossible to succeed in a highly competitive market without the use of modern technology.
Read More
April 2, 2019
By Michael Wagner
The issue with many legacy ERP systems is their lack of intuitive interfaces. The “touch and feel” and how easy it is to move around the system is a major factor in whether a user embraces the technology or finds workarounds that can render the system ineffective.
Read More
March 5, 2019
By Michael Wagner
A lot of emphasis is placed on “making the sale” in manufacturing, and rightly so. Supporting your customers and your products after the initial sale, however, is a critical part of maintaining your hard-earned relationships and generating repeat business. It can also be a path to product improvements and growth.
Read More
March 5, 2019
By Jake R. Rohrer
Minimize downtime due to equipment-related failures. Shop Floor Optics has an out-of-the-box ability to record the frequency and impact of machine errors, allowing you to visualize these errors and identify trends.
Read More
February 24, 2019
By Mark Stevens
Adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for manufacturers has become a necessity in today’s competitive market. However, many organizations make major investments in ERP systems only to find themselves asking, “Where’s my return on investment?”
Read More
February 19, 2019
By Mark Stevens, Ryan Swiderski
To be successful, today’s manufacturers need to optimize every aspect of the customer life cycle. While CRM systems were traditionally built to manage the sales pipeline, technology enhancements mean the same tools can be extended to production, supply chain and after-the-sale support.
Read More
February 12, 2019
By Mark Stevens
Some studies estimate that more than three-quarters of all U.S. manufacturers are in the process of implementing or upgrading some sort of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, but not all succeed in leveraging its full capabilities or realize the full range of possible benefits.
Read More
January 29, 2019
By Michael Wagner
Every decision or error has a trickle-down effect and, in the end, can result in significant costs related to expedited shipping, overtime, potential lost business and more. The latest enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology can help mitigate these risks by proactively addressing potential conflicts and improving the following three business impact areas.
Read More
January 22, 2019
By Jake R. Rohrer
Under current economic conditions, manufacturers are looking for machine efficiency metrics to help drive increased production throughput without incurring large capital costs of new equipment and manufacturing space.
Read More
January 15, 2019
By Mark Stevens
Solve performance challenges with data-driven insights. Shop Floor Optics allows you to dig into causes of downtime and identify shift variance to help you speak productively with your operators and prevent future issues.
Read More
January 6, 2019
By Michael Wagner
If asked to name the biggest challenge facing manufacturing supply chains, your first reaction might be to give the answer that’s dominating headlines lately: the skilled labor shortage. However, according to a recent study, supply chain executives reported that their biggest challenge in 2018 was visibility across the enterprise.
Read More
December 20, 2018
By Mark Stevens
While full integration of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) is only present in a small number of manufacturing facilities, companies that invest in integrated technology are still disrupting traditional processes and operations to achieve better outcomes. Some IIoT initiatives require major capital expenditures, but one practical approach — Shop Floor Optics — is proving to be an economical yet highly effective application.
Read More
December 10, 2018
By Michael Wagner
There is, perhaps, no more foundational component of a manufacturer’s success than the design and function of its products. The impact of the decisions made by engineers and product designers can impact everything down the line, and one miscommunication or missed detail can have a snowball effect, leading to production delays, budget shortfalls and disgruntled customers.
Read More
November 19, 2018
The manufacturing sector is thriving in the U.S., and that means more production, more jobs and more sales orders. That’s great news, but keeping up with supply and demand is a growing challenge for many organizations.
Read More
November 5, 2018
By Ryan Swiderski
As a manufacturer, you’re always looking for ways to better connect people, processes and technology so that they work together to grow your business and enable its future success and longevity. The ability to more effectively manage processes, schedule resources and analyze results is crucial to meeting your short- and long-term needs and goals.
Read More
October 29, 2018
By Michael Wagner
A single sales cycle for some manufactured goods can span weeks, months or even years. Rightly so, manufacturers place a lot of emphasis and company resources on customer acquisition, including sales staff, lead-generation, print collateral, trade shows and incentives.
Read More
October 22, 2018
Managing the supply chain, inventory levels and capacity planning have been perennial challenges for manufacturers, and traditional practices have not always proven reliable. Perhaps that’s because demand planning, which encompasses these areas and more, is often considered a “big event” as part of a static yearly forecast. Because of the fast pace of today’s manufacturing climate, however, those forecasts can quickly become outdated.
Read More
October 15, 2018
Does your manufacturing facility have a process in place for measuring, analyzing and managing each supplier’s performance to ensure they meet your expectations and follow through on their obligations? Sure, you may have supplier scorecards, but without accurate and timely data, you’ll be hard-pressed to start a useful dialogue about improving results.
Read More
October 8, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Factory production of durable goods in the U.S. has grown in recent months and is 2.8% higher than it was a year ago. Seeming to contradict that trend is the factory utilization rate. This indicator of productive capacity stands at 75.9% and is 2.4 percentage points below its long-run average.
Read More
October 1, 2018
By Michael Wagner
A major factor in ensuring the efficient production of any manufactured good is the timely delivery of materials from suppliers and warehouses. The supply chain isn’t just about the flow of raw materials, however; it has a major impact on the flow of time and money throughout an organization. Delays in getting parts into the hands of machine operators can lead to costly downtime that eats away at profits.
Read More
September 24, 2018
It seems ironic that tracking an employee’s paid time off (PTO) ends up taking a lot of time for many HR professionals. Outdated systems such as spreadsheets, email folders and handwritten notes require manual processes and are prone to errors, and the inconvenience of searching through various files diminishes productivity.
Read More
September 10, 2018
The manufacturing sector is facing a period of major disruption and change, fueled by technological advancements and evolving customer needs and expectations. To stay competitive and keep pace with the marketplace, manufacturers will need to embrace innovation and rethink many of their current business strategies and processes — including those that drive their customer relationships.
Read More
August 27, 2018
More mature ERP systems are now designed to handle multifaceted engineering processes and project management, creating transparency from concept all the way through to production and fulfillment. Let’s take a look at how leveraging ERP project management functionalities as it relates to engineering can have a major impact on profitability and overall efficiencies in three major areas.
Read More
August 20, 2018
In manufacturing, productivity is a foundation of profitability. Keeping employees engaged and motivated to perform at their best in a manufacturing setting requires more than a yearly review based on observations and standardized forms. The most effective supervisors invest in their workers daily by providing relevant feedback based on real-time data.
Read More
July 30, 2018
By Jake R. Rohrer
Improving uptime in the modern age requires leveraging the latest IIoT software to help workers identify downtime patterns and equipment faults to proactively address them in the future. We’ll take a look at how using Shop Floor Optics technology to capture machine data in real-time and improve several key performance indicators (KPIs).
Read More
July 23, 2018
By Mark Stevens
In today’s rapidly changing business climate, it’s difficult to accurately project revenue earnings and marketing expenses for each month, let alone the next year. Forecasting is a combination of art and science but, with some effort, you can remove some of the guesswork and inject a bit more science into the process.
Read More
July 16, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Forward-thinking manufacturers are finding ways to merge the gap between human and mechanical processes to drive efficiencies and productivity even further by maximizing their current equipment to its fullest extent. Instead of investing millions in new machines, they’re leveraging hidden capacity they didn’t even know they had.
Read More
July 9, 2018
By Mark Stevens
For manufacturers, two softwares often implemented are Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). As the name of each suggests, ERP helps manage business processes of an entire enterprise, whereas CRM manages relationships with customers and clients. Let’s take a look at the functionality of each and see how the two systems can ideally work together.
Read More
June 25, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Follow these tips and best practices for increasing production on the manufacturing floor and throughout an entire enterprise. See how productivity relies on the relationship between efficient employees, equipment, technology and processes.
Read More
June 19, 2018
By Mark Stevens
CRM has moved way beyond just being a support tool for sales; it is being leveraged by marketing, customer service, project managers, HR, finance, and more. See how CRM can improve collaboration and profits.
Read More
June 12, 2018
By Mark Stevens
IoT adoption in manufacturing facilities is inevitable, at least for manufacturers that want to remain competitive. Learn about the top four challenges of IoT adoption and how to address them.
Read More
June 5, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Here’s a look at some of the factors impacting performance, along with examples of the types of dashboards and visual data that can helps galvanize an entire workforce.
Read More
May 29, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Use these 7 best practices prior to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software implementation. Before you determine which CRM is right for your manufacturing facility, it’s important to establish what you want it to do.
Read More
May 22, 2018
By Mark Stevens
These top six factors for implementing IoT can help you better understand your unique needs and help you make sure you’re asking the right questions to cover your bases, set expectations, and determine pricing.
Read More
May 15, 2018
By Mark Stevens
A CRM system can result in considerable ROI, but a robust, modern platform brings the greatest results and can improve these five pain points experienced by many manufacturers.
Read More
May 8, 2018
By Mark Stevens
The IoT is transforming manufacturing and leading to faster production, greater efficiencies, and higher quality. Learn the five ways the IoT increases capacity and profits.
Read More
May 2, 2018
See how even small design changes impact each department within a manufacturing facility, and how ERP can make the transition go smoothly.
Read More
April 24, 2018
Cost-to-Serve data bridge the gap between demand planning and supply chain details by quantifying all supply chain activities and costs incurred to fulfill specific customers’ product demands.
Read More
April 17, 2018
Bills of Materials (BOM) and routes are essential to creating efficient workflows and profitable outcomes in manufacturing, but accuracy is critical. ERP can help.
Read More
April 11, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Understand how modern CRM software can improve the accuracy of sales forecasts for manufacturers by creating upsell opportunities, nurturing leads, tracking assets, producing reports, and more.
Read More
April 2, 2018
Financial processes and close management are more demanding for companies. Create efficiencies, reduce errors, and remain competitive with ERP.
Read More
March 27, 2018
Machine learning can help discrete manufacturers to make better, more informed decisions that facilitate growth and a competitive market advantage.
Read More
March 14, 2018
By Mark Stevens
CRM for manufacturing has changed a lot in the last few years. It’s no longer just a salesforce tool and, instead, gives all departments insights into the entire customer journey.
Read More
March 12, 2018
By Mark Stevens
See how the latest technology trends, the IIoT, and machine learning are providing a competitive advantage to manufacturers and allowing them to combine the power of people, data, and equipment to drive outcomes.
Read More
January 25, 2018
By Mark Stevens
Critical to successful implementation of IoT practices is a manufacturer’s comprehensive understanding of how IoT informs manufacturing, influences specific aspects of the supply chain and plant floor, and impacts anticipated results in processes and products.
Read More
January 16, 2018
Should you migrate or modernize your organization’s technology? Is there even a difference? Yes – learn which is best for your organization!
Read More
December 20, 2017
An ERP system aids new product development and launch processes by providing a comprehensive view of all aspects of manufacturing and selling a product.
Read More
December 12, 2017
Learn how a commitment to quality and development of a continuous improvement program can help ensure discrete manufacturers’ profitability and agility.
Read More
December 6, 2017
Digital manufacturing will have great financial implications for manufacturers and will require a creative approach to pay for it.
Read More
November 28, 2017
By Mark Stevens
Discrete manufacturers’ IT & OT teams must be aligned/integrated to achieve peak efficiency. But how? Here’s a look at the benefits and how to get started.
Read More
November 14, 2017
By Mark Stevens
The digital landscape will impact discrete manufacturers. See how automation and technology can be part of a work force, not in place of it.
Read More
November 7, 2017
ERP and CRM systems are powerful tools that, when integrated into one database, further improve your organization’s efficiencies and customer service.
Read More
October 31, 2017
By Mark Stevens
Robots won’t replace all manufacturing jobs. See a list of critical functions that only skilled and unskilled labor can perform. These jobs won’t go away.
Read More
October 24, 2017
Robots can streamline discrete manufacturing and, contrary to popular belief, the age of Manufacturing 4.0 and robots will translate to more U.S. jobs.
Read More
October 11, 2017
Manufacturers have plenty of reason to fear cyber attacks. Here’s an overview of what to do to protect your organization from harm, today and in the future.
Read More
October 5, 2017
Manufacturers struggle with supply chain efficiency, which impacts profitability. An ERP system can help overcome common business performance challenges.
Read More
September 18, 2017
An ERP system provides discrete manufacturers with insights, data, and analytics that allow for seamless, accurate inventory control and cost management.
Read More
September 12, 2017
Today, discrete manufacturers must be highly agile in order to satisfy customer demands for more complex orders, shipped faster. How? With an ERP solution.
Read More
September 5, 2017
ERP system workflow automation benefits manufacturers in many ways, improving agility, responsiveness, production time, and easing labor constraints.
Read More
August 22, 2017
Cloud-based systems that can be accessed in both direct and mobile capacities, like automated expense reporting and invoice processing, offer a much more cohesive and streamlined experience for business leaders and employees alike.
Read More
August 18, 2017
If you’re ready to take your company to the next level with a digital transformation, use this overview of the steps you need to take on your journey.
Read More
August 8, 2017
Before your discrete manufacturing organization becomes more digitally enabled, it’s important to understand the basic principles and changes involved.
Read More
August 1, 2017
Technologies have advanced significantly to offer tools that sound space-age, yet are available and practical for most discrete manufacturers.
Read More
July 27, 2017
Discrete manufacturers that don’t digitally transform will fall behind—fast—and be unable to catch up with those that do.
Read More
July 11, 2017
By Mark Stevens
Robots can give discrete manufacturers a significant marketplace advantage by improving the quality and consistency and reducing overall operating costs.
Read More
July 5, 2017
When a company decides to watch for and take advantage of disruption, it’s essentially agreeing to “strategic risk,” leveraging uncertainty to find new opportunities that will give the organization a competitive advantage.
Read More
June 28, 2017
By Mark Stevens
Comments (1)
Every hour of unplanned downtime can cost manufacturers tens of thousands of dollars. See the true costs and how an IoT solution can help avoid costly failures.
Read More
June 21, 2017
By Mark Stevens
The IoT has impressive potential to not only improve efficiencies and boost productivity, but also to help an organization predict its maintenance needs and avoid costly failures.
Read More
May 31, 2017
An ERP solution is comprehensive, but it may be too much of a good thing if your company can effectively optimize processes using best of class software.
Read More
May 24, 2017
An ERP system can be a boon for your business provided “best practices” are defined by your business needs, not the technical functionalities of the software.
Read More
May 17, 2017
Can lean manufacturing and ERP systems coexist to support minimal-waste production, or are their goals simply too divergent? Find out here.
Read More
May 9, 2017
An ERP system has dollar value, but it also creates value with integrated capabilities that drive strategies, streamline processes and elevate service.
Read More
April 28, 2017
Implementing an ERP system quickly seems like a good idea, but pushing the implementation envelope in these particular areas can derail its effectiveness.
Read More
April 24, 2017
Comments (1)
There are four prevalent Millennial-driven trends related to data management that ERP solutions readily offer.
Read More
April 18, 2017
A common thread in solving logistics issues for discrete manufacturers is accurate information, making ERP a vital part of the process.
Read More
April 12, 2017
Keeping on top of technology trends can help you plan to work smarter, more profitably, and at a competitive advantage. The advent and evolution of technology has given forward-thinking manufacturers a distinct advantage. Here are five trends you should know.
Read More
April 5, 2017
Efficient production planning is key in realizing discrete manufacturing’s full potential, but you have to avoid and address these six common missteps.
Read More
March 21, 2017
Costs and profitability work hand in hand, but not all discrete manufacturers leverage the interdependency to improve organizational performance or set optimal product pricing. To do so requires following four key fundamental steps.
Read More
March 14, 2017
A 5 percent increase in retention rate translates to a profit bump of 25-95 percent. Despite these impressive numbers in favor of retention, most manufacturing businesses choose to focus on acquisition instead of using data to drive sales from their existing customer base.
Read More
March 7, 2017
Starting out, discrete manufacturers can generally stay on top of their numbers, trends and strategies with basic accounting tools, and key decisions generally fall to one person or a small group of executives. As the business grows, so do the financial and administrative responsibilities.
Read More
February 28, 2017
Manufacturers can expect to capture upwards of 30 percent of their revenue from after-sale service and service-based product strategies in the future. As such, they need to be prepared with an approach that generates new revenue and keeps competitors at bay.
Read More
February 21, 2017
To maximize returns on the significant investment of money and time put into an ERP system, discrete manufacturers need to use best practices to, first, determine the best ERP solution for their needs and then get the most from it.
Read More
February 14, 2017
Supply chain delays add significant costs to your process, primarily because you need to carry more inventory than you would without those delays, but also because they can cause a slow order-to-cash cycle.
Read More
February 7, 2017
Only with broad and deep visibility into all functions across your supply chain—raw materials, suppliers, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and customers—will you have the data necessary to extract insights that lead to better processes and better results.
Read More
January 31, 2017
Beyond process improvement,there’s even more that can be accomplished using connective technology—like better understanding after-sale maintenance requirements and using data to understand and predict when a product will require service.
Read More
January 24, 2017
Supply chain visibility continues to be a hot topic because its value to manufacturers can’t be overstated: visibility into a discrete manufacturer’s entire supply chain, from procurement to final delivery, is the best—if not the only—way to profitably grow your business and sustain that growth.
Read More
January 17, 2017
By Mark Stevens
Today, IoT is being widely used to improve product design and performance, but there’s also much being done using the same technologies to improve customers’ experiences with enhanced and expanded services. This means that in addition to selling products, manufacturers that leverage IoT technologies can also generate revenue through services.
Read More
January 10, 2017
Making inventory a priority means putting real discipline behind it. One of the most effective ways to do that is deploying an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, which makes it possible for discreet manufacturers to gain more control and reduce inventory costs.
Read More
January 3, 2017
By Mark Stevens
Technologies based on IoT have the potential to drastically improve data visibility and, with the intelligence that’s gathered from all those sensors, improve nearly every aspect of manufacturing. When you capture and analyze the data generated by equipment, systems and people, you’re able to unlock insights that enable you to improve virtually everything you do.
Read More
December 20, 2016
By Jeffrey H. Wulf
As more manufacturing employees near retirement, the industry must find ways to attract and retain young people in order to survive. The average age of manufacturing workers today is 40 to 50 years old, according to an article on the Manufacturing Digital website that highlights strategies for developing the workforce of the future.
Read More
December 13, 2016
An article on the CIO website outlines how one company used mobile platforms to develop a short-term solution to address problems caused by its legacy ERP systems. If you have a legacy system and front-end issues, then a mobile platform solution makes sense. However, it should only be viewed as a bridge to get you where you truly need to go.
Read More
November 29, 2016
By Mark Stevens
While most companies are good at gathering data and tracking the manufacturing process, they often do very little in the way of analysis. Even fewer use ongoing Big Data analysis for continuous improvement. Although the big Fortune 1,000 companies are way ahead with this technology, smaller manufacturers are also using Big Data to gain an edge.
Read More
November 22, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Using the Industrial Internet, manufacturers can empower employees who are deep in the workplace to make faster, more effective decisions and give them a sense of responsibility beyond just the tasks they've been assigned. Look no further than General Electric to see this technology's potential for achieving efficiencies.
Read More
November 15, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Analytics can provide insight into your business and help with making key decisions, but you must know what you’re trying to accomplish. To start, you need to understand the purpose behind using analytics. Are you trying to make a decision, create ideas or validate assumptions? There are five key elements of analytics to consider.
Read More
November 8, 2016
Profitability and good inventory management are intertwined. If you're inattentive to your inventory, your profit margins are likely to suffer. Learn tips for spotting poor or inadequate inventory management procedures in your manufacturing operation and discover how to achieve greater profitability today.
Read More
November 1, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Comments (1)
In manufacturing, a popular method for measuring performance is overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). But it’s also important to look at how top performers and best practices contribute to continuous improvement in your manufacturing process. Three success factors help set these top performers apart: capacity, capability and desire.
Read More
October 25, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Effective leaders go through six steps as part of their decision-making process. It's very similar to skiers on a giant slalom who must navigate many obstacles without skipping any. When making decisions, it's important to recognize you're going through a series of stages, and that you must pass through each stage before advancing to the next.
Read More
October 11, 2016
By Terry Kerscher
The challenge with Big Data analytics lies in its name - the data is so big that the truly valuable nuggets of information are often buried too deep. As a post on the Enterprise Irregulars blog sums it up, the data is too thick, and the ability to analyze it is too thin. Learn how to get thicker insight from thinner slices of data.
Read More
October 4, 2016
By Mark Stevens
The Internet of Things can be a confusing term. The real intellectual property exists in the uniqueness of the sensors or device and how information is shared with others. Answers to three key questions can help you find a new value proposition for your business.
Read More
September 8, 2016
By Terry Kerscher
Many manufacturers are smart about managing their own data. But when organizations treat ERP and CRM systems as separate IT tools performing different functions, they miss out on the cost savings of integrating them, according to a recent article from SmartData Collective. Combining this information with Big Data poses an additional challenge.
Read More
August 30, 2016
By Luis J. Murgas
The way that information flows throughout an organization is a major factor in how efficiently the business runs. Process mapping is a great way to improve information flow. Leverage the knowledge that employees on the shop floor have, use portals to gain better visibility and refine processes as necessary to keep improving.
Read More
August 23, 2016
By Mark Stevens
When machines communicate with each other online, this technology is often described as "the Internet of Things," or IoT. But it's also useful to differentiate between the consumer-oriented IoT and more commercial-grade applications, or the "industrial Internet." As this technology spreads, manufacturers need to make data security a priority.
Read More
August 16, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Data can be misleading if you're not careful. It's important to think critically about the source and type of data and to avoid jumping to conclusions. An article on the Manufacturing Business Technology website warns businesses against being deluded by data. It can be easy to read too much into data if you don't question it.
Read More
August 9, 2016
By Mark Stevens
A great deal of cost reductions and productivity gains can be made by aligning scheduling, supply chain and machine usage. Trend analysis is critical when it comes to improving scheduling routes and standards. Look for variance when you conduct an analysis. Areas where you see variance should be the first to be targeted for improvement.
Read More
August 2, 2016
As a manufacturer, you're more likely to keep your customers if you look beyond making and selling products and explore ways to offer additional value. New ways to deepen the customer relationship and grow revenue include providing services and subscriptions that tap into device sensor data, according to a recent article on Manufacturing.net.
Read More
July 26, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Breaking down the barriers that constrain thought is crucial to facilitating creativity and finding innovative solutions in the workplace. People are frequently too focused on what they perceive to be the problem at hand and lose sight of what's really important, according to an article on the BizTimes website.
Read More
July 19, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Manufacturers should evaluate their order fulfillment processes and remove any potential hurdles that could stop or delay the workflow. The keys to increasing order fulfillment efficiency are ensuring that critical information is available at each stage of the process and fostering informal communication across departments.
Read More
July 12, 2016
By Mark Stevens
In today’s fast-moving environment, businesses must ensure their production system can adjust to meet changing customer demand. Customers have come to expect a speedy response thanks to advances in technology and processes that brought such conveniences as next-day delivery of consumer goods. Follow three tips to become more agile.
Read More
June 28, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Manufacturers stand to gain from finding ways to make their operations greener. According to a post on the Manufacturing Trends and News blog, green manufacturing is all about sustainability. There are several ways that companies are going green, which can help to reduce costs and even create new revenue streams.
Read More
June 21, 2016
By Luis J. Murgas
While "business intelligence" is a contested and confusing term, BI 1.0, BI 2.0 and now BI 3.0 do reflect a real evolution, according to a SmartData Collective article. Driving this change are technology vendors that want to tap new markets for BI solutions, as well as organizations that see the value in encouraging wider use of these tools.
Read More
June 7, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Tablets are increasingly popular with sales organizations, and recent advances mean it's possible to leave the laptop behind and still run full-featured CRM systems and ERP software. While sales reps have used tablets for a while to display products and catalogs, they now also have access to client histories, past orders and analytics tools.
Read More
May 31, 2016
By Mark Stevens
When you go see the doctor, he or she might take your pulse, temperature and blood pressure, and those tests can tell you a lot about your health. Similarly, benchmarks can give a kind of personal health assessment of an organization. But it's important to keep in mind that the same benchmarks don't work for everyone.
Read More
May 24, 2016
If you're running a company without business intelligence tools, you're probably just sustaining your company or in a market with low competition. In competitive markets, business intelligence is a critical tool for understanding your customers and what they're buying, helping you discover patterns and see how processes are changing.
Read More
May 17, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Collaborative problem-solving is about getting the right mix of people together and leveraging each individual’s unique set of skills. It must start with a common pool of understanding in which people share similar values of trust, integrity and honesty, and there must be a common purpose or vision.
Read More
May 12, 2016
By Jeffrey H. Wulf
Many manufacturers struggle to align the performance goals of each department with the objectives of the overall organization, but it’s worth the effort. One of the major advantages is higher employee engagement, which leads to increased productivity. Improving performance alignment starts with clear and effective communication.
Read More
May 3, 2016
By Jeffrey H. Wulf
Innovation, by its nature, requires change. And manufacturing innovation requires a corresponding capacity for change, whether you're taking a risk on cutting-edge technology or trying new communication strategies. Companies that lead the market in manufacturing innovation often have a strong change management culture running in parallel.
Read More
April 26, 2016
By Mark Stevens
When automated workflows fail to align with how your employees actually think and work, effective decision-making and manufacturing innovation are hindered. Too often, the complexity of an ERP system blocks employee intuition. Unlocking the potential of data-driven workflows requires tools that combine software and human multidimensional cognition.
Read More
April 19, 2016
Different customers are governed by different budget cycles. With good customer segmentation and analytics, you're able to forecast your business and its profitability more accurately. Analytics help you see how products sell across certain customer segments, providing valuable insight into areas where you could make improvements.
Read More
April 12, 2016
Is it time for new manufacturing software? Don't be in such a hurry to start that you skip key planning steps in your implementation. Effective planning and change management help keep your company's day-to-day efforts running alongside the implementation project. Here are three planning tips for a smooth transition to a new manufacturing ERP system.
Read More
April 5, 2016
By Jeffrey H. Wulf
Employee productivity and engagement isn't typically boosted by office celebrations and other soft events, an article in Entrepreneur magazine reports. To increase productivity and empower your employees so they feel like they're making a significant contribution, give them the power to take risks, make decisions and offer suggestions.
Read More
March 29, 2016
By Matt Gelb
When you're dealing with complex distributed assets, you need powerful tools in place to monitor and analyze the asset data. XRM gathers relevant information into one place, making it easier to monitor data points, identify standard procedures and automate routine tasks. Learn six ways to improve how you manage distributed assets with XRM.
Read More
March 14, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Many manufacturers provide employees with analytics and dashboards, hoping that the data empowers them to identify issues and solve problems on the shop floor. But a dashboard's usefulness depends on the relevance of the data and whether that data produces meaningful action. Here are five steps for using KPIs and dashboards effectively.
Read More
March 8, 2016
By Mark Stevens
An article on the Information Age website says “fast data” technologies can create value because they get information into the hands of decision-makers while it’s still relevant. But it doesn’t matter how “big” or “fast” the data is. To be successful, the data must be aligned with business objectives and strategies.
Read More
March 1, 2016
By Luis J. Murgas
Manufacturers tend to focus on the practices aspect of agile, similar to how they might think about "just in time" or lean manufacturing. While there are simple ways to use agile practices to improve teams, improve efficiency and increase synchronization, at its core agile is a management methodology of practices and values.
Read More
February 23, 2016
Any time you introduce new manufacturing software or a different tactic for workflow improvement, you're asking employees to not only learn a new way of working, but also to stick with it despite the frustrations that often come with change. Here are three ways to get users on board and encourage them during any rough patches.
Read More
February 16, 2016
ERP implementations require strong user adoption in order to reach the system's full potential. Manufacturers shouldn't simply bring a vendor in, watch the vendor set the system up and then expect employees to start using it. We outline seven keys to encourage users to embrace your manufacturing ERP system.
Read More
February 9, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Comments (1)
When manufacturers use business intelligence to monitor performance, they're often uncertain about the specific numbers or trends they should review. How do you know you're analyzing the right metrics? Learn the single most important measure for manufacturers, and how it uncovers hidden waste and emphasizes collaboration across the organization.
Read More
February 2, 2016
By Terry Kerscher
CRM systems offer the opportunity to do more than just manage your customer and sales information. They're able to improve your manufacturing business and even increase your profitability. When you have access to market share information, the right CRM system is able to identify problem products and regions, and also highlight areas primed for growth.
Read More
January 19, 2016
By Jeffrey H. Wulf
When individuals at your company learn about plans to change the status quo, many are likely to react with cynicism and resistance. While it may seem like they're just being negative, their reactions might be rational and well-deserved. Here are three change management tips for addressing skepticism and building a culture of continuous improvement.
Read More
January 12, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Value-stream mapping is vital to helping organizations truly understand their operations and implement lean manufacturing principles. People need to see how decisions are made and materials flow. An article on the Manufacturing.net website shows how film and adhesive manufacturer FLEXcon used value-steam mapping to improve operations.
Read More
January 5, 2016
By Mark Stevens
Breaking down departmental barriers is crucial to developing lean operations. According to an article on the IndustryWeek website, a lot can be gained from employees having an awareness of how their actions affect co-workers in other divisions. An end-to-end approach to improving value chains is a critical lean principle.
Read More
